Issue No. 39
The newsletter of
A PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE
In This Issue
A Passion for
Escellence
1
Why Are You
A Friend?
Subscribers
vs
Friends
2
Save the Date
Upcoming Events
3
Calendar
of Events
4
William F. Reeder
will be retiring as the
Dean of the College of
Visual and Performing
Arts at George Mason
University in June 2015.
Dean Reeder (known
to everyone as Bill) also
manages the Center for
the Arts at Mason’s Fairfax
campus and the Hylton
Performing Arts Center
Dean Bill Reeder
on its Prince William
campus.
Among Bill’s most significant accomplishments
as Dean has been to bring seven prestigious
undergraduate and graduate programs--in Art, Dance,
Music, Theater, Arts Management, Film and Video
Studies and Computer Game Design--under the
umbrella of the College, along with the Potomac Arts Academy.
While Bill is stepping down as Dean, he is not
leaving Mason. His future plans include teaching and
being involved with fundraising efforts to secure a
strong future for the College and Center for the Arts.
If Bill’s life were adapted for the stage, the
curtain would rise on a boy at a desk in a one-room
schoolhouse in rural Kansas. The first act would trace
his career as a singer. His magnificent voice became
his ticket out, landing him more than 40 leading roles
in major opera houses throughout Europe.
When he retired from
singing, Reeder and his
wife Candy began his
life’s second act as an arts
administrator. Before
coming to Mason, Bill was
Executive Director of the
Levine School of Music and Vice President and
General Manager of the
Washington Performing Arts Society.
Performing the role of the Italian Tenor
in Rosenkavalier.
During his 14 years at Mason, Bill helped the
Center for the Arts become one of the DC area’s
premier presenters of music, opera, dance and theater.
“When the doors to the Concert Hall opened
in 1990,” Bill recalls, “we were like a canoe—a
seaworthy boat that couldn’t go all that far.”
“Over time,” he continues, “we’ve continued to
evolve and grow into our role as a cultural center for
Northern Virginia. With the help of the Friends of
the Center for the Arts we became a schooner—
able to glide over the waters pretty efficiently.”
“Now, to sail into the waters of the future, we
need to build a different kind of ship with even more
strength and speed,” says Bill.
Here, our play would move into the third act of
Dean Reeder’s career. “I am
looking forward
to teaching,” he
explains. “As an
administrator,
I haven’t had a
chance to do
much of it here
at Mason. But I
believe with my
experience in the
arts, education,
arts management,
and philanthropic
administration,
I will be able to
Performing the role of Suleiman in One Thousand and
provide a unique One Nights. He looks good in a wig!
perspective.’
“In order to be a true Center for the Arts we
need to think differently, build smarter, and offer a
much broader program than we do now. If you asked
me what I’d like to do if I could do anything going
forward, it would be to raise $185 million for the arts
at Mason.”
Bill hopes to make this work the capstone of
his distinguished career. Judging by his previous
accomplishments, we’re sure the next act of his life
will be a resounding success!
behind the scenes
WHY ARE YOU A FRIEND?
2
http://cfa.gmu.edu/friends/
Many patrons of
Beginning with
the Center for the Arts
the 2015/2016 Season
are so enriched by the
Preview, another
amazing variety and
“Friends only” event,
superior artistry that
members may renew
they enjoy through the
their subscriptions and
Great Performances that
memberships for next
they become Friends of
season. This is the time
the Center of the Arts to
for Friends to increase
expand their participation
their level of membership
in all that the Center
and for non-members
offers. The “Friends only”
to become a Friend. As
Artists in Conversation
the level of membership
Friends of the Center for the Arts members attending the Artist in Conversation event with
events and the two special Todd Ellison on Sunday, February 8.
advances, the member
events each season greatly
benefits also increase.
enhance the membership experience.
This year the Grand Tier Society was introduced
Friends of the Center for the Arts provide both
at the $1,000 and higher level, and it has received a
financial and volunteer support to the Center. In
warm reception. It is hoped that many will take this
recent years the Friends have purchased the Steinway
opportunity to join. If the Grand Tier Society is out
piano used by visiting artists and have helped to
of reach, consider increasing your donation by two
underwrite an important marketing survey, but by far
levels. For many members that represents just a the most important financial contribution is direct
$150 increase.
support to the Great Performances. Many patrons are
Membership provides such benefits as discounted
not aware that ticket revenues do not cover the cost
parking, the Friends-only refreshment area, priority
of performances. This is easily understood when one
processing of season tickets and much more, but
considers a performance by a visiting 90 member
they are not the only motivations for being a Friend.
symphony orchestra or a world renowned ballet
Friends recognize the Center for the Arts as the
company. Yet most Friends are surprised when they
cultural center of our community, and are committed
learn that ticket sales for all the Great Performances
to providing the support that guarantees that the
provide for less than fifty percent of the actual cost.
Great Performances continue to provide the finest
The Great Performances rely on sponsorships and
artists in music, dance, theater and opera at affordable
contributions to make up the shortfall, and the
prices. That is the true benefit of being a Friend.
Friends play a major role.
SUBSCRIBERS vs friends
Friends of the Center for the Arts participating in a backstage tour.
Are you a subscriber to the Great Performances
at Mason? Are you a member of the Friends of the
Center for the Arts (FCFA)? What? You aren’t sure?
It seems there may be some confusion as to what
it means to be a subscriber vs being a Friend. The
short explanation is that being a subscriber doesn’t
make you a Friend (although you may be friendly)
and joining the FCFA does make you a Friend but
doesn’t mean you are a subscriber. And now for more
detail; you didn’t think this would end with the short
explanation did you? To be a subscriber you must
buy tickets for three or more performances which
does not convey membership in the FCFA although
it does have many other benefits. These include
Continued on page 3
at the center
SAVE THE DATE
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mark your calendar
for a post-performance
reception following the
April 24th performance
by the BBC Concert
Orchestra, with a
special menu catered
by RSVP Catering.
It is being planned
by Chris O’Hare and
her committee. “This
will be an event to be
remembered,” said Kay
Gilbert, Vice President
for Events. “Chris is
very excited to be working on the event, and promises
a scrumptious menu. Planning for a guest speaker has
also commenced.” The event will be open to Friends
members and
subscibers, and
invitations will
be sent in the
late March,
early April time
frame. Be sure
to mark your
calendars now
and RSVP early,
as there will be
a limit of only
80 – 90 seats. The cost will be reasonable, similar to the postperformance event held in November 2014.
Another series of events that have been very
popular and well-attended during the 2014/2015
season are the Artists in Conversation, which are
open to Friends
members and
are free. Three
well-attended
events have
been held so far
this season – a
lunch prior to
the Virginia
Opera’s Sweeney
Todd, a light
meal prior
to the L.A.
Theatre Works’
Photo Courtesy of the Artists
In the Heat of
the Night, and a
light meal after Todd Ellison’s performance of Love on
Broadway. The final event will be prior to the May 3rd
performance by dance company Momix.
Be on the lookout for an invitation to the
2015/2016 Season Preview event to be held on
Wednesday, April 8th in the Concert Hall. This
Friends-only event includes a reception and
presentation on next season by Tom Reynolds,
Director of Artistic Programming, Marketing and
Audience Services.
Photo by Max Pucciariello
SUBSCRIBERS vs friends continued from page 2
priority in choosing seats, savings of up to 25% off
individual ticket prices with discounts all season long,
free ticket exchanges, and half-price ticket offers for
select Great Performances. Conversely, becoming a
Friends of the Center for the Arts enjoying a presentation by Todd Ellison at the
February 8th Artist in Conversation event.
Friend provides many benefits but does not get you
any tickets to the Great Performances (although it
does allow priority processing of your season ticket
orders). Other benefits include half-price ticket offers
(same as subscribers), access to the Friends-only
refreshment area (free coffee, soda, snacks), invitations
to pre and post-performance events, invitations to
complimentary Friends-only Artists in Conversation
Events, and most importantly the knowledge
that your membership helps support the Great
Performances. The bottom line; as a subscriber you
get tickets and benefits and being a Friend gets you
many more benefits but no tickets. Isn’t it obvious?
You should be BOTH!
3
http://cfa.gmu.edu/friends/
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 339
Winchester, VA
Center for the Arts
George Mason University
4400 University Drive, MS 4C1
Fairfax, VA 22030
For more information
please call 703-993-8641
or visit http://cfa.gmu.edu/friends/
2014/2015 FCFA OFFICERS
Paulette Miller
President
2014/2015 GREAT PERFORMANCES AT MASON
Kay Gilbert
Vice President for Events
March | April | May
Joyce Grimes
Vice President for Membership
Sat., Mar. 21 8 p.m. Virginia Opera: La Traviata
Eloise Stinger
Vice President for Communications
Sun., Mar. 22 2 p.m. Virginia Opera: La Traviata
Gordon Canyock
Secretary
Wed., Apr. 8 7:30 p.m. Season Preview Event
Sun., Apr. 12 4 p.m. Todd Ellison: Classic Broadway
Sat., Apr. 18 8 p.m. Russian National Ballet: Cinderella
Sun., Apr. 19 4 p.m. Russian National Ballet: Sleeping Beauty
Fri., Apr. 24 8 p.m. BBC Concert Orchestra
Sat., Apr. 25 8 p.m. Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra: An Evening with Doc Severinsen
Fri., May 1 8 p.m. Momix
Sat., May 2 8 p.m. Momix
Sun., May 10 7 p.m. Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel
Walt Smith
Budget Officer
FCFA Communications
Committee
Gordon Canyock
A.J. Driscoll
Barbara Jacksier
Walt Smith
Eloise Stinger
Bob Warakomsky
FCFA Photographers
& Notetakers
Dan Feighery
Rita Flickinger
David Gustin
john harold
Robert Kelberg
Rita Leake
Slava and Valentina Lukin
O. Louis Mazzatenta
Don Palomaki
Bob Warakomsky