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Catskills Comedy Festival asks Greene County for $3,000 student-workshop grant
Summary
Organizers of the Catskills Comedy Festival told the Greene County Economic Development committee they seek $3,000 from the W.C. Steemberg grant to support student workshops tied to the October festival, and said the festival expects to sell more than 1,600 tickets this year.
Stefan Bradsister, an organizer with the Catskills Comedy Festival, asked the Greene County Economic Development committee for a $3,000 W.C. Steemberg grant to support student workshops connected to the festival scheduled for Oct. 17–19.
Bradsister said the nonprofit sold a little more than 1,000 tickets in its first year and is budgeting this year for about 1,600 tickets; the festival budget is “a little over $51,000,” he said, and the group has raised about $48,000 so far. He told the committee the workshops—stand-up, storytelling and physical comedy—cost about $4,500 and are intended for high-school students (with recommended younger students accepted in some cases). The workshops culminate in a performance during the festival.
Bradsister described the festival’s venues as including the Community Theater (two theaters, a 500-seat downstairs and a 220-seat upstairs), Avalon Lounge and Bridge Street Theater. He said the festival’s goals include drawing visitors downtown, benefiting local merchants by working with the merchants association and expanding the festival footprint into neighboring towns such as Tannersville and Athens as it grows.
Bradsister said the festival has engaged instructors from regional programs—Lauren Kinchlow’s stand-up school in Kingston, Christina Teitlin and Caitlin Langsford for storytelling, and performer Peter Daniel Strauss for physical comedy and clowning—and expects student recruitment to begin when schools reopen in September. He said the organizers will make a video for school announcements and work with Michelle Storrs at Catskill High School on outreach.
Committee members asked about dates, venues and outreach; Bradsister confirmed the Oct. 17–19 schedule and said festival organizers have not yet begun school sign-ups but plan to start in early September. He said ticket sales are treated conservatively in budgeting as a “wild card.”
The committee did not vote on the request during the presentation; Bradsister closed by reiterating the $3,000 ask to the W.C. Steemberg grant.
