Why I Joined the High Tide Board—And Maybe You Should Too!
Hello, there. If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’re considering applying for the High Tide Board of Directors. Great idea! (If you’re just bored at work and reading this to avoid starting that thing you need to start, I’ll allow it. There are worse ways to waste time online. But then go start that thing. You’ll feel better.) I’m currently finishing my second year as board secretary, and I’m going to tell you a bit about my experience.
The first High Tide show I saw was Tick, Tick… Boom! in 2024. That audience experience—before the chair upgrade even!—was so special; it was very easy for me to want to become an evangelist for High Tide. The production quality, incredible talent, scrappy minimal staging, and the unique big-city-venue feeling at Lightroom Lounge. The feeling of oh, this is cool.
Every show I’ve seen since has helped reinforce this feeling, right up to Ride the Cyclone, which I saw for the second time this weekend. Springfield theatre legend Mark Gideon made his High Tide debut as Karnak in this production, and during the college night talkback on Friday, he said of his castmates, “If this is the future of theatre in Springfield, and our nation, we are in very good hands.” Hear, hear!
So what does this mean for you, you ask? Well. The great thing about a growing arts organization is there’s so much work to be done and plenty of ways to get involved.
Here’s why you might want to consider applying for the board:
- High Tide is a rapidly growing organization that needs dedicated support to help guide this growth. An effective board can help build the infrastructure and processes that empower the staff and creative teams to build these incredible theatre experiences. (Plus, you get a nametag!)
- Stories worth telling need resources. Meaning: money. It takes money to tell these stories well. To buy theatrical rights for a full season; sets and props that transform the space; costumes that transform performers; equipment purchases, rentals and repairs; marketing costs, and on and on. (Grace recently wrote a blog post on finances that’s worth checking out!)
- You can make a big difference for a small organization. There’s no shortage of arts organizations to support in Springfield, but High Tide is unique in its status as a young organization in the heart of downtown. Producing some of the best shows you can see on any stage in town. (I’ll say it!)
It’s not always sparkle and excitement, of course. It’s work, it’s meetings, it’s spreadsheets, it’s decisions, it’s extra time commitment, it’s working with other humans who don’t always think and react the way you do. Ah, but that’s the fun of it too. Working together toward a common goal. Planning a gala. Adopting a show and feeding the cast. Showing up at Artsfest and spreading the good word to new folks. Promoting shows and inviting friends to see High Tide for the first time.
If all of this sounds like your cup of tea, you can find all the application information here. You have until September 30! There’s a finite number of board seats open, but no limit to the ways you can get involved in other ways. Email [email protected] to find out how you can plug in.
