Theatre Cedar Rapids
No. 5 Small Company
102 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids
www.theatrecr.org/
One of Cedar Rapids many nonprofit arts institutions is a cool place to work, volunteer and patronize.
Theatre Cedar Rapids ranks at No. 5 as the Coolest Place to Work in the small employer category.
“We make art all day every day and work diligently to engage the community in that process. The environment is casual and fun and as a result incredibly creative and productive,” stated Casey Prince, Theatre Cedar Rapids executive director, in an email interview.
TCR is in its 80th season and has 12 full-time and three part-time employees.
“We have the opportunity to change lives through our work, whether it’s an audience member, a volunteer actor or crew member, or a patron,” Mr. Prince said.
Along with plays and musicals, TCR also offers movie nights and youth camps such as show choir, puppetry and dance. The facility also has space for business meetings, receptions and conference rooms which are available for use.
The theater recorded 47,000 hours volunteered last year and 61,454 patrons and participants last season. TCR was founded by artists Grant Wood and Marvin Cone in 1925.
“Spend as much time on the intangibles as you do on those tangible metrics. It’s hard for a list of employee benefits to compete with a fun, rewarding, supportive environment. If you love your employees and care about their life balance as much as their professional success, you’re on the right track,” Mr. Prince stated.
Located in the renovated Iowa Theatre Building, 102 Third St. SE in Cedar Rapids, TCR returned there in February 2010 after completing recovery work from the 2008 floods. Until then, the theater operated at a temporary location out of Lindale Mall.
“The future is bright. We’re on the cusp of our 80th season and some of the most exciting challenges to date are on the horizon,” Mr. Prince stated. “The best way to discover our culture is to volunteer for any number of our programs.”
TCR’s upcoming shows include Spring Awakening (opening June 28), Jesus Christ Superstar (opening Oct. 11), Neil Simon’s Jake’s Women (opening Nov. 1) and Miracle on 34th Street (opening Nov. 29).
For more information, visit www.theatrecr.org.
-Pat Shaver
