The Wieting Theatre Guild held our Annual Meeting on March 22th to elect new officers, review finances and activities for the year. The present volunteer caretakers of the Wieting are:

Elected officers for 2018

RLou Snyder Past President

Denise Fletcher President

Leann Clemann Vice-President

Marie Mann Secretary

Michelle Evans Treasurer

Guild Members : Lori Baier, Dallas Boerm, Charlie Johnson, Barb Jordan, Sandy Kapayou, Alan Kline, Jim Roberts, Eric Rosario, Mark Tanke

Additional support provided by Mary Fasse-Shaw, Steve Kenkel, Jason Staker

Volunteers “Essential”

The above Guild Members are supported by over 100 essential volunteers to help achieve our mission: “To promote quality cinema, theatrical, and cultural opportunities which are inclusive, accessible, and enriching in the area of Toledo, Tama County, Iowa.” A total of 40 of these volunteers have donated their time and expertise for over eight years with RLou Snyder topping the list at 47 years of dedicated service.

In addition to managing movies, Guild members actively support community events that are not for profit. A total of 74 percent or 26 of our special events in 2017 were free to the community.

The following were some of those events held at the Wieting this past year: supporting school groups, presentations sponsored by the Tama County Historical Society, Sons of the American Legion “1942 Film Fest”, tours, Senior Honors Night, Chamber events, SKIP Programs and National Honor Society Induction Ceremony.

Renovations Underway

Our community members are looking forward to the completion of the renovation of the backstage area and the potential for future live theatre.

The Guild is looking for individuals who have had experience and would be willing to help lay the foundation for our future live performances which will be held at the Wieting Opera House.

If interested, please contact Michelle Evans or Dallas Boerm.

The following were performances or classes held in 2017: S.E.E. Paranormal with Adrian Lee, Smithsonian Music Project Songs of American’s Wars, University of Iowa String Quartet, Children’s Theatre Camp Little Red Meets the Wolves and Footloose, which was a dance Master Class taught by the Creamery Theatre staff.

Help Support Projects

2017 was a very busy year for fundraising to make the vision of Phase II a reality for the citizens of our communities.

The Wieting Guild is truly thankful for the great community support shown to help us maintain this truly regional treasure.

To date approximately $309,000 still needs to be raised. Many grant opportunities are being pursued and some already awarded to help reach our goal. One easy way to contribute is to order on line through Smile.Amazon. Just designate the Wieting as the charity of choice and .5 percent of your purchase will be sent to the Wieting.

The fundraising committee will continue to work to retire the debt incurred with this renovation.

Some of our fundraising events have been: showing of Dirty Dancing, Stoplight Festival Dunk Tank, The Mysterious Gruesome, Yet, Morbidly Fascinating, Murder at the Wieting which was a joint project with the Kiwanis Club, and “Eat, Drink and Be Scary” our Halloween Fundraiser.

You may have noticed an improvement in the sound quality at special events. The Tama County Foundation awarded us $4,000 this year which was used to purchase new microphones and other equipment to enhance the listening experience.

During 2017, Mark McFate totally redesigned our website. It is now easier to read and user friendly for our many wonderful volunteers. He is constantly trying to make improvements for the good of the cause.

This year the popcorn tubs and snack packs were replaced with paper bags. The bags hold the same amount of popcorn as the tubs with less cost and takes up less space in the landfill. The light bulbs in our sign were replaced with LED bulbs this year. We try to be aware of the environmental impact of everything we do.

I want to share some statistics. In 2017, 8,698 people paid to attend the movies with an average attendance of 54 people per night. 2,798 people attended special movie showings and 1,300 people attended other special events at the theatre. The total attendance at the Wieting Theatre for 2017 was 13,847. Numbers are nice, but what matters most to us is you. Guild members and volunteers want you to feel welcomed and appreciated when you come to the Wieting to spend an evening of entertainment with your friends and neighbors. You are not just a number!

The Wieting Theatre and Opera House Guild is proud of the progress made in 2017 to fulfill our mission and serve the community. A big “Thank You” to our wonderful volunteers and supporters! At our January meeting, each Guild Member shared a story about the positive impact the theatre has made in the lives of individuals. We believe our hard work truly makes a difference. If you have additional ideas, would like a tour, or join us in our work, please contact a Guild Member.

See ya’ at the Wieting!