Q&A with Laurie Baskin of Theatre Communications Group

Laurie Baskin is the Director of Research, Policy & Collective Action at Theatre Communications Group (TCG), a national organization that supports and promotes nonprofit theatre through networking, knowledge building, and leadership. In 2012, TCG partnered with Blue Star Families to launch Blue Star Theatres, an initiative intended to build stronger connections between the theatre community and military families through accessible admissions. Blue Star Families has also partnered with other organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts for the Blue Star Museums initiative, to increase cultural access across the sector.  In our Q&A, Baskin shares about the partnership and the difficulties and successes of the program. 

Q: How did the partnership between TCG and Blue Star Families begin?
A: Through a contact at Signature Theatre in Virginia, our executive director was introduced to somebody at the Pentagon. They had a conversation about active duty and veteran programming, and the connection was made to Blue Star Families, an organization dedicated to supporting active-duty military families.

Q: How did you launch the pilot program?
A: Theatre Communications Group is the national organization for nonprofit theatres in the US. We have about 500 member theatres, so it was about finding that core group of theatres that wanted to be in the project from the beginning and connect with that community. We launched the program in September 2012 with 22 theatres, but even just a month later, it had grown to 50 theatres. Currently, there are 179 participating theatres

Two men and a woman stand to the left of a sign, one man and one woman stand to the right of the sign. The sign reads

Q: What would you say are the biggest barrier(s) for access and engagement between the arts and the military? 
A: For our specific program, on the theatre side, the barrier is budgetary in terms of finding the resources to provide free or discounted tickets. In terms of values, I believe everybody would want to participate, I’ve never heard anything other than enthusiasm for the program. 

Blue Star Families is a little bit more geared towards active-duty families as opposed to veterans, so it just a matter of finding the right connection to get the word out. We’re always looking for new partners within that effort. The community is always shifting as well, so if you get to know someone on a base at the local level, they often get deployed elsewhere. You have to keep at it. It’s an ongoing challenge and we’re happy to find any number of community connections. 

Image: A woman in military dress smiles at the camera at the top of the stairs to a theater. The screen behind her reads

Blue Star Families Theatres was launched with funding from the MetLife Foundation. Though the project funding has concluded, we still aim to keep the map up to date in support of our theatres and the community. We still try to connect families to theatres. One of the biggest benefits of Blue Star Theatres as a national program is that once a family knows about the map, they can find theatres near enough to them anywhere they get transferred. 

Q: What has proven to be the most effective method of communications?
A: I just think the relationship building. Military communities and theatre communities are about finding those personal connections everywhere, and it’s different in every community. 

Q: The Veteran Theatre Initiative (VTI) was created in 2016 to build on the partnerships and learning developed by TCG’s Blue Star Theatres, can you explain the initiative? 
A: The VTI was funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. We had an artist in residence here at TCG, with his help and other partners, we were able to offer programming in five different communities. It developed with a focus on playwriting, military folks have a lot of stories to tell and they enjoyed being part of that community. Some of the communities have continued to engage in the playwriting component on their own. 

Q: What did you learn that you would share with those looking to connect with the military community? 
A: I just think this program, in particular, is our way to try and give back and connect military families who are providing such service and contribution to the country. 

What we learned was that military families didn’t necessarily want to go to programs that had military themes, but they wanted civilians to see and hear those stories. For themselves, they wanted entertainment and other types of theater activities that brought their families together and included them in the community.

Blue Star Theatres: THEATREWORKS Event, Colorado Springs from Theatre Communications Group on Vimeo.

All images courtesy of Theatre Communications Group.

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