Gossamer Task Force

By Elizabeth Krumnow, Marketing Manager

In preparation for the first show of the 2008-2009 season – GOSSAMER, First Stage created a “task force” with one main goal in mind: to create meaningful community connections for the show and possibly beyond. The task force includes a member from each department at First Stage (academy, development, marketing and production).

Since GOSSAMER deals with some complex situations involving child abuse and domestic violence, we felt it was necessary to rely on the experts in our community to provide our audiences with resourceful information.

And since June, the task force has been hard at work connecting with organizations like the Sojourner Truth House, the Children’s Outing Association, the Healthy Marriage Program, the Children’s Services Society of Wisconsin and more!

These connections have already developed into strong partnerships. For example, the Children’s Outing Association (C.O.A.) has selected Lois Lowry’s Gossamer to be read in their book club and are in the process of organizing a group to come to a performance. Also, First Stage will be partnering with C.O.A this fall to implement a drama after-school residency.

As a member of the task force, I have come to realize that what these organizations have in common is that besides offering their resources, they also offer hope. Hope to the victim’s and hope to the future of our community. This a beautiful parallel to one of the strongest themes in GOSSAMER – hope that everything will one day be better and that we should never underestimate the power of our dreams.