Passage Partners
Passage Partners
As our mission reflects, Passage Theatre is committed to creating and producing socially relevant new plays and arts programming that deeply resonate with and reflect our community. In this regard, we take an active role in bridging the gap between the subject matter of our productions and the organizations doing this work in the community. In order to offer a complete transformative and educational experience for our patrons, we believe that we have a responsibility to communicate important stories through art, and then follow through with direct resources.
Passage Partners serve as a vital part of this exchange, being there to answer questions, provide resources, and act as a living example of the themes discussed in our productions.
What we offer you:
Passage Theatre offers our Passage Partners a variety of opportunities through which your nonprofit organization can share its mission with our donors, audience members, and students.
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Partner marketing materials are displayed in our lobby during every performance.
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The Passage Partner organization is thanked during the curtain speech preceding each performance. The logo of the Community Partner is added to our marketing materials for the show, and highlighted in our educational resource guides.
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Each Passage Partner organization is provided with ten $5.00 tickets to each Passage Production, good throughout the run of the show, for use by you or your guests. Any individual who directly participates in talkback discussions before or after a performance will receive two complimentary tickets to that performance.
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Passage Partners are given face-to-face engagement with patrons during talkbacks, community dialogues, and other educational events. Opportunities for tabling are available in the lobby of our theatre before and after performances.
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All Passage Partners are eligible for Offstage Service Days, during which the Passage Theatre staff will take a day out of the office to volunteer with a Partner organization.
What we ask of you:
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Send an outreach officer or relevant staff member to a Community Dialogue and/or Talkback event during the season.
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Display the show poster in a high-traffic area of your office.
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Mention our production and partnership in your external communications, including e-blasts and newsletters.
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Share Passage Theatre’s posts and interact with us on social media.
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Consider organizing a group of your coworkers, constituents, or clients who could see a show together.
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Invite your constituents and coworkers to the Community Dialogues events, scheduled for January 26 and May 14, 2022.
Partner Events
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Talkbacks: Moderated panel discussions following performances of season productions. Theatre for Families and Young Audiences performances will include talkbacks after every performance, while Mainstage productions will feature talkbacks on select days during the run. Passage Partners are a key component of talkbacks, as organizations can offer real-life insight into the themes of the production. Talkbacks are an opportunity for community members to connect with the subject of a performance beyond the scope of the theatre to gain invaluable resources and knowledge.
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Community Dialogues: For each Mainstage Production, Passage holds a Community Dialogue session: an open discussion, taking place in a community space, where we collectively unpack and discuss a pressing issue related to the production. This season, our Community Dialogues will be on the subjects of Art as Activism (for The OK Trenton Project) and Addiction & Recovery in Mercer County (for Group!). Passage Partners have the opportunity to sit on a moderated panel as an expert with other local leaders, to share information about how your organization intersects with these issues and how we can work together to tackle these issues with unity and equity.
If you are interested in joining the Passage Partner Program, please send an email to Education & Community Coordinator Dylan Erdelyi, at dylan@passagetheatre.org.
Partners for past seasons include:
TCNJ’s faculty have helped Passage develop community theatre pieces in the past. In 2014, Passage received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts’s Our Town Program to partner with TCNJ, Isles, and the Trenton Downtown Association, to develop a plan for Trenton’s Creek 2 Canal Arts District.
Isles is Passage’s principal partner in planning the Old Town Trenton Arts District. Over the years, the two groups have worked together on various other projects, and teens from the Isles Youth Institute have been frequent collaborators and audience members.
Passage Theatre has collaborated with McCarter Theatre since its inception in 1985. Both theatres have benefited from sharing skilled designers, technical support, casting and teaching artists. This unique partnership was recognized by the NJ Theater Alliance with a 2013 Applause Award.
Rider students and faculty have worked in a variety of administrative, production, and performance jobs at Passage, and Passage staff have taught courses as adjunct professors at the university. We deeply appreciate the tireless support of the Rider staff and are incredibly grateful for their partnership.
Since Passage’s founding in 1985, the City of Trenton has been a steadfast supporter. City of Trenton: The Mill Hill Playhouse, Passage’s home venue, is owned and operated by city. Mayor Reed Gusciora and his team are huge supporters and recognize the contribution Passage is making to the city’s renaissance. A big thank you from the Passage team to our friends in city hall!
The Soup Kitchen and Passage cooperate on a number of levels, including adult education programs and audience development. Passage education staff have conducted writing workshops with TASK clients. Most Passage mainstage productions benefit from a group of TASK clients in the audience for the first preview or dress rehearsal. Passage wishes to extend a shout out to Jami Parki, who does a wonderful job for TASK in coordinating their arts programs.
Trenton Downtown Association
TDA keeps the streets of the downtown business district clean, maintains Mill Hill Park, and works to attract new businesses to Trenton. They also provide Passage with our administrative offices and help to promote our productions. Passage and TDA have done significant work together, along with Isles and the College of NJ, on the Trenton Old Town Arts District.
The Trenton Film society uses the Mill Hill Playhouse as its principal venue for screenings. The society brings together filmmakers, film professionals, and area residents of all ages, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds to build a better understanding of filmmaking. Their programs explore the issues and perspectives in a variety of films–from local to international–and aim to build an appreciation of the film arts. Passage Passport members qualify for discounted admission to TFS events.
Trenton Central High School and Trenton Public Schools have hosted many of Passage’s education programs over the years, including an extraordinary series of collaborative productions including If I Could in my Hood, I Would and Fire Girls.