August 2011

Dear Friends and Fans of Portland Story Theater,
Look at that crowd listening to Ryan Harter at the July 15 Urban Tellers.
You've been loyal and beautiful and supportive of our work, our path, and our people. You have inspired us to take it to the next level and we want to invite you to come along with us... because we love you.

We have grown from a small circle of friends telling stories in our living room to a full-fledged, nonprofit, charitable theater arts organization.

Yeah, that's right: nonprofit, official, IRS certified 501(c)(3)! And with that official standing, we are able to offer tax deductions (to the full extent of the law, that is) for your generous donations.  

Storytelling is off the charts here in Portland and with your help we can do even more! 

Portland Story Theater is definitely going places
This last season we did a complete make-over of the Art of Personal Narrative workshop that resulted in 7 new Urban Tellers showcases featuring more than 50 local performers. We raised over $3,000 at our Halloween benefit, which we split with The Rebuilding Center (they were so excited!). And we brought in top-notch talent, both regional and national, to elevate the art form and make it even more exciting for you. 



With your support, we will:
Thank you for listening.
  • Offer full or partial scholarships to people who want to take our workshops but can't afford to because they're students, or they're part of the long-term unemployed, under-employed, or just plain poor; 
  • Push the envelope to get more stories to the people at an affordable price and begin to pay our professional staff and cover the administrative costs of running a small nonprofit;
  • Formalize our artist-in-residence program for Singlehandedly! and bring a nationally-known artist to share in our Solo New Works Festival.
Now, we've thought a lot about traditional subscriptions or creating levels of giving with incentives... but who needs another coffee mug? We believe that the best thing -- besides us bringing you real true stories -- is an opportunity for us to get to know each other better, live and in person, in a setting that's intimate, friendly, inviting.

So here's our invitation: 
You give us $50 and we'll give you 2 tickets to any Urban Tellers showcase.

You give us $75 and we'll give you 2 tickets to any evening of Singlehandedly! our festival of new works featuring some of your local favorites and nationally-known performer, Megan Wells.

You give us $100 and we'll give you 2 tickets to Shackleton's Antarctic Nightmare  returning this January. Plus, the first 25 $100 donors are invited to the Insider's Circle, a fabulous bbq and gathering on October 1st.

You give us $250 and we'll give you the opportunity to come back stage at our Valentine's Day show, Kiss & Tell, at the Alberta Rose Theatre and attend the exclusive after party.

Remember that no donation is too small. Click here to pitch in $10 and help us take Portland Story Theater to the next level. Together we will elevate the art of storytelling, keep ticket prices low, and connect nationally-acclaimed performers with our community. 

By donating you are saying: I believe in this work, and I want to help make it happen.

If reading this list reminded you 
of something else we might like, 
please contact us at 503-284-2226.
If donating money is not an option in your life right now but you'd like to get involved in some way, please let us know. With your help, we can take Portland Story Theater to the next level. Thank you so much for your generous support!

May the narrative be with you, 
Lawrence, Lynne, and Penny 

Portland Story Theater, Inc.
 
Contact info:
email: tellers@portlandstorytheater.com
office: 503.284.2226 
web: http://www.portlandstorytheater.com 
mailing: 3333 NE 15th Avenue, Portland, OR 97212 
 
Photography: Russell Young (c) 2011 of Studio 3024