2015 Operational Grant

Grant Information
Categories	Arts
Location	United States
Cycle Year	2014

Organization Information
Organization Name (provided by applicant)	Ruskin Group Theatre
Organization Name (provided by automatic EIN validation)
Secondary Addressee
EIN
Website	http://www.ruskingrouptheatre.org

Contact Information
Contact Name	Mike Myers
Phone	310-390-4212
E-mail	mike@ruskinschool.com
Address	3000 Airport Avenue Santa Monica CA 90405

Additional Information
Used for	The money gifted from the foundation will be used to support theatrical and performing artists in Santa Monica and throughout the greater Westside of Los Angeles, California. The support these monies will provide goes toward paying artists, production expenses, and community outreach, such as our "Healing Through the Arts" program.
Benefits	Ruskin Group Theatre develops, as well as re-imagines, theatrical productions that have attracted audiences from around the world. Several of our original productions have moved on from our humble stage to larger venues in San Diego, CA, NY,NY, and London, UK. We continue to develop new works with a broad appeal to the human condition, in that our recently premiered "The Face In The Reeds", by Robin Uriel Russin, explores how a family struggles to come together during the course of a Passover Seder; while our soon to premier projects include an original Country Musical, as well as a rarely performed drama, "Leaving Home", by Canadian playwright, David French.
Proposal Description	We exist to benefit our community and the world through exposing it to the transformative art of theatre; to benefit the artistic life of the theatre artist so that s/he can bring to bear in their work all the compassion and empathy of the human spirit, ultimately imprinting that upon our world. The grant money will be used in direct support of these artists in their work. We pay equity waiver wages; and contract with musicians, writers, designers, and directors and choreographers. Our artists, our playwrights, and our audiences are both local and international. Currently, we are developing a new country musical with Paul Overstreet and Steve Mazur. Paul has been a major figure in the country music scene for over three decades, and is the writer of more than twenty top ten hits on the country music charts. His music is well respected and his songs are highly sought by the entire country music world. His hits have been sung by Travis Tritt, Blake Shelton, Tanya Tucker, and more. Steve Mazur is a successful film and stage writer, having penned the Jim Carey hit, "Liar, Liar". Additionally, our goals have been to continue already established relationships with artists in the development and production of their newest work. Projects with artists such as Alan Shearman and Ron House, who are working on a sequel to their cult classic "Bullshot Crummund"; and Paul Linke, of Venice, CA, who is working on the next installation to his award winning "Time" series of one man shows, demonstrate our continued commitment to the artist in his/her exploration of the human condition. Recent offerings have included: the world premiere of “ The Face in the Reeds”, by Robin Uriel Russin, a heartwarming family dramedy that takes place at a Seder dinner; the hilarious cult classic, "El Grande de Coca-Cola", by Ron House and Alan Shearman; and "Colleagues", a searing one act that puts two teachers in a wealthy private school at odds with one another. Our community outreach has included company members continuing their work with severely and terminally ill children at the Mattel Children’s Hospital; public showings of death row inmate original art work; and participation in such community events as the Santa Monica Artwalk.