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The Ragland at 20
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| H&N photo by Andrew Mariman The Ross Ragland Theater lights up the sky in downtown Klamath Falls Friday. |
Community theater close to a milestone anniversary
By STEVE KADEL
H&N Staff Writer
When the Ross Ragland Theater opened in 1989, there were no restrooms or running water backstage. Performers had to go outside to use portable toilets, a situation that plagued actors and musicians for years.
Now, almost 20 years later, the portable toilets are history and the Ragland has a $1 million per-year budget. It books two dozen national or international acts annually, and will kick off its 2008-09 performance season Sept. 25 with “Nunsense,” starring Sally Struthers.
“It has matured,” said Charles Cossey, former general manager of the facility.
He noted that, in the early years, performers often agreed to mid-week dates on the way to a larger city. But in recent years, the Ragland’s reputation as a quality venue has attracted Friday and Saturday acts.
“The acoustics are excellent,” said Rebecca Sario, another former general manager.
That doesn’t mean things are rolling along without problems. The stage floor — the original one — needs to be replaced. And Executive Director Cari McMahon said board members and staff are compiling a list of other needs, including upgraded lighting.
Several notable performers have walked onto the Ragland stage. That includes country icon Garth Brooks, who appeared here in 1990.
“Immediately after his performance his career exploded,” McMahon said.
Cossey said Brooks was a bargain at the time. His appearance fee was $6,250 — a far cry from the $500,000 he now commands.
Esquire Theater
The Ross Ragland Theater’s history begins with its former identity as the Esquire Theater, built in 1939. Plans for a civic center in Klamath Falls began formulating in the mid-1970s.
Several sites were suggested, including the Klamath County Fairgrounds, Kingsley Field and the Shasta View Apartments area. But it was the Esquire Theater building that finally won support of a Civic Center Task Force.
The concept proposed by a Springfield architectural firm included an ice arena that could double as a multi-purpose building.
“The ice floor can be taken apart in one day and replaced with a flat floor,” architect John Amundson was quoted as saying in the Herald and News in September 1981. “You could have a rodeo in there if you wanted.”
Scaling it down
However, task force member Joan Staunton — then Joan Balin — said the group scaled down the project, dropping the ice arena idea that would have boosted the cost to $7 million.
“It was decided it was too much money,” Staunton said recently. “The public wouldn’t go for it.”
Also part of the architectural firm’s proposal was a “galleria,” a glass-roofed lobby that would connect the ice pavilion and the performing arts theater. That was cut, too, as task force co-chairman Ross Ragland called for scaling things down by at least $2 million.
Dressing rooms also were scrapped as a cost-saving measure, leading to the need for portable toilets outside.
Cossey said a significant step came in the early 1980s when the Ladies Community Lounge League provided a $90,000 donation to prevent the Esquire Theater from being demolished. The league turned the building over to the city of Klamath Falls in exchange for space in the renovated structure. The theater’s renovation began in 1987 — two years ahead of its opening.
Raising funds
Fundraising for the project took many forms, including sale of wall tiles for $100 apiece. Everyone from school children to business owners was involved in the effort.
“The whole community built this theater,” Staunton said. “The concept was like a little seed planted and fertilized by the gifts and talents of the community. It was nurtured with hope and pride.”
Major funding came from the Jeld-Wen Foundation, the Meyer Charitable Trust, the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, and Modoc Lumber Company.
The Ross Ragland Theater opened in March 1989 with “The Music Man.” It represented a huge victory for hundreds of volunteers who worked to raise money for renovation of the art deco Esquire Theater.
Cossey recalls the days leading up to that production as virtual chaos, with many last-minute jobs completed on deadline. He said plastic flowers were being stapled to a gazebo almost as the curtain was rising.
Cultural center
As more and more performance dates were added to the Ragland stage, theater officials began planning for an addition to take some pressure off. Fundraising efforts were renewed in 1997 for the Cultural Center, which was completed in June 1999.
Fundraising remains a vital issue today. McMahon says that ticket sales, concessions and venue rental fees account for only about 42 percent of the Ragland’s revenue.
Other income is from the Ragland-Rife Foundation, an endowment fund established in 1995 from the estate of Ann and Sam Rife in 1991. The body of the fund is about $1.7 million, providing about $80,000 per year in interest to the Ragland operations. McMahon said the goal is to grow the fund to $2 million.
Other revenue comes from advertising in Playbills, grants, and individual contributions from sources such as the Friends of the Ragland, and the Rag-Tags, a group of 175 people who contribute $100 to outreach and education programs. Volunteers also provide a vital service as ushers and other critical roles, saving the Ragland significant expense each year.
Variety of offerings
McMahon said it’s important for the theater to be varied in its offerings, particularly when it comes to educational programs for children. Summer classes, workshops and performance opportunities for children will remain an important focus.
The Ross Ragland Theater and Cultural Center provide performances and other events that draw an estimated 100,000 people a year. Events are held in the theater or cultural center on 150 nights of the year.
Now, almost 20 years later, the portable toilets are history and the Ragland has a $1 million per-year budget. It books two dozen national or international acts annually, and will kick off its 2008-09 performance season Sept. 25 with “Nunsense,” starring Sally Struthers.
“It has matured,” said Charles Cossey, former general manager of the facility.
He noted that, in the early years, performers often agreed to mid-week dates on the way to a larger city. But in recent years, the Ragland’s reputation as a quality venue has attracted Friday and Saturday acts.
“The acoustics are excellent,” said Rebecca Sario, another former general manager.
That doesn’t mean things are rolling along without problems. The stage floor — the original one — needs to be replaced. And Executive Director Cari McMahon said board members and staff are compiling a list of other needs, including upgraded lighting.
Several notable performers have walked onto the Ragland stage. That includes country icon Garth Brooks, who appeared here in 1990.
“Immediately after his performance his career exploded,” McMahon said.
Cossey said Brooks was a bargain at the time. His appearance fee was $6,250 — a far cry from the $500,000 he now commands.
Esquire Theater
The Ross Ragland Theater’s history begins with its former identity as the Esquire Theater, built in 1939. Plans for a civic center in Klamath Falls began formulating in the mid-1970s.
Several sites were suggested, including the Klamath County Fairgrounds, Kingsley Field and the Shasta View Apartments area. But it was the Esquire Theater building that finally won support of a Civic Center Task Force.
The concept proposed by a Springfield architectural firm included an ice arena that could double as a multi-purpose building.
“The ice floor can be taken apart in one day and replaced with a flat floor,” architect John Amundson was quoted as saying in the Herald and News in September 1981. “You could have a rodeo in there if you wanted.”
Scaling it down
However, task force member Joan Staunton — then Joan Balin — said the group scaled down the project, dropping the ice arena idea that would have boosted the cost to $7 million.
“It was decided it was too much money,” Staunton said recently. “The public wouldn’t go for it.”
Also part of the architectural firm’s proposal was a “galleria,” a glass-roofed lobby that would connect the ice pavilion and the performing arts theater. That was cut, too, as task force co-chairman Ross Ragland called for scaling things down by at least $2 million.
Dressing rooms also were scrapped as a cost-saving measure, leading to the need for portable toilets outside.
Cossey said a significant step came in the early 1980s when the Ladies Community Lounge League provided a $90,000 donation to prevent the Esquire Theater from being demolished. The league turned the building over to the city of Klamath Falls in exchange for space in the renovated structure. The theater’s renovation began in 1987 — two years ahead of its opening.
Raising funds
Fundraising for the project took many forms, including sale of wall tiles for $100 apiece. Everyone from school children to business owners was involved in the effort.
“The whole community built this theater,” Staunton said. “The concept was like a little seed planted and fertilized by the gifts and talents of the community. It was nurtured with hope and pride.”
Major funding came from the Jeld-Wen Foundation, the Meyer Charitable Trust, the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, and Modoc Lumber Company.
The Ross Ragland Theater opened in March 1989 with “The Music Man.” It represented a huge victory for hundreds of volunteers who worked to raise money for renovation of the art deco Esquire Theater.
Cossey recalls the days leading up to that production as virtual chaos, with many last-minute jobs completed on deadline. He said plastic flowers were being stapled to a gazebo almost as the curtain was rising.
Cultural center
As more and more performance dates were added to the Ragland stage, theater officials began planning for an addition to take some pressure off. Fundraising efforts were renewed in 1997 for the Cultural Center, which was completed in June 1999.
Fundraising remains a vital issue today. McMahon says that ticket sales, concessions and venue rental fees account for only about 42 percent of the Ragland’s revenue.
Other income is from the Ragland-Rife Foundation, an endowment fund established in 1995 from the estate of Ann and Sam Rife in 1991. The body of the fund is about $1.7 million, providing about $80,000 per year in interest to the Ragland operations. McMahon said the goal is to grow the fund to $2 million.
Other revenue comes from advertising in Playbills, grants, and individual contributions from sources such as the Friends of the Ragland, and the Rag-Tags, a group of 175 people who contribute $100 to outreach and education programs. Volunteers also provide a vital service as ushers and other critical roles, saving the Ragland significant expense each year.
Variety of offerings
McMahon said it’s important for the theater to be varied in its offerings, particularly when it comes to educational programs for children. Summer classes, workshops and performance opportunities for children will remain an important focus.
The Ross Ragland Theater and Cultural Center provide performances and other events that draw an estimated 100,000 people a year. Events are held in the theater or cultural center on 150 nights of the year.
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k.l. wrote on Aug 17, 2008 7:49 PM: