Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Orpheum Theatre Group's focus is on becoming truly inviting to the entire Memphis community. OTG recognizes its role in Memphis and the Mid-South as a large, historical arts organization that bears the responsibility of being equitable and inclusionary in producing and presenting programs, and accessible to people from all cultures, backgrounds, abilities, and financial circumstances. The arts play a vital role in creating safe spaces for all people. OTG also recognizes that in order for community members in a city with a nearly 25% poverty rate to have access to arts programming, we have to provide that programming without placing a financial burden on families and patrons. One of our largest goals as an organization is securing funding for an endowment that will cover the cost of all Education programming, relieving participants of all financial responsibility and widening access across our community.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Student Matinee Series
The Student Matinee Series brings the best of touring children’s theatre to the Orpheum and Halloran Centre. These shows are designed with young audiences in mind, and each production has a direct connection to other core curricula outside of the arts that teachers can use to supplement time in the classroom. In addition to the live performances, all student matinees are paired with educational guides that allow teachers to connect the art back to their classroom curriculum.
Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards
The Orpheum’s annual High School Musical Theatre Awards (HSTMAs) recognizes achievements in all areas of high school musical theatre. The ceremony is modeled after the Tony Awards and is part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards which includes 30 programs across the country. Participants include over 50 schools across three states. The Best Actor and Best Actress winners move on to compete at the national level in New York City. The HSTMAs bring students together over a common love of the performing arts and encourage them to celebrate each other’s creative successes. The HSTMAs take place at the Orpheum Theatre.
Summer Camps
For students in elementary school through college freshman, OTG offers a broad range of week-long musical and technical theatre camps, introducing students to theatre, helping them build self-confidence and explore their creativity, and providing them the opportunity to perform onstage in a showcase they help create. In addition, intensives for high school students pursuing a career in musical or technical theatre are taught by local teaching artists as well as some currently working on Broadway.
Mending Hearts Camp
Mending Hearts Camp (MHC) creates a space for students entering grades 3-8 who have experienced the death of a parent to come together for three weeks during the summer. Surrounded by a community of peers who have experienced a similar loss, campers explore their creativity through acting, singing, dance, and design classes, giving them the ability to express themselves and build self-confidence. Professional healing counselors provide support and lead group sessions throughout the three weeks.
Camp SAY: Across the USA Memphis
Camp SAY: Across the USA Memphis is a free 2-day camp that helps young people (ages 8-18) who stutter develop self-confidence, communication skills, and build community. Camp SAY offers teambuilding and confidence-building exercises, plus a broad range of fun games and group activities to choose from, ranging from improvisation to arts and crafts. Campers participate in small groups to create original artistic work and can choose to participate in a final presentation, sharing their original work with a supportive audience of caregivers, families, and friends. Working in partnership with SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young, Camp SAY prioritizes connection, collaboration, and fun for young people who stutter.
Teaching Artist Training Program
The Teaching Artist Training Program invites professionals in performance arts fields including theatre, dance, music, design, playwriting, poetry, and arts integration to train under the OTG teaching model, equipping them to fill teaching positions within our growing Education department. Artists will teach classes and workshops for youth, enriching the arts community and fostering the development of participants' identity, strong collaboration and teamwork skills, and a sense of social responsibility.
Interactive Field Trips
Interactive Field Trips (IFTs) give students the opportunity to experience theatre arts beyond just seeing a show. Available to students of all ages, IFT models are now customizable to meet the needs of individual classrooms, whether they are learning virtually or in person. Each IFT integrates Tennessee State Standards in Fine Arts with Tennessee State Standards in English Language Arts.
From Where I Stand
From Where I Stand, hosted by the Orpheum Theatre Group at Middle College High School, represents a wealth of cultures, stories, and experiences. These young people are invited to share their stories by collaborating to create an original performance. This program aims to build bridges and encourage transformation through the power of the arts.
Neighborhood Play
The Orpheum Theatre Group launched a new program in collaboration with the Binghampton neighborhood in Memphis to share stories and provide free arts engagement opportunities as we create a play with, for, and about Binghampton. The Neighborhood Play exists to connect neighborhoods and provide high quality arts access to underserved communities.
Balcony Project
In 2023, the Orpheum Theatre Group opened The Balcony Project to the public, an initiative that recognizes the segregated history of the theatre with the aim to learn, reflect, and continue moving forward with a vision of equity and inclusion.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Independent Presenters Network - Voting Member 2024
Broadway League Member 2024
National High School Musical Theatre Member 2024
Tennesseans for the Arts 2024
Tennessee Presenters Network 2024
Americans for the Arts 2024
Ass. Of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) 2024
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) 2024
Cultural Coalition of Memphis 2024
Greater Memphis Chamber 2024
Hospitality Sales Marketing Ass. International (HSMAI) 2024
International Ass. Of Venue Managers (IAVM) 2024
International Entertainment Buyers Ass. (IEBA) 2024
International Performing Arts for the Young (IPAY) 2024
International Ticket Ass. (INTIX) 2024
Memphis Tourism 2024
Metro Memphis Attraction Association (MMAA) 2024
Tennessee Nonprofit Network 2024
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) 2024
South Main Association 2024
Teaching Artists Guild 2024
Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA/USA) 2024
Toastmaster International - Talking in Memphis 2024
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of audience members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of paid participants on field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Average price of field trip tickets
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
As we develop and implement new programming, particularly within our Education department, our focus is on widening access across all demographics in addition to creating a safe, welcoming space for marginalized or underserved groups. In recent years, the addition of programs including Mending Hearts Camp and Camp SAY Across the USA: Memphis have brought specialized opportunities to students who may not have access to spaces specifically designed for them elsewhere. In our storytelling projects From Where I Stand and Listen Up, students are given space to own their stories, organize them in an artistic way, and be heard by those closest to them and by the community at large. OTG fervently believes in the power of individuals stories as catalysts for life-changing connection, reconciliation, and empathy. We seek to serve our community by bringing as many stories to light as possible, whether it be through presenting large-scale touring shows at the Orpheum, smaller productions featuring local performers at the Halloran Centre, or showcasing the art produced by students from within our own community. Our Education and Community Engagement department currently runs 22 programs .
Access is our driving motivator and welcoming more community members into our spaces with each new season is our continuing goal. We are also committed to preserving the Orpheum Theatre and maintaining the Halloran Centre facilities, as well as securing an endowment that will allow us to offer Education programming at no cost in the near future.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
In 2020, OTG's Board of Directors voted to approve a five-year strategic plan that addresses 5 planks: Preserve & Enhance; Access; Impactful Programs & Services; Finance, Governance, & Development; and Integration.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Orpheum Theatre Group's capabilities lie in its impeccable staff who together run the theatre on a day to day basis, handle large rentals and VIP events, execute all fundraising events and activities, market and sell Broadway shows, and serve over 30,000 through Education programming every year. OTG employs a full-time staff of 35 between the Orpheum Theatre and Halloran Centre. Departments include Operations, Marketing, Education, Development, and Box Office. Part-time staff include Event Staff, IATSE Stagehands, Housekeeping, and FOTO Volunteer Ushers. Artistic staff is hired on an independent, program-specific basis. In March, the Education Department graduated its second Teaching Artist Training program class, welcoming 8 artists who have completed OTG’s 9-week training program to our staff on an independent basis- teaching classes, workshops, and camps. These 8 teaching artists serve as an extension of the Education Department and are on the front lines of our programming, working directly with students and community members.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The Orpheum Theatre Group has had a successful, exciting 2021/22 season, welcoming over 255,000 people to our campus from October 2021 to June 2022. We have worked to achieve our goal of expanding our reach within the Mid-South region through easily accessible, affordable programming that is relevant and beneficial for all members of the community. We have also remained committed to equity and inclusion within our leadership, staff, and programming and we worked throughout the year to better address issues of diversity, representation, and accessibility. We continue to welcome new members of color to our board and in recent years we welcomed our first Chief Operating Officer who is a woman of color. Our Education Department under the leadership of Vice President Jennifer McGrath successfully launched five new programs reaching entirely new pockets of the community.
Our goals for the 22/23 season include:
1) Successfully present 8 touring Broadway shows including a show highlighting the life and impact of a Memphis area native, Tina Turner. Fans and area community members will certainly be lifted by seeing the story of a fellow native told on the historic Orpheum stage. It is an incredible opportunity to reach new patrons and to engage audiences in new ways through unique events and productions like this that some people haven’t experienced at the Orpheum before.
2) Introduce two new educational programs to complement the current EDUCE programming. Since the Halloran Centre opened in 2015, the Education Department has expanded existing programs, added new programs, and reached new members of the community through unique and specific programs targeting students who can most benefit from the arts.
3 Achieve the stated mission of the organization to “entertain, educate and enlighten” while finishing the fiscal year with positive operating financial results.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Orpheum Theatre Group
Board of directorsas of 11/07/2024
Mr. Scott Bendure
John Bobango
Farris Bobango PLC
Debbie Branan
Branan Law Firm
Chirag Chauhan
The Barnett Group
Robert Cox
Glassman, Wyatt, Tuttle & Cox, P.C.
Robert DelPriore
MAA
Philip Gould
Gould's Salons and Spas
Robin Orgel
Community Volunteer
Karl Schledwitz
Monogram Foods
Bill Stegbauer
Local Business Owner
Lura Turner
Turner Marketing
Scott Bendure
Pinnacle PWM
Neal Beckford
UTHSC
Rick Fogelman
Fogelman Properties
Joey House
Sedgwick
David Pickler
Pickler Wealth Advisors
Shannon Brown
FedEx Express
Jim Gilliland, Jr.
Diversified Trust
Keith Norman
First Baptist Church & Baptist Memorial Healthcare
Thomas Holmes
Evolve Bank & Trust
Miles Mason
Miles Mason Family Law
Kush Shah
Direct FX Solutions
Devin Williams
Greenway Home Services
Ignacio Vincentelli
International Paper Company
Sherry Williams
First Horizon Bank
KaShaundra Blackwood
Grove Park Dental Group
Brett Batterson
Orpheum Theatre Group
Patrick Carter
Olympic Career Training Institute
Leslie Coleman
Nutrien
Cassandra Howard
Methodist University Hospital
Amy Knight
Community Volunteer
David Mckinney
AutoZone
Grayson Pruitt
Truist
Martin Hand
ALSAC - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Ruby Hancock
KPMG LLP
Laura Linder
Jewish Community Partners
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/11/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.