We met with the Park folks who unfortunately confirmed what we had already been told. They are under continued pressure from the City to generate revenue, and have had to be more universal in the charging of fees (even to non-profits). While disappointing that the “sponsorship” we have received from the Wichita Parks in the past is not available, there was some discussion about other ways to “compensate” the Parks in lieu of fees. A discussion was had about the possibility of members of WSC leading a workshop (offered by the Parks) on some aspect of Shakespeare performance.
As education is one of the key parts of our mission statement, this opportunity (at least from initial overview) looks like it could potentially be a “win win” for both WSC and the Parks. But it was felt by the WSC Board that we needed time to plan, prepare, etc. So the Wichita Parks fees were once again paid this year, and we will explore the workshop opportunity for the 2014 season.