Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 03/99) - Ptarmigan Ptheatrics, the local theatre company responsible for Yellowknife's beloved annual spring musical, has experienced a sea of change.

After their annual general meeting last June, only three past members remained on the newly-elected board. That meant seven new members joined, some of whom have no theatrical experience.

The biggest change of all may be the appointment of business-oriented president Travis Armour.

Armour brings with him a nifty little thing called "management by objectives."

"There wasn't a lot of structure, so all of this is about putting up a structure," says Armour, pointing to 10-page corporate plan.

"We're setting up policies and procedures for everything we do so future boards don't have to start from scratch."

Over the 11 years since Ptarmigan's inception, many core members have remained.

"When you have the same people doing it all the time, you don't really have to write things down," says Armour,

"We identified five key areas necessary to get a play on," states Armour, whose initial involvement with the company took place last spring when he played one of Tevye's son-in-laws in Fiddler on the Roof.

The key areas are development, preproduction, production, sale/marketing and administration/hospitality. Under each heading, tasks have been listed, deadlines set and people assigned to accomplish the necessary work.

"The whole plan was made up by November and now we just have to monitor," Armour explains.

So, by April, fund-raising will have been completed and a rush for funds will be unnecessary. Ptarmigan even hopes to go into the following year with a surplus.

The new board has also set up a corporate sponsorship program.

A diamond sponsor, for example, which donates over $2,500, will have their company's logo prominently displayed on programs and posters, six complimentary tickets will be made available to the company and a recognition plaque will be given to the company.

"And we're putting up a plaque at NACC (Northern Arts and Cultural Centre), that will be kept at NACC, recognizing sponsors," Armour says.

Ptarmigan has also defined a mission statement, approved by all members, with an added dimension. Not only are they dedicated to producing a quality musical, they have also pledged to help foster the growth of other local theatrical companies.

"We can share sets and costumes, that kind of thing, set up a network, help each other out."

Ptarmigan is not all business though. For new secretary Laurel Jaque, who responded to an ad in the paper, being a member of the Ptarmigan board fulfils her desire to volunteer.

"It gives me a chance to do something. fun I like to volunteer and put something back into the community."