||| FROM MICHELL (“MITCH”) MARSHALL for WOMAN IN THE WOODS |||
Sadly, Woman in the Woods Productions has decided to end our operations, after seven years of bringing first rate artistic productions to the Orcas Island Community.
We are very proud of the type of events we have been able to offer, and we very much appreciate the support of our donors, sponsors, and audiences who made those events possible. We nearly always sold out, except when covid dictated that we leave empty seats. Those of you who enjoyed the recent phenomenal performance by Ladies of Hip-Hop know that we have ended our run on a high note.
Our goal was to showcase very high caliber performers of color who are nationally known, and in many cases internationally known, within each artist’s category of performance. We wanted to bring to Orcas a high level of performance which “excites, entertains, and enlightens.”
Unsurprisingly, and justifiably, such artists command substantial performance fees. It is costly to bring them first to SeaTac, and then up to Orcas where we then house and feed them. In order to keep our ticket prices reasonable, the ticket price has covered only about half the cost of our performances. The rest has come from generous sponsors, individual donors, and foundation grants.
In addition, a tremendous amount of the work required to put on these performances has been donated by our many wonderful volunteers – unpaid volunteers. We have had great support, and I thank everyone who has helped!
But regrettably, the costs of bringing the best caliber artists to our island have simply become too great, and our methods of financing and operating are not sufficient to sustain the type of artists we have so much enjoyed. To continue successfully, we would need to broaden our donor base, expand our volunteer team, perhaps put on more frequent events, and draw more fans for the type of events we bring. Even though so many of you have generously supported WIWP, such growth no longer seems realistic.
All good things eventually end, and for WIWP it is that time. I look back on these past seven years as an artistic success. We had excited audiences, who appreciated the great performances. We end with a bit of money in the bank, which will be turned back to the foundation whose generous grant was given to finance several future projects.
We have been quite successful in many ways, and I thank all of you who helped create that success!
I want to give special thanks to three wonderful local musicians whose talents have helped us immensely: Martin Lund, Oliver Groenewald, and Steve Alboucq. Each is a treasure for this community. Please continue to enjoy and support them!!
I also want to express my thanks, and my admiration, to the wonderful staff at Orcas Center. They are truly a community asset, and I hope you will continue to support them, as well. I have watched Jake and Jamey work during rehearsals with our guest artists on lighting, sound, and timing – and I want the Orcas community to know how many complimentary things our visiting artists have said about them. “They really know what they are doing!”
As the founder, President, and namesake of Woman in the Woods, it is heartbreaking to be announcing the end of this wonderful experience. I hope what we have done will inspire others!
Thank You, so very much!
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
Thank you for your dedication and commitment to bringing such rich talent, music and important focus to our community. You are to be applauded for your vision and purpose.
Onward!
Gretchen
Mitch, we will miss Woman in the Woods! From the first performance of Sara Porkalob to The Ladies of Hip Hop it’s been a great ride.
Thank you for introducing such engaging and talented performers and widening our view of the world of performance!
Thank YOU Mitch for bringing some of the most impactful and creative artists to our “woods.” All of you did an amazing job!! What a gift you have given the community!
I didn’t attend any of their events, but I do remember that they wanted to bring election fraudster, conspiracy theorist, Kremlin apologist, and wannabe spoiler candidate Cornel West to these shores.
When the author cites the high costs “of bringing the best caliber artists to our island” as a reason for the dissolution of the organization, I think back to the $95 ticket price for that event and wondered who among us would pay that much money to be lectured about their white guilt and colonizer mentality.
His speaking fee must have been substantial. Fortunately that event was canceled “due to illness” (if you believe the official explanation), but a lack of sustainable local interest in racially-charged social justice programming is hardly surprising.
Replying to David Bowman:
Well before Dr. West’s entry into Presidential politics, that well-known and best-selling philosophy professor was invited to reprise his previously televised discussion of the important role that artists and their works play in society. Perhaps the biggest name to have been booked at Orcas Center since Wynton Marsalis, the tickets sold out quickly. When he called to apologize for cancelling, he sounded sick and shared that his wife had Covid.
Audience members would have been able to ask questions. Professor West is known for the wide range of topics he speaks to, but if he had gone off-topic to discuss “white guilt and colonizer mentality” or any other “racially charged” ideas, the attendees could have challenged him. Listening to discussions helps people think. Not listening helps nobody.
If I had known David Bowman’s views, I would have found him a free ticket, just in case . . . . If Dr. West actually had sounded like a “Kremlin apologist” six months after the invasion of Ukraine, at a time when Sweden and Finland were applying for NATO membership to protect themselves from the Kremlin, the two of us would have been there to outargue him!
It probably wouldn’t have been that exciting. West’s TV presentation simply explained how art can create empathy and help break down the divisions within our society. Orcas probably would have remained a safe space for all of us.