The Show MUST Go On! - personal pitch from Paula

Welcome to my CoMoGives page! This page is set up for you to make donations on behalf of myself to Maples Repertory Theatre via the CoMoGives Campaign. I know, a bit confusing – you donate here on my page, it goes to CoMoGives who will email you an IRS deduction receipt for charitable giving, and then they will send all donations on to Maples Repertory Theatre, Macon MO. CoMoGives is well setup for secure online giving (including PayPal) and you can even donate to other great non-profit organizations in central Missouri from their website. This saves non-profit organizations a ton of staff time, as you can imagine.

SO, if you’re a theater buff, a friend of Paula’s, a generous person looking for a way to support the arts in our area, a person looking for the perfect gift, or just someone who wants to donate to a good cause, do I have an idea for you!

If you know me, then you probably know that I am a volunteer grant writer for the regional non-profit professional theatre in Macon, Missouri, the Maples Repertory Theatre. You can read more about MRT on their main CoMoGives page, but suffice it to say that MRT is concluding its 22nd season of producing professional theatre in rural upstate Missouri – which is darn near a miracle. Annually, MRT serves about 11,000 patrons of all ages from at least 16 Missouri counties. As a theatre buff myself, I am absolutely thrilled to have professional theatre available practically in my backyard – just 30 min south of Kirksville. The Royal Theatre is beautiful, comfortable, accessible, and the productions are creative and unique to MRT. 

 

They CREATE theatre productions HERE (they don’t host traveling companies). Production and administration quality is so high that since 2023 MRT has been one of the few professional theatre companies in the region to receive support from the prestigious Shubert Foundation. MRT brings important cultural and economic benefits to our part of Missouri and I’m pleased to help them obtain funding to keep up the GREAT work!

I am committed to protecting the institutions, organizations, and arts that define our highest callings. Few beloved cultural institutions – including churches, museums, music venues, theaters, cinemas, and libraries in the U.S. – are as well-attended or financially supported as they were before COVID.  It’s a very hard road back, so please help your own favorites if you can, before irreparable damage is done. 

Arguably, there's never been a more important time for live theatre to step up - to offer escape, to help us learn from the past, look forward to the future, experience new perspectives, and to help us all gain empathy. I know from working with them closely that MRT will use your donation thoughtfully to attract the best possible artists and to create the best possible productions for adults and youth in our region. Thank you SO much for considering this gift!