Prairie Players Civic Theatre Hires Program Administrator
Prairie Players Civic Theatre has hired Tristan Tapscott as program administrator for the theatre.
“Last year we opened our building at 160 South Seminary Street for productions and rentals,” says Heather Norman, president of Prairie Players. “Now that we are operational at this location, there was a need to create a position to help us manage and grow the programs we offer.”
Through Prairie Players, hundreds of volunteers provide opportunities for community involvement in the performing arts, from productions at their facility at 160 South Seminary Street and other locations throughout the community, to a summer theatre camp and workshops.
Tapscott is the first theatre employee in more than a decade. “Prairie Players has operated with dedicated volunteers for the the last several years and our volunteers have achieved great things,” said Norman. “But now is the time to take the step forward to the future of Prairie Players and that requires the help of a paid position.”
As program administrator, Tapscott is responsible for the overall management of programming and rental activities, providing leadership and direction for all events and volunteers and serving as the chief administrative officer of Prairie Players Civic Theatre.
With his work spanning the country, Tapscott has spent the last several years in the Quad Cities, where he worked with a variety of performing arts organizations. Most notable, he spent the last decade working in various capacities on stage and off with Circa ‘21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, Illinois.
Tapscott notes that with its history of more than 100 years within the community, “Prairie Players is a treasure and a beloved Galesburg institution.” But he also feels the theatre can have a much stronger economic impact on the community, drawing people to Galesburg from the Quad Cities, Peoria, and other outlying communities. “People will come here and experience not only what we have to offer but they will dine in local restaurants, perhaps stay in a local hotel, visit a bar after the show. My goal is to get them to visit Galesburg and experience the town AND the theatre. By doing that we put dollars into the local economy as well as our own organization.”
“There is an energy about what is happening in Galesburg and I am excited to see how we at Prairie Players can use that energy for something awesome,” Tapscott said. “There’s no limit to what live theatre can do. We are in the business of storytelling and people love stories; it is universal.”
To learn more about Prairie Players Civic Theatre, visit prairieplayers.com.
