T o the C ity of Fa irf ie ld M ayo r and C o uncil,
I ho pe this m e ssage find s yo u w ell. M y na m e is Kelly Pidge o n Jam e s, and I am the V ice Preside nt of D ixo n C o m m un ity The ater, a no np rofit orga nizatio n dedicated to se rving the D ixon com m unity and be yond . I'm reaching out rega rding the potential contract fo r the M issouri Street The aterw ith R odge rs C reative Enterprises (a ka Starbo und).
W hile I don't have pe rsona l re latio nships w ith eithe r part y, I am fam iliar w ith the the ate r com m unity in So la no , w hich is quite sm a ll. Rece nt expe rie nce s w ith R odge rs C reative Ente rprise s (S ta rbo und ) in our district raise sig nificant co ncern s abo ut the ir suitability fo r this contract.
In the 2023-2024 scho o l yea r, the Di xon Unified Scho o l D istrict pa rt ne red w ith Starbo und to de live r after-scho o l enrichm e nt pro gram s fo cused on the art s to our elem entary scho o ls. This initiative w as highly anticipated due to the district's chro nic und e rf und ing , w hich se ve re ly lim its access to art s educatio n. U nfo rt unate ly, Starbo und 's im p le m entatio n fell drastica lly sho rt of expe ctatio ns. The y repo rt edly m inim ized expenses to m a xim ize profits, pro viding a subpa r expe rie nce fo r stude nts.
T he instructor they pro vide d lacked the ater expe rie nce , and add itional staff w ere m inim a lly qualifie d . Starbo und pro vide d only he adba nd s and sto le s or jackets and had stud e nts w ear the ir ow n cl othe s, and the pro gram culm inated in a 15 -m inute , free play (no royaltie s or rights needed to be purchased), w hich le d to disappo inting perform a nces w he re childre n read fro m scripts instead of enga ging in an authe ntic the atrica l experie nce . A s a result, interest in the spring se ssio n w as so low that it w as ultim ate ly ca nce led. I have attache d a cl ip of the vide o of the ir fina l production fo r your review . Starbo und price go ug e d an unde rf unde d , low incom e scho ol district and didn't delive r on w hat they im p lie d the y w ould in the ir contract, w hich I have also attache d.
M o reover, m a ny fo rm e r Sta rbo u nd stude nts have since jo ine d us at D ixo n C o m m u nity The ater, citing the ir unsatisfacto ry and even traum atic expe rie nces. T his pattern raise s questions about the orga nization's com m itm e nt to nurt uring ta le nt and provid ing qua lity education to children in low -inco m e com m unitie s.
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1 n contrast, Missou1 i Street Theater, under Dae Spering's guidance, sets a high standard for theatrical excellence and community engagement. Their programs consistently outperform others in the region, and many professionals, including those affiliated with UC Davis, recognize the quality of Dae's work. '
It is crucial to consider that Rodgers Creative Enterprises lacks experience in operating a theater and managing its technical requirements. The · · acility has seen millions of taxpayer dollars invested in its upkeep, and t ansitioning management to a less experienced and money driven organization could j opardize this investment.
I urge you to w eigh this feedback carefully as you m ake your decision. O ur region's cultural landsca~e has benefited greatly from ~issomi Street Theater, and I hope to see that legacy continue. ewn·fo wn
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Warm regards,
Kelly Pidgeon James
Vice President, Dixon Community Theater
(707) 997-1284