What is the OC Theatre Guild?

The OC Theatre Guild is a growing and diverse group of theatre professionals whose mission is to nurture, support and promote live theatre in Greater Orange County.

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Our strategy is to advocate for our deep rooted local theatre community while at the same time providing the public with information, access and opportunities relating to live theatre events in Greater Orange County. We are committed to answering the question: "What can we do together that we can't do on our own?"​

 

How did the OC Theatre Guild begin? 

In August of 2015, OC Theatre Guild was organized and created by Sharyn Case and Brian Page after many years of recognizing the need for a more united local theatre community. It provided a platform for theatre leaders to discuss business challenges as well as share ideas and season information.

 

In 2018 discussions began about how to transition the guild and in 2019, OC Theatre Guild organized as an official not-for-profit 501(c)3, to serve the Greater Orange County theatre community. Other key milestones in 2019 were:

 

January - OC Theatre Guild had the first meeting of the Founding Board Council that included Amanda DeMaio (President), Kristin Campbell (Vice President), Tamiko Washington (Treasurer), Oanh Nguyen (Secretary), Jeff Lowe, Brian Newell, and Brian Page. Wade Williamson acted as our minute-taker.

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February - Our program inserts began to be included in our organization's show programs.

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April - OC Theatre Guild officially became a not-for-profit 501(c)3 and we held our first meeting of the full board met which included the Board Council and Board Elect members: Sharyn Case, Katie Chidester, and Rose London.

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June - The first full membership meeting and the first OCTG Regional Auditions.

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December - We received our first corporate donation. Thank you to The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation.

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January - Kickoff of our inaugural season for the OCTG Awards Program. 

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January - Published our first preview article for a production from one of organizational members. Thank you Joel Beers for an incredible start. 

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In 2020, we kicked off our inaugural season for the OCTG Awards Program and published our first preview article for a production submitted to the awards! (Thank you, Joel Beers, for an incredible start). When COVID-19 closed theatres and related entertainment venues, the OC Theatre Guild was one of the first in our community to create a Theatre Artists Relief Fund which raised money to support independent theatre artists who were struggling as a result of lost earnings due to the outbreak of COVID-19. We helped promote local COVID-19 government grants being offered for theatres and artists.   We formed our Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee, whose mission ensures our theatre spaces are built on the ideals of Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity and Safety. Inspired by the necessity for more information and communication during the COVID-19 crisis, OC Theatre Guild began its Roundtable Series, designed to discuss the essential questions facing our theatre community at the time. Lastly, from the great conversations that came out of the roundtable discussions, we created a Resource for Theatre Maker’s for our members to provide them much needed information for new free “cash-less” ticketing systems, information about Streaming Services software and related Virtual Technology.
 

In 2021 (after stopping the OCTG Awards Program in March of 2020), the program was re-launched as theatres began to slowly reopen.  We helped promote the return to theatre in our community, and helped inform theatres of COVID-19 rules for re-opening, providing resources to our organizations and members. We also helped promote grants being offered for theatres and artists.

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In 2022 we produced our first Annual Orange County Theatre Guild awards, at the beautiful Samueli Theatre at Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts in Costa Mesa, celebrating in one evening nominees from 2020 and 2021, since both were only partial years for producing live theatre. 

 

As we continue to explore what it means to serve this incredible theatre community, we can't help but be excited about the possibilities. We hope you’ll join us.

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What cities are considered part of Greater Orange County?

We use the term Greater Orange County to include all areas surrounding Orange County to ensure that any person or organization that may benefit from our services is welcome.

 

What is the difference between the Board Council and the Board Elect?

Members of the Board Council and the Board Elect make up OC Theatre Guild’s full board of directors.  The full board is the governing body responsible for the sustainable future of the organization.

 

The Board Council is a dedicated volunteer group of theatre leaders responsible for the  mission and vision of the OC Theatre Guild. They are also responsible for the daily management of the organization.

 

The Board Elect are volunteer members of the board who have been elected by the membership. Their primary responsibility is to represent the membership, collaborate with Board Council, and support the OC Theatre Guild mission and vision.

 

With the aim of membership representation, members of the Board Elect serve two year terms and must be re-elected for each term, only one associate from an Organization Member may serve on the Board at any one time (an associate is defined as a formal role such as resident artist, company member, staff member, or board member), and future Board Council members can be selected from current or past members of the Board Elect.

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Who can join the guild?

All individuals can join the guild as an individual member.     

 

All theatre organizations aimed towards producing professionally oriented, scripted productions for the public can join the guild as an organizational member. At this time, we are not able to serve improv companies, youth organizations, educational institutions and corporate or industrial companies.

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Why should I/my organization join?

Joining the OC Theatre Guild is the best way to support our mission: to nurture, support and promote live theatre in Greater Orange County. In turn, joining the guild means that you are supporting the vibrant and eclectic live theatre community that exists in Orange County, California. One of the ways to fund this effort is to join through annual memberships.

 

Individual members will be eligible to vote in the selection of the Board, receive discounted ticket offers from member theatre companies, and gain access to special events and networking opportunities throughout the year. There are also opportunities to get involved and volunteer with the guild directly.  

  

Organizations will be able to participate in cross promotions, annual auditions and have access to post on the OC Theatre Guild's social media. Organizations will also be eligible to vote in the selection of the Board and benefit from an expanded network of theatre artists.

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To learn more about the benefits of joining, please visit our membership page.