As they begin a new 2009 mainstage season, Taproot Theatre Company in Greenwood, welcomes two new team members who will fill in as development and marketing directors.

Darrrell Johnson a previous assistant to the executive director at the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra will be their first development director in four years.

Since 2005, the theatre fundraising responsibilities had fallen to the producing artistic director, Scott Nolte, and a development associate. While the theatre found this to be successful in substantially increasing their donated income, it was only temporary as they were looking to fill the director of development position permanently.

Now, Nolte is able to focus on his main theatre responsibilities while Johnson can focus on this primary area of development.

“I consider it a true blessing to be hired by Taproot especially in the times where the arts, most theaters and arts organizations are cutting back in both their development and marketing areas,” said Johnson. “It’s a real progressive time for Taproot and rather than looking at it as a time of economic hardships and difficult times in fundraising I look at it as a time for opportunity.”

Daytona Strong, Taproot's communications manager, said the previous marketing director, Margaret Schultz, needed to find a job that better fit her new life situation after becoming a mother last spring.

Nikki Visel, initially a trained actress for Taproot since 2002 and former Restaurant Unlimited's marketing manager will now bring her experience to the theatre.

Seeing Taproot as her second home, Visel said, “I would love to see this be the theater of this community. That’s my first and long term goal is to start developing that relationship with our neighbors and business neighbors. Not many neighborhoods have a high quality mid-size theater right in their midst, we’re kind of a gem of a neighborhood.”
A non-profit theatre company with a multi-faceted production program, Taproot was founded in 1976 by six college graduates. In 1977 it began it’s school touring program and in 1980 the company mounted it’s first Mainstage season.

From its humble beginnings as a touring group, the company has now become Seattle’s largest mid-size theatre company.

The theatre serves the Pacific Northwest with Mainstage Productions, Touring Productions and Acting Studio.

Later in the 1980s, the company purchased what use to be an old movie house in Greenwood to house it’s future theater and offices and in 1996 Taproot Theatre Company had its first season in the new permanent facility. The 226-seat theatre lies in the heart of Greenwood’s business district.

"We consider Taproot a 'theatre of hope' and we're working to find the plays that enlighten us, amuse us and challenge us to live full lives," said Nolte. "We want to be a crossroads for a diverse audience and we take steps to keep the plays affordable and accessible through pay-what-you can nights, student and senior matinees, discounted student and senior tickets and more."

Taproot produces five mainstage plays each year, plus a holiday production. On the mainstage they serve virtually anyone who's interested in theatre, said Strong.

"We serve a wide range of people from all over the Pacific Northwest," Strong said. "We serve kids from elementary through high school with our educational touring programs. We serve ages four to adult with Taproot Theatre's Acting studio and we have on-and-off site classes, including residencies at schools and weekly classes at Fairfax Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Kirkland."

Regarding development, Taproot hopes that the new directors will take the company to a new level of contributions and prepare the way for a second stage through a future capital campaign on the property that they own next to the theatre.

"We want Taproot Theatre to be a vital part of the local community, the regional arts community and the lives of our audiences and students," said Nolte.

Taproot's 2009 mainstage season includes three regional premiers, "Gee's Bend" (running through Feb. 28), "Around the World in 80 Days" and "Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming." They are also presenting "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "Enchanted April."