Pear Avenue Theatre Kickstarts Their Way to New Equipment

Armed with some extra cash, Pear Avenue Theatre hopes to bring a brighter spotlight to its productions.

Since the end of their Kickstarter fundraiser in October of last year, Mountain View's intimate theatre has purchased new lighting and sound equipment. They have also purchased higher grade portable restrooms, new signs and furniture for the lobby, according to Creative Director Diane Tasca.

With an initial goal of $8,000—which they reached in two and a half weeks—they raised the goal to $10,000, explained Tasca. By the end of the fundraiser, they had raised more than $11,000.

"From our standpoint, it was very successful," said Board of Directors member Sharmon Hilfinger.

Hilfinger has helped with Kickstarter fundraisers in the past and helped to write the pitch for the Pear Avenue Theatre fundraiser. 

"[This type of fundraising has become very popular in the arts," she said.

According to Hilfinger, this fundraiser was set with a modest goal because the two mistakes that can be made when doing a fundraiser with Kickstarter are to set a goal that is too high or too low.

The fundraiser was supplemented with a video that illustrated what they planned to do with the money they would raise.

"I know a lot of people saw it and commented on it," said Ray Renate, creator of the video.

According to Renate, the video pulled people in and made them feel good, which made them more likely to donate.

This helped with the fundraising, but it was a lot of work to get noticed.

One incentive the theatre gave for donating was a ticket to a show.

The people who donated the most tended to be subscribers, but the theatre was also able to tap into smaller donors in the community, said Hilfinger.

Hilfinger pointed out that things that are community-based do not go viral on their own.

"You really have to get in there, get the word out, and keep people posted," she said.

This article was produced through a collaboration of PatchU and the School of Journalism & Mass Communication at San Jose State University. PatchU is a Patch Media initiative to build strong relationships with colleges and universities across the country. The mission of PatchU is to connect students and faculty to opportunities at Patch.  

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