The Lensic battles through the darkest of times
While I own the Inn on the Alameda, I have had the honor to serve on the board of directors of the Lensic Performing Arts Center since the theater reopened in 2001 as a nonprofit.
Unlike the Inn on the Alameda, where shuttering was painful, sad but straightforward, the Lensic is a living organism with a challenging mission during the pandemic.
A recorded message cannot possibly address the endless issues and questions that arise daily at the Lensic, the most valuable and utilized performing arts theater in Northern New Mexico.
Tracking finances closely right now is imperative, and we do that thanks to Aggie Damron-Garner, our dedicated business manager.
We need to invest in marketing to keep the community informed on the status of the Lensic, so Dianna Delling, our marketing director, focuses on keeping people informed about how our programs have continued during this time of closure.
Joel Aalberts, our executive director, needs to plan our future programming, another area that cannot stop. He continually evaluates the national and local performers’ scheduling, for which forecasting is just a guessing game.
Our stage manager, Randy Rasmussen, scampers all over the theater keeping the mechanical components working, with his foremost mission being to meet the latest public-health standards to reopen safely. Meanwhile, Laura Acquaviva, our managing director, keeps an eye on all the moving parts and makes sure things are running on schedule.
One of the important community services the Lensic provides is arts education for local students through an internship program and free performances for students in Santa Fe Public Schools. Like the National Dance Institute of New Mexico through dance, we strive to expose young people to the thrill of the performing arts.
Our school educational programs, enhanced by Superintendent Veronica García’s involvement as an ex-officio member of the Lensic board, are among our proudest achievements. More than 15,000 students a year are bused for free matinee performances, and for many of the kids, it’s the first time they have seen a live performing arts event. We are presently working with the schools to develop alternative ways to virtually provide this exposure.
Fundraising cannot stop, and thankfully we are receiving support from individuals and foundations to help us make it through this dark season, thanks to Melanie Corcoran, who handles this challenging job.
But because there are so many worthwhile organizations competing for the same dollars, it is critical the community realizes the unique role the Lensic has in contributing to our quality of life with programming usually more than 250 days a year.
And more than fundraising, keeping the morale intact at the theater is critical, as we are truly alive inside this darkened cocoon, and we will emerge brighter and stronger and take flight again soon, thanks to our supportive community. Remember, Greek tragedy survived the Peloponnesian War, Shakespeare the bubonic plague and Zozobra made it through 2020.
The Lensic and Santa Fe will certainly survive COVID-19.