Behind the Scenes!
Join us for a sneak peek at how our cultural arts programs are selected.
Westminster Canterbury Richmond’s Theater Manager, Jessica Corbitt, orchestrates the selection and implementation of our Performing Arts Seasons with the same rhythm and precision as a cha-cha. She works closely with the Performing Arts Committee, made of resident arts lovers who preview potential performers and provide feedback on what they believe will be successful with our audience.
“I go to a Performing Arts presenters conference each fall and get tons of ideas. There are hundreds of agents in the marketplace pitching their ideas. Also, each night at the conference there are about five performances happening every 15 minutes. From those conferences, I bring back lists of groups and then create preview DVDs for the twelve-member resident committee,” says Mrs. Corbitt. “Each meeting we look at attendance, ticketing and other theater-related issues and then we watch about ten clips of performers and rate them.”
The theater staff carefully tracks performance attendance to ensure that there are the appropriate number of performances, to help make future decisions about the types of performances that are beneficial and to ensure a variety of programming to meet various tastes and needs from our audience. In addition, they also solicit and receive ongoing feedback from the Resident Services department, nursing staff, social workers and recreation therapists in all areas of living. There is an intentional effort to bring residents from assisted living, memory support and Parsons Health Center to these performances alongside their independent neighbors.
“Westminster Canterbury’s 2016-2017 season offers a diverse mix of musical styling including classical, Broadway, jazz, and big band. We even have a dog act in November, which we think will add a spice of comedy to the line-up,” says Mrs. Corbitt. “All shows are booked far in advance. The calendar is already packed full through July of 2017.”
You can be part of our special 10th Anniversary celebration for the cultural arts programs and ensure high-quality performances for all the seasons to come with your charitable gift to the Westminster Canterbury Foundation. All performances are paid for by generous donations, and all residents are invited to attend, regardless of their financial situation. If you would like to learn more about the Westminster Canterbury Richmond Cultural and Educational Series and how you can help support it, please contact Anita Adkins at 804.264.6202 or aadkins@wcrichmond.org.