Friday, May 24, 2013

Editing Bios



Dear Journey Family…

It has come to my attention that some students are wondering why we have edited their program
bios to only represent the name Journey, instead of allowing them to list shows under our
previous name.  I’m sorry it did not occur to me to offer explanation about this earlier. If that has
caused you disappointment or made you question our program at all, I sincerely apologize.

The reasoning for the edits is two fold:
1.) As part of our amicable separation agreement from our previous namesake, we agreed that we would only mention “formerly known as” in the History section of the ABOUT menu on our website.  We are trying to honor the request of that organization so as to maintain peaceful relationships.

2.) We are attempting not to “confuse the marketplace.”  While students did shows with our company under our previous name, to list it in the program as such causes patrons,donors, and advertisers confusion.  Journey Theater Arts Group is an 11 year old company – same 501 (c) 3, same Articles of Incorporation, same Tax ID#. Only the name changed.  To say that a student did 11 shows under one title and 2 shows under “Journey” implies that Journey is a new organization.  Such implications could hurt our standing with venues and advertisers who trust in the longevity of our program.I love that our students want to celebrate our heritage.  I do as well, and have publicly said so during shows at the time of our transition and after.  However, when dealing with legal and business dealings, we must strictly adhere to established guidelines so as to maintain our professional integrity.

As always, I have an open door and am happy to answer questions regarding this or other
topics that you’d like to discuss.  The change over has gone quite smoothly, for which I’m
grateful; affirmation of God’s blessing and guidance.  Because of that, I do not always
know how to predict questions that might arise, so please don’t hesitate to email me at
k.foster@journeytheater.org or call me at 360.750.8550 anytime.

Sincerely,
Kristi Foster
Executive Artistic Director
Journey Theater Arts Group

“Not just live theater – theater that changes lives!”