What’s Happening at the Chocolate Church!

People may be wondering why they haven’t heard from us for awhile – or why the website has been changing, or not changing.  The quiet has been because of how busy we’ve been behind the scenes with many new exciting things.  In Mayof 2009, a new executive director was hired, coming to CCAC with a background in non-profit arts and theater.  She has been busy sorting through past, present and future, figuring out just how to tackle the enormous amount of work the building itself needs, as well as putting together next year’s season and forging relationships with the community.  Plans are coming together that will see much-needed progress in the very near future – something we’ve all been waiting for. 

The new art gallery has opened and is located upstairs in the annex in a beautiful light and airy space.  Work has been completed on the annex with the installation of a new roof, the attic was floored over and insulated, the electrical panel updated, new double-doors have been installed off the deck, and a new heating system worked beautifully all winter.  The box office is now located upstairs in the annex in the old offices, which are also getting a make-over.  A brand new ticketing system has just been installed, so tickets will be available by phone, in person or 24 hours/day on our website, and you will be able to choose your seats, no matter what method you use to purchase tickets.

The Chocolate Church facility needs lots of loving care and renovation.  If you look at the entire project, it can be overwhelming.  And sometimes being overwhelmed means not knowing where to start or not starting at all.  We plan to break it up into manageable pieces, doing a little at a time, with steady progress – and sometimes that progress won’t be obvious to the eye.  However, we’ve just completed one of the biggest projects of all with your help – a brand new insulated roof was installed on the big church, eliminating leaks and cold and making the building look a whole lot better than before.  We’re going to make sure to keep you updated as we go along.  Of course to do all these things, we need money – the part that nobody really wants to talk about.  We rely on your membership dollars and donations to help keep the organization running, and we continue to fundraise and solicit sponsorships.  We have brought great entertainment to the stage of the Chocolate Church and will continue to do so.  But ticket sales rarely go any further than covering the costs of the entertainment – so it’s other sources of revenue that we must seek out.  Please consider joining or renewing your membership, or making a donation.  We need valuable people like you to help keep the arts alive and accessible to all. 

We’re excited about the our next season, with some fresh new voices mixed in with old favorites for your entertainment.  Tickets are now on sale for all shows in the 2011-12 season!