MCP Holding Special Campaign for 50th Anniversary

MCP's 50 for 50 Campaign Ongoing

Mason Community Players is the longest continually operating Community Theater in Mason, OH. It began as a challenge from a school teacher in 1973 and fifty years later the group is still going strong! In 2021, the group purchased a building - making it the first permanent home for the group. The MCP members have rallied to begin renovations and have already presented several shows in the space. But this is a group that dreams big; we are working hard to transform the Mason Community Playhouse into the theatre home of our dreams - on top of producing shows and paying the mortgage. Please contribute to help our team celebrate a half century and upgrade our beautiful new home.

The goal that MCP has set is to raise $50,000 by December 31, 2023, the last day of our 50th year serving the Mason Area. The group has identified five areas of focus, each with a goal of $10,000 to improve the Mason Community Playhouse and make it the best experience possible for its audience members. MCP is using the Give Butter web site to manage donations to this campaign. Mason Community Players, Inc. is a 501c3 corporation and donations are tax-deductible.

The five areas of focus are:
Paint the Town, Paint your Wagon, Paint our Building!
Community Theater is magic. With every show the stage is transformed into a different reality with facings, paint and furniture. Painting the Playhouse will be transformative in two ways; visually, it will give our building a fresh and new appearance. More importantly, painting the exterior of the building will seal out moisture and prevent rust on the stairs and gutters. This basic maintenance needs to take place every 5-7 years and we are overdue!

“Defying Gravity” In the Heights … Give us a lift!
MCP is in need of an electrical lift. This amazing new home has lighting bars on both walls and over the stage but in order to change positioning and focus lights for each show, the tech gurus need to use a lift to reach each light. Every time a lift is rented, it is done so at a cost of at least $450 for each show; over $2000 in rentals per year! New and used lifts have been priced, and with confidence a gently used lift could be purchased for about $10,000. After 4 years, it will have paid for itself but the cash is needed to make this initial investment. Help us out!

Kinky Boots, The Full Monty … and the Kitchen Sink.
The inside of the Mason Community Playhouse has begun its transformation into an ideal performance space. But it takes more than just a stage to put on a good show, and to support this active group. Our new building has the “bones'' for these spaces, but there is a lot of finishing work needed! With modular furniture, the meeting room can be used for not only meetings (both in person and virtual) but also accommodate small group rehearsals. Costumes and Props are a key ingredient to transport actors and audience members alike to an immersive show experience. When not in use this clothing and decor needs racks, shelving, and a database to find it all. And what’s a cast party without food and drink? To finish out our kitchen prep renovation we need an ice machine, food preparation spaces, and storage for each different event. Help us turn the Playhouse into a space fit for everyone; whether its work or play!

A Wonderful Life, A Wonderful Town, a Wonderful Exterior!
Despite the multitude of improvements to the Playhouse, both inside and out, there is more that can and should be done!  We've made repairs to the roof and gutters, but there is still a waterflow problem due to gaps on the initial installation. The result is excessive flow down the sides of the building and especially on the side walkway during rain and snowstorms. Our roofer has shared a plan to fix this with transition pieces, and we have quoted a beautiful awning that can protect our side entry. We also need some help improving our landscaping. The property now is beautiful, but with a fresh round of mulch, the weeds will stay at bay and give breathing space for even more professional greenery. Last but not least, investing in a riding lawnmower and shed will move the lawn upkeep from a 6 hour to a 1 hour job and enable a larger workforce to take on this daunting task. Help us show the rest of Mason how beautiful we are!

Catch Me If you Can, “The Cellblock Tango” ... lock the door and throw away the key!
The Mason Community Playhouse is active nearly every day, with members accessing the building morning, noon, and night. Having a state-of-the-art door security system will allow authorized people access to the building when they need it, but still have the ability to monitor and control that access for the safety and security of both the individuals and the property. We accomplish this today with a key in a lockbox, but there is a fine line between changing the code too often, and having access known by the entire city. With 21st century technology we can create a sweet spot of granting timely access to those who need it to complete production work, and make rentals (and the accompanying income) easier to oversee!

Please help us to meet our goal. Every donation is important at any amount. If you would like to have a little fun with numbers ... give five, give fifty, or give five hundred. You can be a part of the artistic community of Mason.