Update on Daniel Island PAC takes center state at April DINA meeting
Having graciously deferred her presentation from the February meeting of the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association (DINA), which had run over with a highly charged traffic circle discussion, Daniel Island Performing Arts Center (DIPAC) Founder and CEO Mary Gould was rightfully given top billing at last Tuesday’s DINA meeting at the Church of the Holy Cross and provided a thorough update on the project.
A “look” at the theatre site plans, and a mark of distinction
The DIPAC champion began by explaining that the renderings that have been used to represent the project came from a collaboration with students from the Clemson School of Architecture back in January 2015. These visuals were created for the purpose of “glossy marketing,” and are not meant to reflect the ultimate design of the center. Local, professional architects will be contracted for the project in the months ahead.
Going on to address the location of the DIPAC, Gould joked, “We haven’t even built, and we’ve moved!”
As recently as ninety days ago, the plan was to build on River Landing Drive, behind the UBS building. But with another commercial buyer interested in that same parcel, Daniel Island Company President Matt Sloan suggested DIPAC’s placement on Island Park Drive across from Ristorante LIDI and Laura Alberts would be better suited to the kind of visibility and accessibility the center will seek. The contract for the land has been executed, and closing on this property is expected to take place in early July 2016.
Next, Gould detailed some of the unique attributes that would be afforded the DIPAC as a League of Resident Theatres (LORT) facility. As the only theatre in the state of South Carolina with that distinction (the next closest of the 72 nationwide are located in Chapel Hill, Atlanta, and Sarasota), the Daniel Island PAC would be a true destination theatre. With the prestigious LORT designation, the regional outfit would incubate shows for Broadway, enjoy Tony Award eligibility, and pay its performers Broadway-level equity wages. “Actors in Charleston will finally be able to make a living at their craft,” Gould pointed out. “This is huge. This is going to value our artists as they should be valued.” DIPAC shows will be cast with, and produced by, primarily local talent.
Artistic – and economic – impact of the theatre
While the anchor tenant of the DIPAC will be the LORT theatre, operating under Gould’s South of Broadway Theatre Company, the facility will also be available for other local arts organizations. With a main theatre space of 444 seats, it will have an intimate feel and support productions that cannot take place in larger venues. Along with plays and musicals, DIPAC will host scores of other events, such as dance performances, film festivals, speaker series, and art movies. There will also be a 99-seat “black box theatre” with a flexible configuration, and this area will be available for meeting use as well. The design for the DIPAC is also expected to include other rentable spaces and catering kitchens.
The economic impact for Daniel Island and the surrounding Charleston area is expected to be significant. Gould shared that the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, which is arguably the best comparable LORT facility to that which will result here in Daniel Island, yields a $34 million annual impact for its community. (As a comparison, Gould notes that the annual economic impact of the recent Volvo Car Open tennis tournament is approximately $30 million.)
The DIPAC will also have a department dedicated to theatre education, including a full complement of classes for all ages and across such disciplines as acting, dancing, and voice. Special outreach will be provided through South of Broadway Theatre Company’s “My Ticket to the Arts” program, which provides event tickets to at-risk youth and their families.
Gould will continue to offer her 2005-founded “Summer in the City” artistic residency summer program through the new theatre, allowing young performers to “polish” their talent during a month at The Juilliard School in New York City. And DIPAC will hold three two-week summer camp sessions as well.
The DIPAC’s way forward
Over the past six months, Gould has been holding focus groups and assembling a 26-person Advisory Committee in an effort to ensure that the project moves forward in a manner most embraced by its neighborhood stakeholders. In terms of fundraising, the DIPAC Founders’ Circle was introduced in the fall of 2015, with “patron” giving levels ranging from $50 to over $10,000. The Founders’ Circle is closing in on its first fundraising goal.
Gould explained that the overall project is well into Phase 3, which serves primarily to raise the initial $1 million needed to purchase land, complete regulatory and architectural requirements, and begin construction. The DIPAC Advisory Committee has begun the process of selecting a capital campaign manager to oversee the procurement of the additional $9 million needed to complete the project as it moves into Phase 4. The DIPAC is projecting a 2019-20 inaugural season.
Gould stated that several corporate sponsors have expressed interest in helping to fund the new theatre, provided they are able to ascertain that the community is “totally in favor” of it.
“When I say ‘supporting the project,’ I’m not just talking about monetarily,” she clarifies. “I’m talking with your probation, your enthusiasm, your excitement. That is as important to us as any donation we will ever get. We need to know that the Daniel Island community is behind us.”
Addressing various questions from the DINA audience, Gould stated that the LORT designation is maintained through box office receipts, regular season ticket prices are expected to be around $55 per seat per show, and the property will allow for the City-mandated one parking spot for every six theatre seats. She also shared that the DIPAC will be casting South Carolina actors alongside “some really well-known names” in an effort to help those local artists build their networks, and an in-house playwright lab will encourage new works.
The new DIPAC website will be up and running within a couple of weeks; in the meantime, a temporary site is available for Founders’ Circle registration: www.danielislandpac.com. Lastly, a “Have One on Us!” cocktail party fundraiser is taking place at the Daniel Island Club’s Ashley Cottage on May 3 at 6 p.m.
Suggested Gould, “Come and drink, but bring your checkbook, too!”