Astor Street Opry Company -- About

About

Allow me to introduce you to
The Astor Street Opry Company

Our Mission
ASOC is a 501-C3-community performing arts organization, based in Astoria, Oregon. Since 1983, our mission has been and continues to be to strengthen our community through cultural enrichment while supporting regional economic growth. As the dean of local community theaters, we serve Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington through producing, educating, presenting and preserving local Theater Performing Arts Culture and regional folklore primarily through our annual summer melodrama SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA, entering its 25^th season beginning July 9^th 2009.

What We Do
For over 25 years ASOC has aspired to create shows that are exceptional and reputable, for all ages and backgrounds, that create a connection between artist and audience through live theater, while at the same time, bringing cultural enrichment through sharing local valued traditions. ASOC’s strength as an artistic force is to bring the live theater performances such as SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA to the people as its appeal plays to a wide divergence of backgrounds which in turn, has created a public devotion. We do this by sharing the folklore traditions of our community through live action, song, dance, storytelling, history, humor and interaction.

Who We Are
The Astor Street Opry Company elected new Officers and Board Members to their executive board following their annual retreat this fall (2011) led by independent mediators Jane Hill and Anne Odom JJAJ Associates/Sunset Empire Resolution Services. According to mediator Jane Hill, "Anne and I saw this work as an opportunity to explore ways we could work together to assist our clients in their planning efforts. The ASOC Board Leadership membership brings a wide spectrum of leadership and practical skills to the organization. In addition to this valuable skill set, each member is a connection point with an important sector of our larger community. You have a great team."

Elected to ASOC President is Chuck Meyer, former owner/operator of THE COMPLETE PHOTOGRAPHER for over 30 years in downtown Astoria. Meyer has many community affiliations including: Member of Astoria Rotary Club, OSU Master Gardeners, Astoria Trolley Association, Puget Sound Photographic Society, KMUN Community Radio, Clatsop County Historical Society and the Lower Columbia Classics Car Club. Meyer's passion for the ASOC began back in 1989 when his son, at the age of eleven, was shanghaied by the popular theatre group first as a backstage hand, where he quickly moved up the ranks to many lead role roles in the ASOC annual summer melodrama SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA.

ASOC Vice President is now Ryan Davis. Mr. Davis is currently working for State Farm insurance and has been a part of the ASOC for over seven years. Davis's first ASOC memory was back in the 1980s when he was only three years old and saw "Shanghaied" performed for the first time in the lobby of the Astor Hotel. Over the past seven years he has appeared many times in ASOC productions and has been a member of the board playing a major role in the planning of the fundraising efforts and the development of the company’s children’s theatre programming. His daughter Audrey (age 4) is now following in her dad's footsteps by appearing in ASOC children's productions and plans on one day starring as Miss Virginia Sweet in ASOC's annual summer melodrama.

Ron Woltjer was elected as Secretary for the group. Woltjer is a local attorney and Municipal Court Judge. He joined ASOC when his teenage daughter took to the stage as one of Eric’s Sisters in “Shanghaied”. Woltjer then helped in many off stage roles but was eventually shanghaied onto the stage a time or two. His vast involvement in both the community and legal profession bring a great deal to strengthen the company.

Mary Ritter is the newest to be elected as officer to the ASOC Executive Board as company Treasurer. Ritter worked for several years at the Bank of America after retirement from her profession as a school teacher. She is well known for her involved in our community including: committee member for the Astoria Downtown Association Promotion Committee (ADHDA), former Box Office Manager and Executive Assistant at the Liberty Theater, board member of the United Way of Clatsop County, volunteer with Clatsop Cruise Hosts and at Astoria Bicentennial Store.

In addition to electing of officers three new members were added to the hardworking board including: Stacey Poor, Training Coordinator for Wauna Federal Credit Union Community Affiliations. Poor is also treasurer and member of the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association (ADHDA) and Communications Director for the Lower Columbia Human Resources Management Association (LCHRMA). Regina Wilkie is the Astoria Warrenton Chamber of Commerce Marketing Manager and member of the ADHDA promotion committee. Tammy Payne educator and local volunteer for many children’s program and board member of the Lower Columbia Youth Soccer Association. All three women bring along a variety of talents, strengths and creativity to help develop administrative and fundraising strategies to move ASOC into the next phase.

Remaining to serve on for another term also includes Board member at large Roger Rocka. Rocka was the former Director of the Astoria Warrenton Chamber of Commerce and is currently owner of the Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater in California. His community affiliations include: KMUN Coast Community Radio board member and the Columbia Riverkeeper.

Rocka, Woltjer, Meyers and Davis all played instrumental parts in ASOC’s successful purchase of the building now call the ASOC Playhouse at 129 West Bond Street in Uniontown Astoria.

Also in the news at the ASOC Playhouse is the announcement by Judith P. Niland that she is stepping down as Managing Director to take on smaller roles in the company’s future development. Niland has been active in a variety of leadership positions in the ASOC for over 27 years becoming Managing Director in 2008 to facilitate the ASOC during phase one and two of the Capital Campaign to create a permanent home for the ASOC.

Although Niland will no longer be in charge of the day to day management of the organization she plans to remain a member of the ASOC Production Committee and will continue to work on the theatrical side of the company including working with the shows written by Niland SCROOGED IN ASTORIA opening this coming week and the new LEWIS AND CLARK MELODRAMA in spring 2012.

With the announcement of her resignation the company used this as an opportunity to develop its succession plan for leadership development and training. During their annual retreat the board members created a successful strategy to distribute the many duties and responsibilities Niland held. While at the same time the ASOC Production Committee members which included: Anne MacGregor, Terrie McDonald, Jayne Osborn, Michael Wangen, Julie House and Sandi Hilton have been working diligently to define, set and split up the many job descriptions for the ASOC Theatrical duties in order to redistribute the many tasks held by the former Managing Director.

According to Niland, "As I see it, I am not quitting but moving into a position that is best suited for both me and the company in order for ASOC to remain strong and continue long after its core leadership is gone. Our company’s rapid expansion created by the success of owning a permanent home has created a monumental change from three annual full stage productions to eight, along with other monthly activities and events. This increase was necessary to keep the company fiscally strong. Yet, even in this rapid period of growth the ASOC’s manages, in my opinion, phenomenally well as we successfully split up the work among many community volunteers overseen by the all volunteer Executive Board and Production Committee. This demonstrates our community’s sharing of their time, money and creativity. It is this generosity that gives our group longevity and magic. I look forward to assisting ASOC for many years in it’s continue to growth and forward movement as new volunteers join to make their own mark on this remarkable and beloved local organization."

Also reported were financials showing a slow but steady growth for ASOC, as new show tickets sales increase while their seasoned productions have held steady. ASOC now has over 250 sponsors from our community to help support their annual calendar and they continue to seek new partners and organizations to use the ASOC Playhouse as a venue.

Brief History

LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01 It began in '84 when a team of local performing artists and musicians came together to create our Broadway-Style musical melodrama SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA. These creators had a strong sense of our community’s local colorful Scandinavian folklore and a genuine sense of our Northwest fishing and cannery life. They added concepts relevant to all audiences: family, good vs. evil, loyalty and love. Our show opened with a bare bones budget and was cast with local talent for 3 weeks in the summer of 85’. Now, almost a quarter of a century later, it runs all summer long and over 75,000 have sat in our audiences making "Shanghaied” truly a NW affair.

The spring of 2007 The Astor Street Opry Company (ASOC) was notified that the building that we had been renting as our theater home for the last 8 years had been sold and that we must vacate at the close of our annual summer performance season of “Shanghaied in Astoria”. As we set out to undertake the necessary planning steps to ensure that this important community theater company could continue we knew the plan had three objectives. First, it had to offer a permanent lasting solution for our facility needs. Second, it had to ensure the 2008 performance of “Shanghaied in Astoria” would not be interrupted. And lastly, the plan must creation of a strong new beginning of self-sufficiency for the Astor Street Opry Company by allowing for the first time in their 25 year history the permanent ownership and management of their own facility.

By the end of summer 2007 we found a building in an older underdeveloped neighborhood right on the edge of the Astoria’s gentrified riverfront and secured a three-year lease with an exclusive option to purchase the building. We then turned our focus on ensuring the remodel work would be done in time for the summer 2008 season. In fall 2007, we applied to Meyer Memorial Trust for a Grassroots Grant to complete necessary improvements to the building we now call The ASOC Playhouse. These improvements included addressing issues of safety, code compliance, as well as the structural changes required to transform the 60 year old laundry matt into a 150 seat community theater.

In 2008 we relocated to our current address the ASOC Playhouse at 129 West Bond Street in the Uniontown area of Astoria and by fall 2010 raised funds to secure a mortgage to create this site as our permanent theatrical home. With a new more flexible theatrical space, the ASOC has been able to develop year round quality all-season activities including: summer and winter children's theatre, an annual script writing contest and presentation, new original spring and winter musical melodramas and an annual fall production.

But the main reason ASOC succeeded in this challenging transition were the hundreds of community theater patrons and participants who came together day in and day out from January to July to make sure it got done. This demonstration of local community heart and soul was a major reason we succeeded in completing on time.

With the completion of the transition from one theater home to the next, the ASOC now has a venue from which to continue implementing and sustaining positive change and growth for our community by advancing our mission to providing programming opportunities for performing artists of all ages, experiences and backgrounds. This creates resilient community members who learn to stretch beyond their capabilities as they expand their ability to give back in cooperation with the people around them.

ASOC recognize our volunteers come to us from a variety of active lifestyles and we work with participants in such a way that respects their work, family and school. The ASOC does not ask our participants to come with experience. We ask that they come with a dream to be part of something bigger than themselves, to be willing to learn and to share what talents they have. We credit our longevity to the fact that we make their experience memorable, joyful and educational.

In a calendar year, over 200 Theatre Artists (30 stipended and 170 volunteer) participate in these activities. The ASOC prides itself on the fact that it has always valued these local artisan’s work and time they give to make this delightful company grow and expand. And whenever possible, ASOC gives back to the local artists by hiring the best performing artist professionals from within our theatre community. These local artisans whether volunteer or contracted, operate with initiative and integrity and are highly valued by the ASOC. Bringing together the professional and amateur provides the opportunity for diverse individuals to grow and develop skills they might otherwise never get the chance to do. The growth our volunteers undergo during their time with us not only enriches their lives on a personal level, but they discover quickly the value of becoming active citizens, capable of giving back to their NW region, in turn enhancing the quality of life for all.

Education and Youth
Now with a stable home, we are able to develop our programming further to add new annual events and activities such as Children’s Theater, acting workshops, classes, and full stage family musicals. In addition, we are in the process of creating a new original production “The Lewis & Clark Musical Melodrama” currently being developed by ASOC volunteers in time for the 2010 bicentennial celebration of Astoria. These additional activities will expand our ticket sales and our fundraising abilities increasing revenues that will further our fiscal sustainability to meet future costs.

ASOC as an active supporter of annual summer outreach to youth (many of whom are “at-risk’ teens) with over 50 percent of our participants being students ages 13-17. Our secure home now gives these often untrained, yet talented kids, an opportunity to learn the value of performing art and community volunteering as we teach skills to expand their personal marketability for their own advancements. Thanks to having a secure home, we also have been able to expand our theatrical program for younger children ages 7-12 through a Children’s Theater Program created in conjunction with Astoria Parks and Recreation. Due to its overwhelming success we now have added a summer Children Theater for ages 10-14 in conjunction with our annual summer melodrama.

We believed that the key to our continuation includes using the tools of theatrical education and training to enhance our performing arts programming. Therefore, we have worked in partnership with other theatre groups, Clatsop Community College and Astoria High School to create and maintain an on-going educational opportunities. These programs offer our participants personal skills enhancement while at the same time, building our company’s artistic strength by creating trained technical staff in all the areas of theatrical production

Our courses include a variety of well-developed workshops and classes with professionally trained instructors for both the experienced and non-experienced artist, including: Directing, Script Writing, Acting (all levels), Musical Theatre, Dance, Technical Production and Comedy Improv. We also offer an ongoing mentor and apprenticeship programs for our interested volunteers with each activity or show we produce. And because our area has a high percent of low income residents we offer scholarships to all ages for continuing higher education in the field of Theatrical Arts.

Economic Contribution
Over the years our activities have drawn over 75,000 audience members (60% of whom are from out-of-town). The income generated to the local community by our melodrama is significant and substantial. According to the “tourist-multiplier” formula, developed by the Oregon Arts Commission, our company has brought in from tourist dollars, an average of $100,000 for the past ten years and an average of $50,000 for the first ten seasons of our show (and remember, that was when tourism in Astoria was still just for the true rugged adventurer). That makes over $1,750,000 in tourism dollars alone generated by The Astor Street Opry Company for our community since 1985.

Tourism is rapidly becoming one of our area’s largest industries. ASOC is also proud of our contribution to help our area become a “Cultural Tourist Destination” through developing quality off-season activities and advertising regionally to help draw in visitors to our area. "Shanghaied in Astoria”, is one of the longest consistently running , folk musical melodrama in our country and has a renown reputation far and wide generating visitors from all over the world! Many tell us they come to our area specifically to see our summer melodrama, including Tour Groups such as Discovery Tours of Washington who book the entire show at different times of the year. And ASOC as the only nonprofit, performing arts company in our region who can offer year round quality entertainment of all ages for visitors and locals alike, this makes us a very special and unique part of our area’s economic development for conventions and out of state regional visitors. And as we grow as a destination for future conventions and meetings we are continuing to expand to build this aspect of our company to help offset rising costs of development doing by doing what we know best….Entertaining…..

Our Theatre’s contribution to this community is two-fold: important revenue and a valuable product. The product of the theatre business is an engagement that is both mental and heart felt, whether through comedy, or tragedy, a contemporary social drama or a musical-comedy. The vicarious experience provided by our Theatre Company becomes part of the audience member’s understanding and thus creates an encounter that builds connection and enrichment in the process of living that can last a lifetime. People who see “Shanghaied” feel this connection to our community, they gain a sense our understanding and for those who have participated in our production, they not only create a connection to each other and the show which lasts a lifetime, they come to understand why “The Magic of Astoria is Real”.

Recognition
We are supported by our City, State local Community College and other regional Non Profit organizations as shown through our support letters. This was especially demonstrated in 2004, when Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, Senator Joan Dukes, State Representative Betsy Johnson, City Mayor Willis Van Dusen and Clatsop Community College President Greg Hamann, all bestowed upon the ASOC awards of excellence for our years of dedication to the process of creating a better quality of life for all our community and it’s citizens. These awards from the State and the City declared our show SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA as a “State and Local Treasure” worthy of continued future preservation for all of our Northwest constituents. In 2005, the OAC recognized the ASOC for artistic achievements in theater for youth and adults, with their annual “Arts Recognition Grant”. This honor gave us greater credibility and exposure and for that we are grateful.

ASOC very existence is a vital component to Astoria history, livability and cultural community. Because we blend the traditional Theatre (Like Readers Theater Series and Children’s Theatre) with original annual theatrical programs that follow a living, breathing form of American Musical Hall Theatre and Vaudeville we are unique and provide something of value to the entire community.

Whether it is our summer musical melodrama SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA, the Holiday Show SCROOGED IN ASTORIA or our vaudeville variety “Olio” shows, ASOC has created its own identity with a unique connection to this region’s past. Yet we remain dynamic, as we provide the opportunity for all ages, backgrounds and experience levels of participants to be involved and add their own touch of originality to our productions. NO OTHER theatrical group in our region does what we do, making us unique, sustainable and full of renewable life.

Our volunteer base is one of the strongest in Clatsop County and continues to grow with well over 4,500 volunteers in our history and over 300 local and regional businesses and foundations participating annually. This makes our connection to this community strong and vital. Since the transition into the new space has been completed, we have added over 50 new sponsors from the region including small businesses and those who participated with the remodeling. ASOC has also has been able to continued to do community outreach by opening our doors to public forums and other groups in our region needing a place for their activities.

For nearly a quarter of a century, our volunteers have a proven track record of accomplishment, consistency and fortitude to continue on with quality programming supported regionally and locally. We have shown we can plan, stage, and successfully provide excellent Community Theater in a fiscally self-sufficient manner. This operating sustainability has come through dedicated volunteer supporters of ASOC who have raised money through local sponsorships of plays, developed and sold items at the shows, and held a number of fundraising events throughout the area.

Future Planning
For over 25 years ASOC has maintained and provided this home grown community theatre group, providing artistic and educational opportunities while at the same time maintaining a facility for use by our community members. All of this has been managed in a fiscally responsible manner. As we move forward with our plans to purchase our building within the next 2 years we are confident that we can continue to maintain our programming as we continue to grow and serve our community.

Impacts on the Community We Serve
ASOC very existence is a vital component to Astoria history, livability and cultural community. Because we blend the traditional Theatre (Like Readers Theater Series and Children’s Theatre) with original annual theatrical programs that follow a living, breathing form of American Musical Hall Theatre and Vaudeville we are unique and provide something of value to the entire community. Whether it is our summer musical melodrama SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA, the Holiday Show SCROOGED IN ASTORIA or our vaudeville variety “Olio” shows, ASOC has created its own identity with a unique connection to this region’s past. Yet we remain dynamic, as we provide the opportunity for all ages, backgrounds and experience levels of participants to be involved and add their own touch of originality to our productions. NO OTHER theatrical group in our region does what we do, making us unique, sustainable and full of renewable life.

Our Future Sustainability
The Theater Transition Project was a time limited project and now completed will have no need to be sustained. We now will rely on our proven track record of accomplishment, consistency and fortitude to continue on with quality programming supported regionally and locally.

For nearly a quarter of a century, our volunteers have proven we can plan, stage, and successfully provide excellent Community Theater in a fiscally self-sufficient manner. This operating sustainability has been the result of dedicated volunteer supporters of ASOC who have raised money through local sponsorships of plays, developed and sold items at the shows, and held a number of fundraising events throughout the area.

Now with a stable home, we are developing new annual events and activities such as Children’s Theater, acting workshops and classes, and full stage musicals such as GODSPELL scheduled for spring ’09. In addition, we are creating a new original production “The Lewis & Clark Musical Melodrama” currently being developed by ASOC volunteers in time for the 2010 bicentennial celebration of Astoria. These additional activities will expand our ticket sales and our fundraising abilities increasing revenues that will further our fiscal sustainability to meet future costs.

There is so much more I could share with you to help you understand how this little theater group enhances the whole Northwest Region. I can be reached at my home number most mornings and would be delighted to talk further about why this is an important and necessary project for our community and the ASOC.

With Regards,

Judith Niland