For over a year now, the Weidner has been steadily creating and hosting programming with the Tarlton Theatre, the historic downtown theatre. The partnership, under the flagship name “The Weidner Downtown,” was created to reach “…audiences where they are at and bring arts & culture happenings to the heart of Downtown Green Bay,” according to Troy Williams, the Marketing Coordinator of The Weidner.
There are several different programming that has become part of the Weidner Downtown name. Some are theatrical performances, such as Bent Compass, which showed experiences and interviews on the story of a U.S. Army medic’s deployment in Iraq. Another programming that participates under the Weidner Downtown can include the STEAM Engine, Green Bay Film Society’s movie selection, and others.
The selection process for these programs comes down to a multitude of factors. Williams stated that several considerations go into the decisions, ranging from the events’ scale, potential audiences, and the “novelty” of the event. It even goes to “how [the event] will feel in The Tarlton’s performance space,” according to Williams. He stated, “We very often ask ourselves, “Can this event be seen anywhere else?” and if the answer is “no” then we move ahead with it.”
This type of consideration for the program often is even exhibited by the partners who are/bring the programming. The Green Bay Film Society, one of the partners involved in bringing monthly film screenings to the Tarlton, often focuses on selecting films that are rarely shown/are easily accessible by streaming. Professor David Coury, UW-Green Bay Modern Language’s Chair and director of the Green Bay Film Society, mentioned that the group decided to “try something new” by showing classic American films at the Tarlton, as the theatre’s offerings of food and drink “…make for a more fun atmosphere and draw in a different crowd.”
The audience turnout for this has been quite successful. Williams claims that the Weidner Downtown attendance “has been solid since the series began.” Both Williams and Coury state that the film screenings’ attendance has been steadily growing. Coury remarks that “Over the course of the 2-3 COVID years, people also became more accustomed to streaming films at home, so we need to give them a reason to come to an event.” The Tarlton Theatre’s atmosphere, Coury feels, helps with attracting those people back. Further audience development activities being used for these events are real-time information collection during events and interaction through email marketing channels. Williams claims that The Weidner is also interested in learning how the audience learned about the event in order to optimize reaching out to the audience.
On the horizon, there is a great abundance of new material being brought in. According to Williams, the Weidner Downtown programming for 2023 will include a residency play, Botanic Garden by Todd Logan, on January 25-29th, an original live lit piece, Dead Celebrities Monologue, a Weidner Philharmonic Quintet concert, and a returning play, White Rabbit, Red Rabbit by Nassim Soleimanpour.
For people wanting to get a taste of Weidner Downtown, the film screening “A Farewell to Arms” will be playing on Wednesday, December 21st, at 7:00pm. In the new year, “Botanic Gardens” will be playing from January 25th –29th at the Tarlton, with food and drinks available.
These events and opportunities for the community couldn’t be possible without the partnership between the Tarlton and the Weidner. Williams remarks, “As The Tarlton grows and betters, so does The Weidner Downtown (and vice versa). It is a ship-all-rise philosophy. “
For more information on Weidner Downtown events, go to weidnercenter.com.
