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Foundation for MetroWest Helps Local Artist and Local Theater

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Many artists dream of making a living practicing their craft, but often times find it impossible to make ends meet. Such was the case of Milford resident Michael Geary, 2010 graduate of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). Although Michael, a graphic artist and sculptor, as well as actor, costume designer, set designer, and director, had plenty of talent and an award-winning body of work, the prospects of earning an income as an artist in MetroWest were dim. Michael managed to string together limited work as a theatrical director at Enter Stage Left Theater of Hopkinton, Steps Off Broadway of Bellingham, and the Marlboro High School, but small operating budgets for these organizations limited their ability to offer Michael steady work.

That changed with a capacity building grant that Enter Stage Left Theater (ESL) received from the Foundation for MetroWest. ESL, a full capacity community charitable organization, offers more programming year-round for a wider variety of age groups than any other community theater in MetroWest and was continuing to grow. Recognizing the importance of marketing to sustain the organization and support its growth ESL was looking for a way that they could fund a position often considered a luxury for small theatre companies. All of its current resources and staff time focused on the challenge of producing shows and workshops, so ESL applied for and received the capacity building grant which allowed for the creation of the marketing assistant position. With funding in place ESL was now able to hire Michael as their Marketing Manager. Having won two National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) awards in graphic design for his college, Michael’s skills would be a perfect fit for the creative designs necessary to promote the theater’s many programs.

“This grant from the Foundation for MetroWest made it possible for not only Michael to obtain his ‘dream job’ but for an arts organization to get the marketing support it needs from a talented employee who has a passion for his work," said Kelly Grill, Executive Director of ESL.

In 2006, the board of directors for Enter Stage Left Theater made the decision to increase its offerings from two or three shows per year and a few workshops to a full-time community theater with year-round classes and more productions. Grill left her full-time job as a recruiter to focus on growing ESL’s business. Working pro-bono for the first two years, Ms. Grill and co-founder Mary Scarlata-Rowe set up an office and workshop space on Main Street in Hopkinton. Since that time the theater company has grown to produce ten to twelve shows and offer over twenty five educational programs per year. In 2010, ESL moved to 98 Hayden Rowe St., sharing space with the Cultural Arts Alliance of Hopkinton, a collaboration which has giving birth to the Hopkinton Center for the Arts. Currently plans are in place for renovating the barn that sits on the lot into a multi-use arts facility, with future plans for building a dedicated theater behind the barn. Such rapid growth has put a strain on Ms. Grill and her volunteer staff, as the company’s needs for marketing and publicizing have also grown quickly.

As Marketing Manager, Michael has promoted the theater through the internet, newsletter, local advertising and poster promotions, and has implemented new marketing strategies. He has also attended a marketing seminar hosted by the Foundation for MetroWest. Recognizing his talents and commitment ESL continues to seek ways to help Michael earn money as a director and theater artist.

“For many organizations important functions such as marketing are often sacrificed to focus resources on the day-to-day necessary to survive,” said Judith Salerno executive director of Foundation for MetroWest. “However these functions are necessary for organizations, such as Enter Stage Left, to grow and expand on their current success and we are happy to have provided them with a grant that has supported those efforts.”

The Foundation for MetroWest grant allowed Michael to provide Enter Stage Left Theater with the marketing resource it needed and allowed Michael to earn a steady income, while he continued to do freelance work for ESL and other arts organizations.

Michael commented “ Having a job in the art field directly out of college has been an extreme privilege and an even better learning experience. I've had the opportunity to apply what I've learned and experiment with different ways to make that work for the company as well as further my abilities as an artist. It's also been an absolute pleasure working with Enter Stage Left Theater, a team that has incredible ambition and the professionalism to make their goal of an Arts Center a flourishing reality. This has been a fantastic opportunity for me."