Reflecting on Still Point’s Journey with Founder, Lisa Wagner-Carollo

By Anita Dacanay

I have had an insider’s position from the very beginnings of Still Point Theatre Collective, as Lisa’s close friend and colleague throughout the entire 21 year history of the company, and having worn many hats within the company myself. Recently I spoke with Lisa to hear her reflections on Still Point’s journey thus far, the state of the organization at this time, and collective’s focus for the future. The following piece was written from this conversation, and informed by my own perspective as a long-time member of the Still Point family. Managing Director Ben Gray and Lisa both thought that it would be beneficial to share an update with our friends and supporters at this time.

Soon after the turn of the millennium, I remember hearing Lisa talk about coming to an impasse. Still Point had developed around Lisa’s personal vision, fusing her love of theatre with a desire to serve society, and fueled by her passion and commitment. As the company grew over the years she recognized that the model of leadership we were relying upon had its limits. This is because it relied almost solely upon her – and she, being human, had her limits. This dilemma of Founder burn-out in nonprofits is not at all unique to our organization, and I believe relates to the Sisyphus-like position of nonprofit entities in a for-profit economy.  How nonprofits learn to survive and thrive in our society warrants its own discussion, but relates directly to the position that Still Point was in during the early years of the 21st Century.

Lisa recalls, “Still Point was just too much. On paper, we were doing fine – in the black every year. But I knew that I couldn’t continue at that pace. We needed a new way.”

Lisa began to think of new ways to run the organization, and we have been through a trial and error process since then. Currently we have a shared leadership model. Ben Gray has been working with Still Point for several years researching, writing and submitting grants. As of July of 2013, he stepped into the role of Managing Director, and Lisa assumed the role of Artistic Director. In fact, both of them are working together to run the company, with the support of a few additional part-time staff like myself, and Lisa’s current assistant, Sara Fisher. There is a great deal of work stretched amongst a very small but dedicated staff, and supported by our generous volunteers. “Everyone who is working with us now brings great energy to the company.” Lisa feels that she found the “new way” she was looking for in sharing leadership of the company – specifically with someone who also has a history with Still Point and strong personal investment in its health.

“Finances are stable,” Lisa remarked, “We are reviewing and revising systems to keep money coming in. We are cultivating new donors, like J.D. Schramm of Stanford University, who is also a recent addition to the Advisory Board.” Lisa also noted that, from her personal perspective, she made peace with the fact that running a nonprofit requires rigorous, daily attention. Every day, she must put attention to the following questions: How can we bring in more funds? How can we book more shows? How can we reach new people with our work? This sense of peace is a new paradigm for Lisa, and she summed it up by saying, “If you really accept it, it’s not a burden. It’s just your job.”

Lisa told me the story of how she and Ben and two other members of the collective recently performed a ritualized blessing of the Still Point office space. This sort of action is part of Still Point’s identity and stems from the vision that drives the company. We seek to create ways to celebrate the human spirit and life itself, in a manner that is truly inclusive. The office is also decorated with reminders of the work that the organization does: a quilt made by women at the Chillicothe Correctional Center, and flowers that Sara planted in pots painted by Imagination Workshop members, to name a couple.

The blessing of the office space recalls a scene in Living Water in which the pastor leads parishioners in blessing the walls of their church that had been destroyed in the New Orleans floods of 2005. Those of us who have been integrally involved with the creation, mounting, and touring of Living Water can attest to the fact that producing this show gave us inspiration and energy for our own rebuilding process within Still Point. Lisa realized that twenty-one years down the road, it was not too late to restructure and rebuild the company. In fact, that process was necessary in order for Still Point to adapt and grow.

Producing Living Water definitely gave a jolt of creative fire to the company. Every time we bring new artists in to work on a play, they infuse the collective with their own energy and enthusiasm in support of Still Point’s larger mission. Actors Nicole Michelle Haskins, Jove, and Andy Clifton each came into the play with enthusiasm for the show and for the vision and mission of Still Point.  Likewise, the artists who are already part of the collective derive deep satisfaction from creating new work, and renewed vigor for attending to the other more mundane aspects of operating the company. Thus, Living Water reminded us all of how important it is for the company to continue creating and touring new productions.

There are numerous examples of Still Point staff going above and beyond the call to show their support for the organization. Sara Fisher recently organized a wonderful benefit event at local venue Casa Dolce Café. Called Lost and Found and Alone, the event was a great success in terms of making connections, building community, and raising money for Still Point. Musical improv troupe Buffalo performed, as did Sara herself, and storyteller Mary Ruppert. Ben spoke about Still Point’s work, creating new allies within the Buffalo crowd that had come out to see the troupe. Again, the event highlights the importance of a celebratory spirit of community.

The running theme of my conversation with Lisa was the inherent value of human beings and nurturing a healthy interconnectedness. There are many ways in which we affirm this in our work and in the Still Point culture.  Lisa reflected, “If it were not for the many women in prison who have shared their hopes and fears with us in the Persephone Project, Still Point would not be Still Point. If it weren’t for the adults with developmental disabilities that have participated in the Imagination Workshop over the years, Still Point would not be Still Point.” Lisa emphatically pointed out in our discussion that we would also not exist if it weren’t for the audiences who see our plays. “While the special populations we work with have more obvious wounds because of their positions in society,” Lisa notes, “We all have wounds, and when people come to see one of our plays and feel inspired or invigorated or informed by the performance, they are receiving a service that they need and deserve as well. That’s outreach too!”

In terms of outreach programming, there has been recent expansion of fee-for-service programs, like the additional Imagination Workshop classes currently taking place at Orchard Village in Skokie. Another example of this is Athena Theatre Works. Still Point launched this initiative last year as a pilot program for formerly incarcerated women, in collaboration with Breakthrough Urban Ministries, Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM), and Art Reach at Lill Street Art. This program was designed to use hands-on theatre experiences to foster community engagement, enhance self-esteem, help build a support system among participants, and to provide important legal education. This successful collaboration will be starting up again in the fall of this year.

Strengthening our unique emphasis on combining artistic excellence with a commitment to service, ongoing efforts to reach out to an ever-expanding and diverse circle of individuals and groups, and a disciplined approach to maintaining fiscal solvency, all in the right measure, are the main elements in maintaining a healthy organization into the future. Lisa sums up Still Point’s current position by exclaiming, “It’s working! We’re making progress. The process has given me gratitude for the great work that we are doing, and an appreciation for the great life that I have.”

A successful labor of love requires both labor and love on a daily basis. May Still Point be seasoned with both ingredients throughout the next 21 years and beyond.

Still Point Founder/Artistic Director Lisa Wagner-Carollo and Managaing Director Ben Gray