Trustus Theatre to kick off Trustus Preservation Society campaign
November 17, 2014
COLUMBIA, SC – With thirty years of award-winning productions to its credit, Trustus Theatre is banking on its new Trustus Preservation Society to help raise the funds needed to wow another generation’s worth of theatre goers. The society’s initial effort kicked off on November 18th under the leadership of co-chairs Governor James and Rachel Hodges and ambassador Rosie McFarlane Craig.
“The goal of the Trustus Preservation Society is to keep Trustus a vital center of the Vista and greater Columbia cultural scene,” said Larry Hembree, Trustus’s managing director and Board President of the Congaree Vista Guild. “The money we raise will go toward a major facility overhaul, vastly improving audience experience and production values and making us even more of an artistic presence.”
To do this, the Trustus Preservation Society aims to raise $1.3 million by the end of 2015. “We’re fortunate to have had several generous donors already come forward,” Hembree said. “We’re hoping that other members of the community will join them.”
Trustus presented its first season in 1985 under the artistic leadership of Kay and Jim Thigpen, when the Vista was little more than railroad tracks and abandoned warehouses. It quickly became known for presenting groundbreaking world renowned plays and musicals, among them “Angels in America,” “Take Me Out” and “Bat Boy, The Musical.” Hembree estimates that all in all Trustus has presented over 500 productions and special events in its 30 years.
Today, Dewey ScottWiley and Chad Henderson serve as artistic directors and work with Hembree to run the theatre. “Many people in Columbia grew up with Trustus,” Henderson said. “They came to see shows like ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ as teens and now as adults enjoy a wide variety of offerings in both our Main Stage and Side Door Theatre productions. The presence of a professional theatre in a state-of-the-art building will definitely be even more of a plus to the city.”
Donations to Trustus are tax deductible. To make a donation or for more information on the campaign, sponsorships and major gifts, contact Debbie Cohn, Director of Development, at [email protected] or (803) 4674072.
