Thomas Karr

Experience

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  Clarence Brown Theatre

  Jun 1999 - Jul 2001

  Company Manager

  • Prepared/managed annual operating budget for artistic salaries, housing/logistics, union dues, royalties, etc. • Responsible for yearly banking, finance, and line of credit • Processed actor/artistic staff payroll, including union pension/health reports, vacation pay, etc. • Secured rights to produce through licensing and individual agencies and negotiated royalties. • Assisted/advised Producing Director and Managing Director in negotiating contracts with national professional organizations/unions: AEA, SSDC, TCG, LORT, etc. • Represented Clarence Brown Theatre Company at local and national conferences presented by the League of Resident Theatres, Theatre Communications Group and more. • Coordinated local and national (minimum of twice yearly) AEA auditions. Responsible for the management of approximately 1000 AEA auditionees annually plus 800-1200 student auditionees for non-AEA productions. • Served as the primary contact and liaison for AEA and SSDC unions Show less

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  The University of Alabama

  Aug 2003 - May 2004

  Graduate Assistant

  • As part of the marketing team, developed and implemented marketing plans for productions by the University of Alabama's Department of Theatre and Dance (12‐show season). Successfully sold out more than 50% of all houses in season. • Managed Box Office. Processed daily audits, deposits, and daily reports for administrative office. • Managed both Box Office and Front‐of‐House part‐time employees and volunteers. • Maintained ticket inventory, house seats, and complimentary ticket records. • Prepared/processed subscription orders. • Organized and implemented Undergraduate Scholarship Campaign with MFA • As a member of the management team, I successfully raised $16,000 toward undergraduate scholarships Show less

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  Alabama Shakespeare Festival

  Jun 2004 - Aug 2005

  Graduate Assistant

  Marketing and Communications/PR: • Managed the marketing, fundraising, and managing the Professional Actors Training Program showcase in New York City. • Developed press releases, PSAs, and radio spots for Marketing/Communications department. • Traveled with and assisted Director of Marketing on our NEA Macbeth publicity tour during fall of 2005. While on the publicity tour we met with members of the American Theatre Critics Association promoting the production and encouraging their attendance at the ASF Southern Writers’ Project Festival of New Plays • Designed and produced various pieces as resident graphic designer (includes programs, invitations, flyers, direct mail pieces, group sales pieces, study guides, NewsFest monthly employee newsletter, etc.)General Management: • Assisted General Manager in preparing of budget for fiscal year 2005‐06. • Processed union contracts (AEA, SSDC, USA, etc.) and royalty payments/schedules.Development: • Developed online fundraising auction through collaboration with Missionfish/Ebay.com. • Created multi‐user grants calendar for grant tracking and preparation purposes • Managed auction bid tracking during live “Armchair Auction” event broadcast over radio and televisionEducation: • Maintained SchoolFest (morning matinee program) database, sales, and marketing materials. • Acted as liaison to various schools before, during, and after SchoolFest performances. • Served as Front‐of‐House Manager during SchoolFest performances Show less

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  The University of Alabama

  Aug 2005 - Jun 2008

  Director of Marketing/Director of MFA Theatre Management Program (Assistant Professor)

  • Doubled sales income from $50,000 to more than $100,000 per year through aggressive student marketing and guerrilla marketing campaigns. • Develop and maintain annual operations and marketing budgets in cooperation with area heads and accounts mgr • Serve as liaison to College of Arts & Sciences Development, prepare development proposals, research prospective donors, manage donor relations • Develop/implement marketing plans for 12 show season • Managed six graduate assistants plus 40-50 undergraduate assistants in daily marketing/customer service/fundraising duties. • Develop and maintain website for UA Theatre and Dance, including e-marketing through ListServ, Myspace, Facebook and online ad swaps with local retail/restaurant partners • Develop partnership with area vendors and/or organizations for cross-promotion • Serve as publications coordinator for all materials including playbill, graphic design, direct mail, brochures, etc. • Produce yearly student showcase in NYC Show less

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  Dammit, Shakespeare!

  Jun 2006 - Aug 2006

  Producer and General Manager

  Produced $5,000 off-off-Broadway production at Urban Stages Theatre in NYCManaged day to day finances, marketing/press relations, sales, and company logistics

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  KCACTF Region IV

  Jan 2008 - Jan 2010

  Graphic and Web Designer

  I redesigned the KCACTF Region IV website to streamline its user interface, making it more easily navigable by faculty and students. This included moving the website from a strictly hand-coded system to a Wordpress one, allowing designated faculty and students to eventually have ownership in their region's communication efforts. In doing so, we increased web activity by nearly 50% in the first year and this had a dramatic impact on the overall communications efforts of the program for years to come. Show less

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  Theatre Development Fund (TDF)

  Jun 2008 - Dec 2014

  • Management of Marketing and Public Relations including awareness of and sales for seven major departments areas: Membership, TKTS, Costume Collection, Education, Accessibility, Development and Outreach/Research • Management of member (subscriber) and public communication strategies • Ad placement and coordination with advertising agencies and media partners • Design and preparation of marketing material including, but not limited to: direct mail offers/postcards, email marketing (Stages, Offer Highlights, CUNY, Appeals), and monthly Annual Fee and Recertification mailings • Brand management • Develop and produce marketing campaigns using digital media, direct mail, cross-marketing, partnerships, etc. • Measure effectiveness of marketing campaigns through campaign tracking and reporting - Increased membership by 16% (89K to 103K in 6 months) - Average email open rate of 35% and average click rate of 7% • Coding and reconciling bills for Accounting Show less This position evolved into the Associate Director of Marketing and Public Relations---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Helping manage the ticketing programs; procure offerings from Broadway, Off Broadway, dance and music producers; manage ticket allocations; develop print and digital marketing materials; implement TDF’s newest ticketing service, the Off-Off@$9 program which has helped to increase audiences at hundreds of Off-Off Broadway companies in its first two years. • Managed Individual Ticketing Program including show acquisition, inventory tracking, sales reporting and ongoing communication with participating organizations • Managed Off‐Off@$9/Voucher programs including show acquisition, inventory tracking, sales reporting and ongoing communication with participating organizations and editing the quarterly Voucher Newsletter • Managed member relations; developed and maintained membership database • Coded and reconciled bills for Accounting • Developed TKTS Discount Ticket Tracking report to monitor TKTS offers as they compare to competing ticketing services: collect sale prices from TKTS three days each week (Tues, Wed and Fri), collect discount information from multiple discount ticketing services • Prepared contracts for Theatre and Dance Subsidy program and reporting/archiving of subsidy contracts and allocations • Prepared and distribute scripts for Theatre Subsidy Selection Committee • Prepared and distribute proposals for Dance Subsidy Selection Committee Show less

  • Associate Director of Marketing and Public Relations

    Jun 2008 - Dec 2014

  • Associate Director of Ticket Programs and Membership

    Jun 2008 - Jun 2013
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  Alcestis Ascending: A Rock Myth

  Nov 2012 - Jul 2013

  Producer and General Manager

  Managed budget and coordinated logistics for cast and crew's transition from Alabama to NYC for Off Broadway production. Created promotional artwork and managed website. Managed day to day finances, marketing/press relations, and sales.

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  Karrr Marketing

  Feb 2015 - Nov 2022

  Co-Founder

  Karr Marketing provides marketing expertise to clients covering all aspects of the marketing process, including:Strategic Marketing PlanningDeveloping the right strategies to achieve the goals important to your organization.Audience DevelopmentTogether, we’ll develop strategies to both build new audiences and increase retention on existing audiences.Pricing StrategyLet’s review your data to see how updated pricing strategies could benefit your bottom line.Material DesignWe’ll develop strategies to make your print materials (direct mail, annual reports, etc.) more effective, user-friendly, and impactful.Campaign Development and ExecutionYour event is your calling card, so let’s make sure it’s marketed to the right audience with the right message at the right time through digital/social media, direct mail, web development, and more. Show less

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  Children's Theatre of Charlotte

  Jun 2015 - Jun 2017

  Director of Marketing and Communications

  As Director of Marketing and Communications, I've enjoyed the opportunity to implement several successful initiatives including: • Increased revenue by nearly $300,000 in just two years • Exceeded full season single ticket revenue goal in just five months • Increased attendance by 18% from 2014-15 to 2015-16 • Led marketing efforts resulting in our best-selling show in organization's 69-year history • Implemented reserved seating and fixed-package subscriptions • Restructured marketing team to better serve the changing needs of the organization • Rebranded theatre materials to better reflect the quality of work presented on stageAbout the theatre:Children’s Theatre of Charlotte is one of the top theatre and education organizations for young audiences in the United States. Nationally recognized for the breadth and strength of its programs, the Theatre serves 300,000 children and families a year with technically imaginative productions and wide-ranging education programs for young people.Each year the theatre produces more than a dozen productions featuring professional adult actors, , with the curtain rising over 600 times during a season – that’s more than any other theatre company in the state. The Charlotte Observer’s Theatre Critic called Children’s Theatre of Charlotte “the city’s leading professional troupe,” and each season our actors, designers and directors receive numerous awards for their work on the stage. Another critic called our work “the most technically imaginative and resourceful theatre productions in the region.” It’s Broadway caliber theatre, the best in the region. Show less

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  Wayne State University

  Jun 2017 - May 2021

  Director of Marketing and Audience Engagement / Head, Theatre Management Graduate Studies

  As Director of the Theatre Management program at Wayne State University, I lead the academic curriculum for graduate students. Working with adjuncts from the professional theatre, both in and outside of Detroit, I provide our students with practical training in preparation for their future careers. It is my belief that a strong leader is strategic in their thinking, collaborative in their practice, and inspired to seek additional educational opportunities. ∙ Updating curriculum to modernize course and practicum expectations to reflect current best practices inprofessional theatre∙ Under Chair's leadership, helped establish new fully-online Master of Arts in Arts Administration program∙ Transitioned team from Provenue to Theatre Manager database implementation in two-months∙ Restructuring budgeting process to monitor revenue and expenses in comparative structure; providingrevenue pacing reports based on historical sales trends∙ Researching partnerships with TRG Arts for potential overhaul of sales structure; plan to move to pricingby seat in 2019 (as opposed to pricing by patron type) and implement dynamic pricing∙ With Chair, working on development of new performing arts center and $66 million capital campaign;building in academic and practical opportunities for both MFA and BA/BFA students to study andparticipate in this process∙ Developed and managing the budgeted projections for 2017-2018 season including expected revenue of$430,000∙ Restructuring season ticket format to maximize revenue while also providing audiences with additionalflexibility and students with operational experience Show less

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  Seattle University

  Jan 2021 - Nov 2022

  Adjunct Faculty
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  Mischief Management

  Apr 2022 - Oct 2022

  Marketing Director

  I work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to develop and execute marketing campaigns to help us grow our reach beyond existing audiences. Our brands include live events (BroadwayCon, LeakyCon, ObsessedFest, and more), pop culture merchandise, and a media network with five active podcasts, with additional podcasts in pre-production. Mischief Management also produces events for clients and partners, each with their own audience development and activation needs. Additionally, I:* Collaborate with Senior Leadership Team to provide leadership and direction across all Mischief Management ventures* Develop and execute consistent marketing campaigns across all Mischief Management ventures (events, media, and merchandise), including: * Acting as primary point of contact for marketing and advertising agencies and contractors, as necessary * Developing creative and innovative marketing, public activations, and social media campaigns * Developing and managing marketing budget * Providing results reporting, analysis, and recommendations * Working in partnership with the Creative Director to craft bold and innovative marketing campaign visuals* Manage and provide consistent analytic reviews of email marketing campaigns* Work in partnership with the Communications Director to align communications and marketing efforts, including: * Developing ticket perk and pricing structures for each event brand * Developing and implementing promotional calendars and programs, new product launches, and other marketing projects * Executing Sponsorship activations, in collaboration with the Operations Team* Conduct market research to assist in determining viability of new projects* Supervise, mentor, and evaluate staff, partners, and contractors Show less

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  Ford House

  Nov 2022 - now

  Director of Communications and Engagement

  The impeccably designed Main Residence was Edsel and Eleanor Ford’s dream house: a warm, welcoming place for family.You’ll find it’s not ostentatious or intimidating, despite the elegant decor and the fine art on the walls. The rooms feel intimate and comfortable. It isn’t just a house — it’s a home.The house was designed by prominent architect Albert Kahn, known for his work on several iconic structures in Detroit and industrial design in Ford Motor Co. factories. The look of Edsel and Eleanor’s house was inspired by Cotswold-style cottages in England. The family moved into their home in 1928.Inside the House, the rooms feature classic western European interior design styles.Like many of us do, the Fords updated spaces in their home as time passed. In the 1930s, Edsel hired famed industrial designer and Ford Motor Company collaborator Walter Dorwin Teague to redecorate four rooms. Teague created rich and original designs using a sleek, modern Machine-Age aesthetic. Later in the 1950s after Edsel’s passing, Eleanor hired friend and interior decorator Polly Jessup to design spaces that reflected her taste and highlighted her collection of fine art and antique furniture.Around every corner, you can discover world-class art and design pieces collected by art-lovers Edsel and Eleanor. They displayed paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and Diego Rivera – a personal friend of Edsel – classic European portraiture, modern-style sculptures, and ancient Asian and African artifacts. Show less