Ocean State Theatre Company Wins National Staples Contest

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), the not-for-profit professional theatre company, which will be opening its fifth season, later this month, in its comfortable stadium-style theatre in Warwick, is thrilled to be one of five small businesses in the country to have won Staples' Make More Happen Contest.

"When I stumbled upon the contest online I figured we had nothing to lose by entering, I mean I think we're pretty special and I know we make more happen!" said Amiee Turner, Producing Artistic Director of Ocean State Theatre Company. "Entrants were asked to describe, in 200 words or less, how their business is 'making more happen' and in 50 words or less, to describe their one best piece of advice to other small businesses."

As their winning entry indicates, Ocean State Theatre Company is "making more happen" by adding over $3,000,000 of annual revenue to the state economy and generating the equivalent of more than 75 full time jobs at local businesses. In addition, OSTC re-invests over $50,000 annually in the local community by giving away over 1000 tickets in support of a wide-range of fundraising events and other not-for-profit organizations. OSTC has achieved this success by responding dynamically to the feedback of the greater Rhode Island community to continually improve the services it provides. OSTC is the only professional theatre company in the state which regularly hires local, professional musical theatre actors and musicians and the only professional arts organization offering a year-round calendar of theatre geared toward children and families. Its presence assists in creating a vibrant, lively neighborhood, and by improving the quality and quantity of its services. Ms. Turner's advice to other small businesses is to "know the existing market and then fill a void. If what you are doing is truly unique, is currently missing from the landscape, and is valuable to the community - you will always be a complement to the market rather than competition."

As one of the winners, Ocean State Theatre Company welcomed a Production Company sent by Staples from California in late July, during its production of Damn Yankees. The Production Company, Breakwater Studios, was on-site filming for nearly 20 hours, which resulted in a professional 45-second spotlight video. In addition, OSTC was awarded a $1,000 Staples Print & Marketing Services package to assist with marketing. The total value of the prize package was $25,000. The video, which was released this week, is now being featured nationally on Staples' social media channels.

"Having the camera crew on-site all day was really exhilarating," said Karen Gail Kessler, Director of Marketing & Public Relations. "They arrived very early in the morning and filmed anything and everything that was going on in the theatre that day - from Avenue Q rehearsal, to constructing the Avenue Q set, to cleaning the theatre, to selling tickets and finally to getting footage of Damn Yankees, which included shots of the sold-out house we had that evening. We were all exhausted by the end of the day, but it was well worth it!"

This past spring, in celebration of NationAl Small Business Week, the Framingham, Massachusetts-based Staples, Inc. not only launched unbeatable ink and toner prices on a broad selection of ink and toner cartridges, with a new in-stock guarantee, they also unveiled the Make More Happen Contest, intended to showcase the work of the small business contest winners across the nation.

The recently released video, featuring Ocean State Theatre Company, can be viewed on the Staples facebook videos page at: www.facebook.com/staples/videos/vb.81862836665/10153696324156666/?type=2&theater.

Subscriptions and single tickets for Ocean State Theatre Company's 2016-17 Season, which opens in previews onSeptember 28 with the Rhode Island Professional Premiere of Billy Elliot: The Musical, as well as several special concerts and events, are currently on sale to the public. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 12 noon - 6:00 pm, Saturdays from 12 noon - 4:00 pm, and from 12 noon until curtain on performance days.

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