Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
By Julia Hall
Staff Reporter
Each year, students pay for two free tickets to the Maine Center for the Arts through the comprehensive fee. With this system, students have their choice of all but one show per year to see. But the show students can not see for free, the MCA’s gala event, is the biggest show of the year.
The comprehensive fee – $223.50 per semester for full time students – is distributed to different programs and organizations on campus. The MCA receives 2.6 percent of the fee, which is not enough to cover its yearly expenses.
In addition to show program fees, the MCA must pay for artist fees, advertising and promotion, production fees, maintenance and security. On average, yearly expenses for the MCA total between $160,000 and $180,000.
Last year, the MCA made $83,752 from students through the comprehensive fee, students who bought rush tickets just before shows and students who paid full price for tickets.
According to Adele Adkins, assistant director of external affairs for the MCA, the MCA lost $86,500 in revenue to students who used their free tickets or student discount. Adkins predicts the MCA will be short even more this year.
“Just based on Tap Dogs, we are going to be out $10,000 to $20,000,” Adkins said.
Tap Dogs, a show which ran twice during Family and Friends Weekend, sold out both shows. The MCA has 28 shows planned for this year, and students can go to all but one for free.
The gala event, which is held every year, hosted Mandy Patinkin in Concert, Saturday night. This year, the gala event was Mandy Patinkin in Concert.
“The money we make with the gala helps to underwrite other shows,” Adkins said.
In the past, the student comprehensive fee paid for more shows than it does now. Adkins says that initially, students couldn’t use their free tickets to see shows that were classified as “special events.”
“Students couldn’t see `My Fair Lady’ without paying full price,” Adkins said.
Three years ago, the MCA stopped categorizing shows into “special events” and made all shows with the exception of the gala available for students to attend using their free tickets.
John Patches, the director of the MCA, hopes students will not be turned off by the fact that they cannot use their free tickets for the gala event.
“The gala serves a purpose. Our budget is only 2.6 percent of the comprehensive fee. That’s pretty minuscule,” Patches said.
Patches added that there are many good shows which students can see for free this year.
“Every show we have this year is really top drawer,” said Patches.
Along with the money made from the gala, the MCA must raise approximately 65 percent of its remaining expenses through private donations and corporate funding.
Patches urged students with questions or concerns to stop by the MCA at any time.
“We have an open door policy,” said Patches. “Give us an update on how we’re doing.”
