When we first began as Speak up Theatre Company in 2019, Nicole Shelly (then Snover), Mary Grace Sloenecker, and I created a mission statement and list of values - because that’s something that companies are supposed to have. We imagined what we would want a fully-fledged theatre company to look like, then discussed those ideas with the theatre professionals who had taught us and with our former classmates who had learned beside us. With the paperwork finished, we dove head-first into the business of mounting a production.
As time went on and the faces of our board changed, we rebranded with a new name inspired by our town and our mission statement. Hub City Theatre Company, whose mission is “to provide a quality and affordable theatrical experience to Jackson’s audience and actors and to solidify the city’s location as a theatrical Hub City between Nashville and Memphis. We will present Jackson with a mix of new and familiar theatrical works, to entertain and to challenge our audience and bring together theatre artists from all walks of life and all levels of experience”
A lofty goal and a wordy one, with a name that sounds less like an advocacy theatre and a logo perhaps not so pretentious as The Creation of Adam fingers touching within the flame of Prometheus (Though I do still love that first Speak Up Theatre Co logo). Still, our tagline (and arguably, guiding principle) remains, “Odd shows in intimate spaces”.
We continued announcing and producing one show at a time, and honestly my perspective was limited to each production. We’ll do this next project and see how it goes. We’ll evaluate once it is over and see if there is interest and energy and resources to do another. Rinse and repeat as long as we can.
Then last year we decided to announce a full season for the first time and it has been such an incredible year. The 2024 Season has proven that there is both the talent and the audience in Jackson to support the kind of work we do. I think it’s safe to say that HCTC is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
Which means we need more to rally around than the values outlined in our founding documents - values cooked up by late night conversations between dreamers of a hypothetical future. We need values that are grounded in the work we’ve now done as a company and the work we wish to do. Relevant, actionable values that can guide all our decisions moving forward, instead of sitting unread in a document somewhere.
I am so proud of this company, our board members and advisors past and present, and the community we have built over these last four years. As we wrap us this season and gear up for our most ambitious year yet, I’m thrilled to announce HCTC’s new values:
Fill the Gap: Identify and work to meet artistic needs or desires not already met in our community
Build Welcoming Spaces: Create theatre that is accessible, approachable, and personal
Raise the Standard: Continually work to raise the standards of our methods, our productions, and our artists
Work Collaboratively: Be better together, from the macro business community level to the micro cast and crew level
Pursue Joy: Celebrate the creative act of theatre
Act with Integrity: Maintain consistent transparency and honesty in all our practices
We announced these values at our recent Season Announcement Party (hosted by our friends at Turntable Coffee Counter) and I am simply blown away that something that started as a “What if” has become something so beloved by so many. I’ve often downplayed the achievement of being a founder of a theatre company, saying with a shrug that “I just keep convincing people to do theatre with me”. But really, isn’t that all theatre? Creating a space for people to come together and do art together?
It’s what we’ve been doing for four years now and it’s what we’ll keep doing as long as there are people who will come out and participate. With new values to guide us and five productions on the calendar for next year, I can’t wait to see how we continue to learn and grow and change as time goes on.
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