June 24, 2026 Performing Arts Committee

5:00 p.m. at least two business days prior to the day of the scheduled meeting by phone at 650936608 or by email.

Yeah, that looks like a Hollywood uh screenshot for a potential [laughter] edition, doesn't it?

What needs to get past offline or

online? Needs to stay. Can

we start over?

No, pretty much. Depends.

Okay. [laughter]

Or by email at memountview.gov. Um, this meeting is being conducted with a virtual component. Anyone wishing to address the committee virtually may join the meeting online at https polling back mountainview.zoom. us back slashj back slash8284578889 or by dialing 669900 9128 and entering webinar ID 82884578889. When the chair announces the item on which you wish which speak, click the raise hand feature on Zoom or dial star9 on your phone. When the chair calls your name to provide public comment if you are participating via phone, press star six to unmute yourself. Okay, staff, could you do the roll call, please?

Chair Donahghue,

here. Vice Chair Fenwick

here. Member Bara

here,

member Garcia

here,

and member Chrome is

okay. So the uh next item of business is minutes approval uh 3.1 minutes approval recommendation approve the May 226 meeting advance. The minutes are there any corrections or changes to the minutes. I seem to recall there was some discussion about sub subcommittees and and uh future work, but I think that was probably all part of the work plan.

So um and I think we have on tonight's agenda to see the changes from the work plan. So I think otherwise that matches my memory.

That's a motion. I move to approve. minutes vice chair uh to approve the minutes from May 20 26.

Do I have a second?

I second.

Okay. All in favor? I

I

The minutes are passed as submitted unanimously. All right. Next order of business is number four, oral communications from the public. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the committee on any matter not on the agenda. Speakers are limited to three minutes. State law prohibits the committee from acting on non-aggenda items. Do we have any comments from members of the public? Any online? Hands raised. Okay. There being no comments, we'll move along to number five, new business 5.1, Performing Arts Committee fiscal year 2026 27 work plan draft recommendation review and approve the fiscal year 2026 27 performing arts work plan [clears throat] to be forwarded to the city council for approval. The works attached [clears throat] any comments on those revised work plan.

I just wanted to bring it back to the group because those already um mentioned there was a lot of conversation about sub ad hoc committees and various wanted to make sure that everything got factored. We have four ongoing birth items and we have four um continuing and new birth. Okay. On page two under 2627 increase community connections under milestones I think we should be participate in community. I know I wasn't here for this last meeting. If we have a reason for the to participate in the neighborhood community, what was the rationale behind um participating in the neighborhood community meetings then who is doing that members?

I think the who would be members as they arise staff would let us know. Um someone from Mountain View Teresa would let us know when they're coming up. And um I had I think I suggested that as because it's an ongoing regular event as a way for us to make awareness about the performing arts center and also this committee in front of the neighborhoods where we don't have to as a committee ask Teresa or anyone else from the city council to put on a special event for us. It's something we can ride on the coattails of that someone else is organizing. And when I was on BPAC, we would often send a member there to talk about some of the pedestrian topics and awareness to rotate it around and the city has already all the setup and invites to the new that was I think we as a committee we were open for other things. It just seemed like a easy start.

Okay.

So, did you notify the city beforehand that you were coming because they generally have speakers and whatever?

We were. So, um we were invited by our our staff. Okay.

Uh which is wouldn't be the director of a transportation and we would sit at a table. We didn't speak. it. Um, and then after the council members speak, the college representative speaks and a couple of people speak, then you're kind of there to answer. There's like open Q&A and those committees answer and then you also sit at a table.

Okay.

Okay. I have to confess I haven't been to very many

and it was it was pretty low effort and opportunity to put some of those beautiful flyers that we make on the table and talk to people about what's coming up at the center and the work we do in the committee and

I'm all about it. I mean I pass out flyers in my bank for the last 10 minutes. [laughter] But that was yes it was coordinated by the city so that not like the whole committee doesn't show up but

right

we don't break ground act and

if it's like hey we already have too many people at tables it's not going to work that better than we as individual

absolutely

so that was just as a lightweight get started community outreach

um and then I see that we still have the art and wine festival festival um on here as well. Just a comment on just thinking about history of we haven't we we've tempted to do it for I think three years now and have not

um and I'm kind of curious also as we move forward on initiatives to the leverage that they will produce. I understand doing the RN1. I understand going to to um increase community increasing communic community connections, but um I mean we can keep keep on saying that we will review art and wine. We will review art and wine. Um it's kind of curious if we will actually we should continue to put it on our work plan. We have not done it after three years. But I don't think we've come up with an idea either. I don't think we've come come up with um a next a next step other than we want to

so it's kind of just a discussion of we we haven't done it but we haven't also quite located the bene our our overall benefit in community connections that we would like to cultivate more deeply so just kind of the thought as we talking about community connections as well

I didn't realize that this has been three years of that action item

time flies

well I haven't been here three years. So, I only saw it one year. So, this is the second year.

We just had it for for a while. When we get to the community connection things, we we tend to have a lot of great ideas and we approach them, but on the end of actually seeing them to fruition, we haven't quite ne that's what I'm saying. We haven't quite found our our mouthpiece yet in the city um is the thing that I'm thinking here. Um so and it's also the difference of we can go out to the community and have just just analyzing our approach. Um I see that the participating in community meetings uh neighborhood meetings as we are like pushing ourselves out and also are we pulling people into the committee as well the date and time and things like that is kind of the interesting thing. So doing a multi-prong approach as well as we're talking about increased community connection. So kind of a second order question, not just you know what is Greece community connections and how are we going to do that? Um but we have a series of first order titles and descriptions here and not quite a second order there. So just kind of an internal kind of question for how we are constructing this.

Well I suppose the only way to move forward on it is to have a sub.

Well, we created an ad,

right? But

who was on that committee? It was me and Antara but

Oh, that's right.

But I wasn't able to make it to the festival. So, it was not a great Okay. Observation opportunity and I

based on our schedule there wasn't I probably should have reached out a good way to hand off uh for another person.

But I mean that's fine. I mean are we keeping the same subcommittee or do we want to next time do a new subcommittee?

I think also providing the subcommittee with a greater objective. That's why I was saying I think we just need a a slightly more honed objective for the community connections. I think we all agree because I mean we keep on putting it on the on our work plan. So I so it's a good idea. I'm just asking um if we are going to create an ad hoc committee, what specifically what objective are we providing them essentially um in in all the things that we same thing with with the with the the community neighborhood meetings. What what objectives do we go with beyond the idea of like the center exists, come join, you know? So that's my thought. How do we make it engaging and and relevant for us to be there just beyond moving our as an extension of the building, you know?

Well, it sounds like you're suggesting a community connections committee as opposed to

perhaps one targeted just for one event.

Yeah, I mean, we could do it that way, too. We could also discuss it now. Well, I feel like um I mean, especially hearing after what you've said about the Art and Wine Festival that it kind of doesn't make sense to just do observations. I feel like we've all been to the Art and Wine Festival last years. It would be more effective if we decide let's actually sit down in a room with whoever people from the city are for the Art and Wine Festival and be

chamber.

So, chamber. Okay. Chamber. and then be like, "Hey, what can we do?" Like actually have that discussion as opposed to us.

So, I already had that discussion and basically what I get told is you have a building that's in the middle of the art and wine festival. So,

there's something there

like [clears throat] open up the building and

was that something?

It becomes a restaurant.

Well, it becomes a restroom. But um when they say open up the building, do they mean like hold a little vent there? Like not say.

So we don't really know what we want either then.

We don't want it to be a bathroom. We know that.

Well, we know the first like again the first order of like we know that something with community presence in a large crowd sounds like oh that sounds like a good idea. But then we can't quite figure out the detail in that,

right? Um, so that's

well and the problem with the art and wine festival is that the the stage as you see right now is right at our front yard. So yeah,

it's it doesn't

it's not conducive for us to have something inside the building. It's just in competition with the art and wine festival. And what I'll say is it's a big enough event. There's very few clients that we have that can compete with that. So

right,

it's we we try and we take it off as a prim as a primary date.

Yeah. Yeah. I've only got one client that can compete with my festival

and even if we were to like ask someone to put on like many shows, it's just there's there's already the band that stuff. So there's again also can't compete.

Yeah,

maybe that we're trying to juggle also the the staff the labor required to do such an event. And so it's kind of from um for us to make an informed decision. And I think the question also is um from the staff and labor side of hosting something what would be an appropriate course just to say that one limitation in our decision-m what would be um from your perspective on on staff what would be somethingable at a staff level just for the art and wine I think is a question and then we'll take this into our strategic like howto

I I think it's how do I say this it's one of those large you know the festival is just is bigger than the whole downtown and and us as a as a center

and then we end up being a bit of a backdrop to it, which is fine.

Um but I think if you're going to participate in the festival, then you need to be out in the festival.

Yeah.

As a vendor, which costs. So, but if that's what the committee agrees to, then then that goes in the budget. That's just a request.

Um but I think I think you know trying to do something at the center

Yeah. when it's really a canvas backdrop to the band and everything else that's going on

um becomes problematic. I I don't know when one is supposed to discuss this, but I would love to see if if this is on our agenda on our work plan if we can make like an agenda item of it where we like sit and discuss like what is it really that we want you know because I feel like that's where I have like the lack of clarity on what we're trying to achieve with this in our f and the festival right like we [clears throat] don't want to be a public bathroom we don't want to have a competing event But we want people to know that we exist. So, does that mean making a booth? And you know, it probably won't happen for this year obviously because it's tomorrow.

Tomorrow, [laughter] but um I'd love to make an agenda item of it and be like, okay, if we were to have a booth, what are we achieving with that? Like, are we having a raffle? People can come sign up for our mailing list and then, you know, you get two free tickets if your name is selected. You know, like what's the purpose? um you know

uh

so rather than having an ad hoc committee meaning have it an agenda item so that the whole group can talk about it and figure out as a group like what the direction maybe that the ad hoc committee would would then you know like if

if we need a

I would like that. Yeah.

Okay.

Now additionally so because we're using the art and wine example right now since it's about the work plan as just a general example about increased community connection. One thing I think that would that this is your line of thought is making me think on is um if we were to have just hypothetical a somewhere um so if we had a booth and we were picturing a booth what audience are we trying to appeal to the general and because this also helps with when we say um community connections do we have domains of of audiences of who are we addressing who who do we wish to speak to and we can say all

but but when we say all what do we mean by all. Um so that's a thought too because um are we talking general public? When we were talking about the chamber that's people who mediate the the general public. So at what levels are we trying to articulate might also help um clarify our work plan? Um so just kind of like posing to the committee while we're thinking about um the wine as an example when we say we would want all comm community or like come in contact who specifically are we targeting right now and to what purpose is the thing that follows because we can bring people in say a couple things too just to I know sorry a lot of different parts to hold here but we can say we are a committee come join this committee come see our meetings or we can also say we are the performing arts center come to the performing arts center which are different messages. So that's kind of just want to float these different thoughts and start separating them.

I assumed we were doing the ladder, but

what was the ladder again? Could I ask

the that we're trying to get people to come to the center as opposed to the committee?

That was one thought. Yeah,

because I feel like people were walking in a festival aren't necessarily like in the mindset of become a volunteer on a long-term

but also broadly a glass of wine

also broadly for the work plan as well though is the thought too,

right? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm hearing a lot on the news during our polarized time, people saying, "Well, both can be true." [laughter]

Both can be true.

Two hands to hold your thing.

I'm, you know, those are both, you know, worthwhile messages to deliver. You just read your audience, I guess. And I would say that who to target it would be a younger demographic. And what we learned when we did the resident company review is a younger demographic is like 40 and up instead of [laughter]

some of it's true

40 and up is considered younger

as opposed to who's going for the majority of the performances for the audience

remember come from away.

Oh yes I was one of the youngesters in the audience.

There you go. So get more people like you, right?

More youngans like me. Young spring chickens. [laughter]

I'm actually getting like eight kids or something to go to UIT's show tomorrow with me.

So yeah, six.

Yeah. Yeah. One of my girls, one of my students is performing in it. So I just rallied all the students. I was like, "Let's go support her." So yeah, we got a group like eight of us going to watch tomorrow.

So cool.

I see three messages actually that are coming about. So I see come to the center message. The younger demographics might be a message in and of itself. That might be its own setting, place project. And then come to the committee is another messaging that we're doing

just to kind of extrapolate. So, and then I don't know do other people have thoughts also on audience again messaging and then who we're directing the messaging at.

Well, are we bringing this back? [clears throat]

Yes, we are.

Yeah.

Okay. But the question is also for the work plan how we wanted to that's why I was wondering are we set on this work plan or are we going to augment

I think it's our second time seeing it and I think it's vague enough that and I think um we've already kind of given feedback we'd like to see it as an agenda item obviously like we're not meeting again till August right so it'll be more um but we can have a broader discussion about the Right now the agenda item here is to discuss the what like if we agree with what's on the work plan. Yeah.

To dig in with those questions which I think are super important like who are we targeting? Well what that's true that sounds like an agenda item that we should

the other problem of attracting people to come in our committee and give us input. Um maybe there would be you know we can do I don't know something

people to come and give us input on what they think would be valuable. Okay,

that sounds to me like just a slight adjustment for this work ahead.

And then the thing I would say is that I don't under increased community connections, I don't see review Mountain View Art and Wine and review of Make Music Day as independent from item two. I can see [clears throat] how, but I do see them as subsets to A to B. Um, I think [clears throat] two is about finding additional community

and then three and four are like specifically honed on events that were community events that we're already targeting.

Are are you thinking Devid that like three and four should be um

Well, we could do B and C or I was going to say, you know, it's like increase community connections. Um and then maybe maybe the title to number three would be um find a way to increase community connections through

Yeah, that's my thought. Yeah.

Review of the Mountain View

because I don't see the intention as independent either.

But then we do end up having two items on the word. No,

that's up to you guys. Yes, I mean I can make my thought I can make them A and B and underneath two or I can

them independent and just add the community connection into the title.

Number four is quite different like it doesn't feel like an increase.

That's more community participation.

Yeah, because that's like a whole new event we're trying to create. It's not

It depends how you think about it because it's one of those things like more visibility means more participants which means more people to volunteer and then commit to I do see it as within the feedback loop of increased community connections.

We can't do it with we can't do make music day without community connections

that we don't currently have.

That's my thought. That's the only But I mean we can keep them separated but

I'm okay doing two ABC or whatever

because then increased community connections becomes general broad and then we have specific directions underneath it. So it does create the hierarchy of [snorts] our our main mission would be to increase these community connections and this is how we're going to do it

and then we get we can move from there more detailed into each project which is why I was thinking organize it as such.

I'm fine with that [snorts] as well. And I think I I think I heard um say earlier is do we so I think on u it's currently just two do we have any known dates for CMCs? Yeah. for this fiscal year. This is not [clears throat]

I missed that comment by ask

I don't have a direction here. Somebody make a motion. [clears throat]

No, I like do we know has the city count well whoever schedules it by this city council but someone from the city have they scheduled the DNC meetings at all so they would know when the dates are for next year's

Yes. But until this is approved as a work plan then I you're wanting to participate in something that hasn't been part of I don't think I'm phrasing my question right you were saying it earlier do we know what those dates would be that because like maybe like

because if we're talking about going on the coattails of some other organized event the community neighborhood meetings that um

no once this is approved then I'll find that out

okay

that's where I'm okay okay I just

I don't have an You don't you don't

you don't know because you haven't because it's okay. I understand. All right.

Yeah.

Well, before we make a motion on this, we could ask for comments from the public. So,

good.

Are there any comments from the public? I knew it. [laughter] [clears throat and cough]

You know, I just happen to be the chair of the CNC and we have a meeting tomorrow night at the river room at the uh community center. So, Devid, you are invited to come talk.

I'm sorry. Wait, I don't do acronyms though. What's the CNC?

Yeah. What is it? [laughter]

Council neighborhood.

That's what the the this two is. Council neighborhood.

You guys been rattling it off. So, I got me on that. So, you're welcome to come talk and I will be a pleasure to introduce you to all the people that come. So, that's one thing. Uh, another thing, you know, they have two uh stages during the um Mount Downtown Chamber of Commerce. There's a youth one over in the Wells Fargo parking lot. Are you aware of that?

Have you ever thought of saying maybe move them into the second stage and say, "Hey, we got the second stage here. You may want to be inside instead of outside." Yes. I don't know how much the noise filters in, but you have a potential stage there that maybe could work out. And you do have a back door entrance that could bring them in that way. So, you could have people just come the back way instead of coming through the front way. That would cut off the bathroom. That's just a thought. Another thing that you could do for that is take highlights of all the various plays and put it on a loop and just show it in the theater so people could stop in see all the excitement of course the best shots and then you know they'll circulate out. Just a thought that

okay

uh you're working on those work plan.

Well that's good. I don't know anything about copyright things for clips from these companies.

Oh yeah that it's usually Okay.

Once once they once they've produced it, then they have a clip.

So,

okay.

May I ask this is the

um some children's book. What is this book? This um

they have the youth. Okay. So, I just noticed it last year. Very young bands, teenagers, whatever.

You ask the chamber, ask you know Peter Catz what they're doing over there

at the wine festival.

Yeah, it's at the wine festival. They're not the main act.

Okay. But they're over at the say if you go to the art wine festival there's the young people's part.

Yeah.

And in fact they back well they're right across right where the chamber office is and they have a stage.

Okay.

So you may just say hey would you like to maybe come here one or two groups or just you know if it's 103 degrees but then you get to show the younger demographics. And yes at 40 you're extremely young. [laughter] Um, but I'm just throwing, you know,

just observations. I I you guys are better at this than I am. So, I'm just throwing some ideas out.

Well, I'm thinking whoever these kids are, they'd be a great um demographic for the make music day. When would you start doing right that they could give them a park space or that space? You know,

I think this is a point of order that I'm not sure we can

Yeah. Yeah. We can't we can't um discuss that, but I'm just thinking that it's

okay. Thanks for seating us with that idea.

Yeah.

Okay. Uh Mr. Cox.

Okay. My comment is I think it's great that we've been reaching out to younger people because there's so much of the involvement that I've had over the last 16 years. It's been mostly with people even older than me. And and it's uh it's interesting because I talked to um I talked to Allison Hicks about this once and and she said to me, she said, well, she said, you know, I said, I see lots of young people that are um ice cream social and other ice cream social stuff like that, but I don't see them getting involved beyond this. And she said, well, she says the people who get involved, that's how they are able to influence what they want in the city. So, I'm I think that's a great idea you have, but I want to justice it.

Thanks.

You could have an ice cream social inside and that would bring me [laughter]

to get ice cream.

Okay. Um, so where are we on this? Any other

the the only thing that we've talked about is just taking two and making ABC. That that was the only thing.

Taking what? taking uh item two and making it ADC.

Oh, right.

This is small at the end led to big discussion though.

Very cool.

Well, I just noticed I made a note though that under quarterly impact report. So, we've been doing that uh spreadsheet for a while, but um I think it' be nice to add a statement about new client impacts. Well, so the 35th anniversary is not on the work plan.

It's happening before.

Well, not necessarily. [clears throat]

New what did you say? K.

New client impact

new client impact report. That's also vague and the um format or whatever can be decided on later.

Um no, you're right. It's not

because initially it wasn't going to

initially. Yeah, I didn't Initially it wasn't. It was going to be in August and now it's going to be in January. So, um

Oh,

additionally, I thought

that's later on in the agenda. So, [laughter] We can't put it on the plan or do we need?

No, you can. You most definitely can. I'm just saying like Valerie didn't know. So I was like,

and which last our last meeting because it was going to be in August and we'd be back in August. It didn't make sense to have it on our work.

It's going to be January.

It probably should be.

So where where would it go?

It would go in

Well, it's a work item. It's [clears throat] not an ongoing. Number three, if we do two a

number three,

yeah, we have to approve that. But would tenatively become three would be our 33.

Um, additionally, one more thing I wanted to note that we also don't have the um do we have the

the what

uh joint the gallery walk again on our work plan? It's up um at the top one ongoing

gallery talks Wednesday nove it's right there

on a ongoing work

ongoing work a [clears throat]

oh season

we've got two scheduled So yeah, I just crossed it off from last month. Um

well,

so we can put it back on. [laughter] Um uh 35th anniversary celebration planning uh January of 27. Um we had roundt discussions. So you tell me like

So it sounds like the milestone date that we would discussing would have to be earlier than January 2027.

Yes. [laughter]

Um you have a date for it set, right?

Oh, right. It's a

That's right.

It's a month long. Um,

so

because we we had an ad hoc committee for that too.

Yes.

My apologies. I just don't

we will have to put a line through it. It's done.

Yeah. Um, [clears throat]

so if I just for clarifying question, it sounds like there would be a need for a work item to like maybe review the plan like I know we're about to do that our next agenda item, but what would the work item be for this committee for the

that we're talking about? So, so we had an ad hoc committee and I got great ideas from the ad hoc committee meeting. Um, and those can move forward. I think it's just continuing with the ad hoc committee and then bringing the information to the as we move moving closer to the event and so as folks will get more involved amending this would be an item to have the ad hoc committee committ continue to ad hoc committee and uh bring uh updates back to the committee on a regular basis. That sound about what you were thinking? Just a quick question because I'm curious when we when we changed to to A, B, and C, how will it end up getting um formatted? Will they each are we going to put milestones ABC or are we doing underneath it ABC?

They probably like ongoing.

That's what I was wondering. going to be like the ongoing work items.

That would be my proposal is to format it. So as the you can see it's on there still kind of their own sections but they're tied together now with that connection.

Okay. Just checking. I just wondering.

Okay. Great. So now we have one two BC two ABC and three is a three bitter

and we added new client impact reports to C and on. So, I would like to move that we accept this draft uh work plan with the amendments on page. Ongoing work item C have new client impact report fold in that two what's currently is two three and four be numbered as 2 A 2B 2 and then we add a number three related to the 35th anniversary

except for I have

I'm amendment that I just saw from last planning to tack on or do I have to amend your the entire motion? But I only have one amendment.

Why don't you tell me then maybe I'll make the whole

I forc increase communication um community connections. The only thing is to um that I have is to um that I noted was to gather community input on various topics was just a language I wanted to add. That's one of the intentions of of um increased communications to gather community input because each one requires gathering community input. So I just wanted to so does the 35th. I just wanted to add that somewhere that language just to be clear.

You agree that you want to gather community input for

yes it's on various topics for the increased community connections

and gather

and it gives us it's a little bit of elasticity.

So let me try this as a rephrase of my motion. So I move to accept the the draft work plan um with the modifications of ongoing work item C adding new client impact report to that um on work items uh leaving one alone changing two to be a broad increase community connections to gather community input and spread awareness under that 2 A would be participate in community neighborhood meetings, etc. 2 B would be review Mountain View Arts and Wine Festival on Castro Street. 2 C would be review make music day. The new item three would be the 35th anniversary uh updates from the ad hoc committee and from that.

I second that.

Okay. Everyone in favor? [laughter]

Okay. It passes. Motion passes. um unanimously. Um okay, we move along to tour of less. Tell us what next. Well, back in the day when we had other committee members, we did a tour to the Leer Center influence group and that's important to this facility because one, it's the same architect, so it's very similar in um they have they have three stages, but it's also the same age. It was built about the same time. So, we're only about a year off from each other. Okay. And it's a very good um sense of gives you a very good sense of like how they operate and care for their facility and what the operations are there and kind of gleans what the potential is here

for this center. So basically it would have to be um and you guys can add in I mean you do

I didn't go last time well then we got to take you this time. Um uh so what I'm thinking is you know we can it'll have to be a posted meeting but we can go and tour the facility. Um Carolyn Jackson is the managing director there and she's very gracious. So um we can figure this out and I'm thinking that summer a little less busy. um for you know early fall we can pick a date and everybody can a van and we went over and they gave us a tour and took us backstage and showed us you know where everything was and and it really kind of gives you um just a good sense of kind of how we compare at 35 years old to another facility that's equally the same age comparing a new facility to us

and the potential of what this facility I love it.

Oh, it sounds great. I've seen shows there and I'd love to see

Did you prefer a Saturday?

Saturdays tend to be better.

And I'll reach out to everybody and we'll figure out I'll reach out to Carolyn first. I'll reach out to Caroline to figure out like what timing works for them.

Sure.

It'll show up about happening. [laughter] Hi, we're here.

Um, yeah. And then we'll figure out and and I'll include you even though you're not a new committee member. I've forgotten that you didn't you went to the other one.

Yeah, I went to Yeah. Livermore.

Yeah.

Walnut Creek.

H

center is where?

Walnut Creek.

Okay, great. Yeah, I did not go to Walnut Creek.

Is Walnut Creek a similar size city?

It's smaller. Yeah, it's not it's not the same demographic at all like or or composition.

So, I wouldn't

but I think it's kind of one of the bigger theaters in that area. Attracts um groups from a lot more.

It's a charming town.

Yeah.

An old sunset town.

Old sunset town. Yeah. Don't get caught in Walnut Creek.

Oh, really? Yes. Back in the day. Yes.

Oh my.

But times have changed.

Times have changed. [laughter] Thank goodness.

Thanks, Janelle.

Yeah, I've really enjoyed it and it was eye opening. So, I think you'll enjoy it.

Okay. Is that all for that?

That's all for that.

We'll just make it happen.

Yes.

Six. Item six, committee staff announcements, updates, reports, and committee reports.

Yeah, that's me. [laughter] Um, so update on the 35th anniversary celebration. Um, as I alluded to earlier, uh, we've moved the dates. Um, I have an explanation for it. We uh as you all know are spending our money to update and um take care of some safety items in the facility and just improve the overall uh facility and our main stage deck as we call it. Our floor is in serious disrepair and we were able to get the RFP out. It's posted right now. Have time in August to make the repairs. So what that meant is we were going to do repairs and three day late three days later we were going to do a 35th anniversary and that felt a little uncomfortable because if they need an extra day or two days um that's a little too tight. So I felt in my due diligence for the facility that we needed to move forward with replacing the deck and getting that repaired. We'll have a brand new stage floor coming season that launches in September. And we actually opened in January, 35 years ago.

Okay.

So, it's a little, you know, we're going to have to do some marketing on it, but if we have an anniversary celebration in January, it's, you know, celebrating the past 35 years of operations. Um, so, and we pretty much have the entire month of January. I blocked it off because I was going to be doing repairs in January, so I kind of just flipped it. Um, so I'm going to put together basically a couple things. A little bit of a mini presenting season. I'm already talking to some artists. And then we have an entire weekend that will of course do what I will call open house and it'll be free and open to the public to come. And that'll be our community groups. And that's kind of what we had already talked about with um Carol and Steve with like a community committee level of doing a um community day and having you know our community groups come and perform and having all the stages going on and giveaways and just the general free and open for everyone. But we're looking at bringing in um hopefully a headliner. I'm having a little conversation with some folks and then I'm going to the W conference in September. Um, but I'm also everyone's already launching their seasons right now. So, I'm looking at my um counterparts seasons and looking at who they have around December, February. And might I be able to um pay you some gas money to come hang here for weekend in January. So, more to come on that. [clears throat] More to come. Lots more to come.

Very exciting. So,

I have a facilities question.

Yes. I told a friend that the floor was being ripped up and she wanted to know what you were going to do with the room.

Um because it's been painted probably 150 times by now. Um and it's very damaged. It'll get rid of the dumpster.

It's it's basically toxic too because it's not wood. It's been painted. So yeah,

I guess she was thinking it was a pristine hardwood floor which why would they rip it up?

Yeah. No, no, no, no. Um yeah, so it's basically, you know, but the sprung the the other part of it is because it's also a cushion sprung, um that has long been doesn't give our dancers any cushion stage. So I felt it was irresponsible I need to not fix that when I have the opportunity fix it now and then we have a nice fresh new stage and first one that'll come in and dance on it. So great then

yeah so you know

how long does a stage supposed to last?

It depends on the pounding but yeah it should probably be replaced about every 20.

Okay.

Is this our first replacement?

Yes. Yeah. So pieces and parts of it have been replaced and bandated in various spots, but you can only do that for so long before it's just not it's not safe because you know you keep tearing it up and screwing things down and then you get uneven just for the 35th too just a little bit. So then I was put in contact with the with the coord the staff le on for the youth advisory committee. advisor at some capacity just regarding youth very fit which we have I mean see however that moves forward you know but um that's just one one thing I wanted to know

ice cream social

no they're hopefully they get to have some autonomy as to an open mic or something like that but that's the idea help them coordinate

I will surely make sure that they are happy to help on that

well I'd like to compliment Teresa's is management of center because she's made many upgrades since I've known her.

I met you what a month after you came on or something like that, right? I've been hearing all the

I started in um it'll be four years this August.

Yeah.

The whole the whole place is much safer now that she's in the building.

That's fantastic. Thank you very much, Carol. I appreciate that. Yeah, it's been a labor of love, but she's um I've I've called her in in days previous in in and I I hope there'll be a day when I won't say this. I call her the grandma house. She's a little bit like your grandma's house in that there's nothing wrong with the bones. She's a great house. She's beautiful, but you know that olive covered stove needs to go. [laughter] Just some things that need to be updated. So, you know, I think everybody's been through that house at one point in their life. So, that's I kind of refer to her that, but you know, as we replace the deck and then we will the second stage will be next. So, we'll replace the floor and second stage seats. So, there's a lot of things lined up.

This was important to go. Too bad you can't put in a third floor like it was supposed to have.

So, there'd be rehearsal space and all that. that in a a full fly.

Yeah.

Yeah. A couple things.

Okay.

I have a question. Is there anything that we as a committee are doing for the 35th that we need need to be involved in um since we meet back in August? I mean you guys already have an ad hoc committee for the January presenting thing.

At this time I don't think we have anything to come back with for the committee specifically right now. Not for January. Well, now for January, but Not not specifically. We kind of just plotted out um

uh I guess a few things that we could share, you know, the committee could share is that um

we agreed to like 4 to 8:00 p.m. You know, not an all day event, but very very tight nice event, tight line.

Okay.

Um and both stages running at the same time. I think in January we may lose the park stage depending on weather, but right, you know.

Okay.

Yeah. It's not that's you know that's a minor you know grabbing

this is the weekend the openhouse weekend that you're talking about and yeah you're you haven't set that date yet because that's going to be contingent on what you're able to fill up with the other people.

Yeah.

Okay. Right.

So and hopefully hopefully like I said I'm having conversations right now. Um so hopefully by August I should be able to tell you that this this is the open house weekend.

Yeah. Then um the others will be contractually driven.

Okay. And Davidid, what were you saying about the youth contingent of this? We're trying to connect.

It's for the open house situation as well, I believe.

Well, whatever.

Well, it was kind of kind of a way to give them like an an, you know, an an hour at on the second stage for open mic and be able to just have the teens come in and just do

what teens do. And and I was just wondering how our work plan of reaching out to the community is connecting with that. Is that something that be an agenda item for August? Like if there's

it's been through the ad hoc right now. Um but um agenda item had one specifically.

Well, I would think that you know if we're we're not going to meet in July and the ad hoc now that we've moved the date, we can get back at it. Um and then you know there there would be an update definitely in August.

Are you thinking of something specific?

I mean I'm just thinking the teens to come do something or present something.

No no I was just thinking about like you know using this as an opportunity to kind of set the stage for community partnerships that would eventually also feed into Make Music Day. Like I'm thinking like you know like CSMA is such a great um you know institution near in the area if like maybe it's as simple as like inviting them all getting them somehow involved where it's not just an event that they're attending or I don't know I'm just thinking like CSMA as as an organization and then obviously we already have like PIT and stuff but there's um

I'm just thinking all the different youth um organizations that are out here you know.

That's true. I think we're still on just six on announcements.

This Well, this is Yeah,

this is six

6.1.

We've kind of skipped over to 61.

We are in six1, I thought.

Okay.

I wanted to also bring up the dinner.

I did, too. I was waiting for that.

So, do we also

can we tie off the wonder?

Can we tie off the um

35th anniversary session

real quick? Go back. Okay.

So there's no action item to be taken right now for no for general committee

and you guys will just give us an update in August. That's the

as we the next time we meet. Yeah.

As the ad hoc meeting and we meet.

Okay. So that's that.

Um

I just wanted to comment on the I we we hadn't discussed just as an ad hoc because while we're in discussion about general things, we hadn't discussed the idea of of reaching out to a non- city entity. I think that we hadn't thought in regards to being present in that capacity was just

be present on the stage. No, we had

and which like and or like CSMA in some way to be um it's an interestically kind of intrigues me because I feel interesting.

I just wanted to comment just like that to my mind.

I I heard that and I agree. very excited to hear an update from all in August plans and if there's ways that the rest of us can help with certain things that the ad hoc committee would like us to let us know. Okay.

Yeah. I I would love to help in whatever youth engagement we're looking like this whole trying to get younger demographic, 40-year-old younger demographic, like you know, if there's ideas or whatever that come up there, I'd love to I don't know what it looks like, but I'd love to brainstorm it.

Yeah. and August. Um what if we meet that hot committee meets then we can present something and have a discussion. [laughter]

So can I move back to the dinner then the volunteer dinner?

So Antar and you went and went. So What did you think?

I thought it was such a lovely event. It was so nice to um I was amazed at how many volunteers we have and not just the number but the sheer number of years that all these people have volunteered. You know, I thought they did such a great presentation saying like this many hours in, you know, or this many years and toting like just how much how much support that um this center has had and a shock that they had people who had been volunteering as far back as the inauguration of 35 years ago. Like the fact that somebody has continually volunteered for 35 years is insane, you know, and um it it just I don't know. I thought it was quite amazing and I I thought it was very cool when we all sat on the stage and had um the meal and it was very smooth flowing like it wasn't like you know like one of those weddings where people are like when is my table going to get called

they are the ushers

yeah they are [laughter] very good at that you know so um and and the food was good and it was nice to just chat with you know different people so um I thought it was really inspiring and um and like I like that they acknowledged some people who were first year like within their first year that they had done a lot of colors. It's kind of good to see like the benchmark. Um so I just really wonder how you get all these volunteers like that was my like how do people end up joining that? like how does that word of mouth like

it's a bit of word of mouth and then I will be honest like a lot of our volunteers um volunteer

um here they volunteer at the hammer or they volunteer here and they also volunteer at Lucy Stern.

Yeah.

Um you know it's a way to be able to see most of the performances. So

you know there's that and it's it's kind of its own little circle of folks. So there's that you know that kind of pod of folks. Okay.

And have other folks that you know sign up with the city.

Okay.

Just recruit.

Is it like 18y old minimum or like 16?

Yeah.

18.

Yeah.

16. We we can take I mean we don't

we don't we don't have anybody under 40. So like we're not going to get 16 year olds. But not it's not that we couldn't take them. We just have to have a um the hourly work because they're after hours, you know, like the shows will go. Okay.

Be there till 10:30.

I was just thinking for high school kids who need like their

volunteer hours.

Yeah.

And and if they're [clears throat] already like theater arts kids who are into it, it's like a good fit.

Yeah. No, that's great.

Yeah.

Is that a pipeline? I don't know. It's kind of interesting.

We could do

Well, I started volunteering in Chicago because I then I didn't have to pay $100 to see your production. Exactly.

This occurred to me at the dinner. This occurred to me at

That's what I realized.

Yeah. [laughter]

I think so. They can see all the shows.

I think somebody was joking that she had seen Come From Away but like eight times at that point. [laughter]

Kind of interesting. Yeah, it was kind of interesting.

Well, because we had such full houses for that one, we needed a full compliment and so we were short. So, we were sending out emails like if you have time and can do this and she's like, "Yeah." I ended up seeing it six times. [laughter] And I thought Orin Orin Yes. Um did a great job speaking and um clearly also the camaraderie that is built in just his his language was. How long has he been with the center? Because he's he's

he's been there six years now.

Okay. So um so that was also lovely to hear him at the beginning and how he coordinates the the um lecturers and a lot of the volunteers had great um praise for how he handles a lot as well. So that was something. Yeah, that was good to see that they all really admired him and enjoyed his work.

Well, I moved here 12 years ago and that is actually one of the first things I did was the usher training because I was so new at that sort of thing

in Chicago and the training was kind of ownorous at that time. It was very very detailed and all that way more details you need [laughter] to know because [clears throat] in my opinion if all these weird scenarios come up that people were asking about the answer is go find the house manager you know because

right yeah

volunteer

contact staff [laughter]

like yeah whatever so um it's all streamlined it's you know runs very smooth and uh the same thing with the awards ceremony and having it on the stage was a a pretty brilliant uh stroke too because it's a lot more spacious than the lab the lobby everybody was just jammed in there

was a lovely event.

Yeah. So more kudos for Teresa. [laughter]

I um was speaking with some of the ushers too with some of the changes whether it's code of conduct or different things they actually there was um the adjustments they noted are going well as well. So in in their compartment as ushers as well and so that was lovely to hear whatever changes are happening have been um the users are in full support of that. So from top to bottom seems to be a welloiled machine.

Fantastic. Congratulations [laughter] me in there.

And and I assume that ushers get to see the shows for free.

Yep.

They do.

There's an organization I volunteered ushered for different theater group in the Bay Area, South Bay. Um and that if you wanted to see the show, you had to buy a ticket at Musher.

Oh, so I I did that twice.

Twice. Two [laughter] times too many. So that's a seems like a better way of getting volunteers.

It's a little easier that way.

It's fantastic.

Yeah, that's unusual. I also volunteered the user's best day by day or that you see players as well.

I did it as a kid in the Fort Wing Pacific theater [clears throat] with like but

and it was impromp experience like they I think we became like an hour and a half before the show basically just familiarize ourselves with the map. Yeah, that was our main responsibility to direct people to the right seats and stuff. So, it wasn't like advanced,

not like Chicago,

advanced ushers,

advancing theater,

advancing downtown.

Actually, it was my experience when I moved here. This Chicago was a lot more laidback than Mountains. [laughter] That's funny.

Made no sense to me.

You were in California. [laughter] What is So, as far as I can tell, our next meeting is scheduled for August 19th. Can we just confirm that people might be available to go to the next forum?

Yes.

Exciting updates.

I know. I'm so excited.

Well, I'm on a wait list for my free shoreline tickets that [laughter] haven't picked tickets yet. Yeah, I should be here. That's Neil with Acon.

Okay. So,

it looks like we will have quorum. So, I think we are good to go. So I this performing arts meeting of June 24th is adjourned at 7:20 p.m. Thank you.