Chelsea Community Foundation Funds Free Arts Programming

The Purple Rose Theatre Company has received a grant from the Chelsea Community Foundation for continued support of their new play development partnership with the Chelsea District Library. The mission of the partnership is threefold: to develop new works by Midwestern playwrights for potential production; to involve community members in the play development process; and, to inspire young writers to create their own works for the stage. This grant will provide necessary financial support for the continuation of this partnership, which came to fruition in 2008. Programs will include free public readings, public lectures and a playwriting workshop for middle school and high school students at the Chelsea District Library.

Support from the Chelsea Community Foundation in 2010 provided funding for twelve public readings, four panel discussions and a summer playwriting workshop at the library. The readings proved beneficial, as the World Premiere plays that comprise the Purple Rose's current season were developed through this partnership. "Our partnership with the Chelsea District Library has been an invaluable asset to our script development program," commented Purple Rose artistic director Guy Sanville. "The work we have done with the CDL, and especially the feedback we receive regularly from the hundreds of people who attend the concert readings there, have enabled us to take the development of new American plays to another level. All four of the World Premiere plays this season are the results of the extensive work done through the program. The support of the Chelsea Community Foundation has not only made this work possible, it has helped us to touch and delight thousands of people with the magic of Living Theatre."

Supported programs during 2011 include concert readings of new plays on Saturday, April 23 and Saturday, May 7 at 10:30 am; a panel discussion featuring Purple Rose resident artists on Saturday, June 25 at 10:30 am; and a youth playwriting workshop, scheduled for August 9 - 13, 2011. Information about upcoming programming will be available at www.purplerosetheatre.org.

The Chelsea Community Foundation is a permanent charitable endowment fund that provides an ongoing source of revenue for qualified and needed programs and activities in the Chelsea community. Founded in December 1995, the Chelsea Community Foundation has a permanent charitable endowment of more than $1.5 million and has awarded more than $1 million in grants to organizations working to improve the quality of life in Chelsea and surrounding communities. The Chelsea Community Foundation is an affiliate fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

The Chelsea District Library is nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide equal access to quality resources that serve the lifelong cultural, educational and informational needs and interests of all people. The Library currently serves 14,000 residents in the Chelsea district ? City of Chelsea plus Dexter, Lima , Lyndon and Sylvan townships and more than 20,000 individuals visit the Library each month. The Library's state-of-the-art facility is an access point for information including: books, periodicals, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, downloadable e-books, subscription databases as well as access to the Internet. In addition to providing dynamic services to complement and support local schools and other important community needs, the Chelsea District Library strives to present timely, interesting and high-quality programs and events to engage and enrich the Chelsea community.

Founded in 1991 by acclaimed actor and Chelsea-native Jeff Daniels, The Purple Rose Theatre Company is a leading American theatre dedicated to producing the new American play and creating opportunities for Midwest theatre professionals. The PRTC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit theatre operating under a Small Professional Theatre agreement with the Actors' Equity Association. The PRTC promotes the development of new American theatre and its practitioners, provides valuable educational opportunities for young artists, and through consistently high quality production values has earned the respect of both local and National Theatre communities.

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