Charles "Chip" Decker Email & Phone Number

Charlotte, Nc, Us

• Managed and balanced a yearly operating budget of up to $950K; leveraged pragmatic financial oversight to breathe life into theatre operations post-COVID through strategic budget adjustment and funding procurement• Headed the transition from live, in-person shows to a provident online platform, coordinating a monthly performance featuring local talent; oversaw the Marketing team on a digital strategy that amplified viewership• Orchestrated annual programming, events, and fundraising activities, including seven main-stage productions, a Shakespeare performance, and the New Play Festival• Led and streamlined contract negotiations with the venue, Actors Equity, publishers, musicians, directors, designers, and vendors through effective relationship management that increased time for value-added activities• Advanced DE&I and safety through organization-wide initiatives; introduced a support system that encouraged and engendered an authentic culture of care in a matrix environmentProjects: MidSummer Nights @ Queens: Ideated and launched an outdoor Shakespeare in the Park-inspired festival in response to the scarcity of quality, free community events. Initial success grew the event into a community staple for two years, receiving additional funding and recognition before the COVID-19 production shutdown. Rock the Barn: Spearheaded the return to in-person productions in response to changing COVID-19 protocols, becoming the first performing arts group in the area to do so, with the launch of a hybrid rock music festival and theatrical event. Prioritized patron safety and diversification through extensive location scouting. It was a theatrical home run, becoming an integral part of the main season.

• Pioneered a patron membership model that augmented engagement and boosted membership by 200%• Developed the New Play Festival, a platform for emerging creatives across industry matrices to showcase original work, with three plays going on to have national production runs via the National New Play Network• Oversaw operations, including season selection, casting, hiring, and continuous improvement through a commitment to authentic leadership that resulted in increased staff size, patron attendance, and artist pay• Led the company to garner 3 North Carolina State Professional "Theatre Company of the Year" awards• Conferred multiple awards, including direction (musicals, comedies, dramas), design (sound, set, and projection), best supporting actor, and Theatre Person of the Year Projects:NuVoices for a NuGeneration - New Play Festival: Developed an annual, week-long new play festival featuring original work via staged readings. Managed the open submission process, selecting four scripts from 400+ submissions. Guided playwright integration into theatre operations, hiring actors, directors, stage managers, and support staff to execute the unique vision of each script. The Second Story Project: Teamed up with the Children's Theatre of Charlotte on an innovative joint production with parallel performances of interconnected stories told from the perspective of adults and children, respectively. Imaginatively designed to include correlating cause and effect between the simultaneous shows without sacrificing standalone plot accessibility. An unprecedented crowd-puller, the shows established an enduring cross-over audience and increased box-office sales.

• Guided and drove niche artistic development for the then eight-year-old theatre company, resulting in it becoming the most award-winning company in the Charlotte region• Directed all technical activities, such as set design and construction, scenic design, lighting, and sound design• Managed the hiring, training, and progressive development of deck and run crews, board operators, and stage management with a dedication to 100% cast and audience safety compliance