State of the Arts - New Stage experiences growth despite downturn in economy

Francine Reynolds, Dawn Buck

ACROSS THE country, theater companies seem to have bucked the trend of many arts groups in the down economy.

According to a report published in November 2011 by the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), 72 percent of theaters surveyed reported similar to or higher-than-expected attendance in 2010; 74 percent reported operations expenses to be at or below budget; and 63 percent of theaters ended the year in the black.

New Stage Theatre, Mississippi’s only professional theater, is no exception.