John Greenleaf Whittier Middle School, located in Haverhill, Massachusetts, strives to be a community of learners dedicated to educating adolescents. They prepare children for the future by providing differentiated education, that encourages all to be responsible, active, respectful, and tolerant members of society. As part of their curriculum, John Greenleaf Whittier Middle School offers students an opportunity to participate in music and theatre programs led by Robert (Bobby) Gariepy.
John Greenleaf Whittier Middle School faced an all too common problem of limited resources and funding for their arts program in an economically challenged area. Their goal was to create a program that would engage students in theatre, give them artistic outlets, and encourage participation and growth. When Bobby Gariepy was first brought on to teach, there was no theatre program and no exiting tools so everything needed to be built from the ground up.
Like many schools, John Greenleaf Whittier Middle School had little budget and resources available to produce shows. With limited funding, a lack of equipment, and very few staff to support the program, Bobby found himself in a challenging position. He had to get creative to not just move the production forward, but grow the program from the ground up and expose his students to the arts in an impactful way. Bobby was using seven different solutions to create materials and market, promote, and sell tickets for their productions. He knew there must be a better way.
With the help of On The Stage, Bobby Gariepy and John Greenleaf Whittier Middle School were able to:
” On the Stage has helped underserved communities like mine in Haverhill, MA grow and prosper by providing the necessary tools to promote our middle school theater programs. With their help, the JGW Drama Club has tripled its profits and doubled its size through the use of easily-accessible promotional platforms and friendly, 24/7 customer service.“
Bobby Gariepy, John Greenleaf Whittier Middle School
From the moment Bobby spoke with Alex Andrews, Account Executive at On The Stage, he knew the platform and this partnership were going to help him take his program to the next level. Alex focused on consulting with Bobby on his organization’s needs and showcased how On The Stage could work for them today and in the long run.
On The Stages’s easy-to-use integrated tools allowed Bobby to replace seven separate solutions he was using with one platform that connected all his information and provided resources to create marketing materials and programs to support his production.
With the support of On The Stage’s Account Management and Customer Support teams, the John Greenleaf Whitter Middle School’s theatre program was able to double ticket sales and generate more revenue than ever before!
Through the OTS platform they also ran a fundraiser for their program, were able to track who attended the performances, and, using that information, automate their outgoing marketing efforts and generate additional interest and participation.
The success of their production and the impact on the students has encouraged even more students to get involved. In addition, Bobby’s students have taken “ownership” of the platform and are helping to build production sites, set up show programs with OTS’s Showgram feature and create fundraising campaigns. The program is now working on fundraising for their infrastructure and resources for their future productions.
Founded by Broadway producer Hunter Arnold, On The Stage is the only technology solution created by theatremakers for theatremakers. The all-in-one technology platform empowers performing arts organizations with the tools and technology to control their own creative destiny. By partnering with On The Stage, performing arts organizations can drive revenue with ticket sales, merchandise, and fundraising; save time and money with box office and production tools; and create a professional experience with show sites, a walk-up app, ticket scanning, show programs, and more.
Book a personalized demo today to learn more about how On The Stage can serve your organization.
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