About | History

The history of CATCO contains two distinct chronological eras, but running through both is the continuity of the vision of CATCO's founder and Artistic Director, Geoffrey Nelson. From the very beginning, Nelson held four values central to his vision of what CATCO should be to Central Ohio. The first valued a professional theatre dedicated to fostering artistic excellence through collaboration among the various artists who make a production possible (playwrights, actors, directors, and scenic, lighting, sound, and costume designers). He wanted this collaboration to revolve around a core resident actor company in which actors could take risks and, through their familiarity with one another, enhance the rehearsal process to create the best productions possible. The second value focused on the material. Nelson wanted CATCO to produce plays (contemporary as well as American classics and cutting-edge works) that reflected the diversity of American and international theatre and that would speak to the diverse communities that made up the Central Ohio region. The third value reflected Nelson's belief in diversity and accessibility--both in the productions (collaboration not director-run productions, non-traditional casting, original works and premieres) and in the audience (special ticket prices for seniors and students, actor and dramaturg talk backs, audio description for the sight-impaired). The fourth value focused on sound financial operations; do not spend more than the theatre could raise through donations and ticket sales. Together, the achievement of these values would, Nelson hoped, establish CATCO as a regional theatre with national and international reputations.

During the first stage of CATCO's existence, from 1985 to the mid-1990s, the context of Central Ohio's theatre community, with two long-established theatres in operation (Players and Gallery Players) enabled a small theatre with a clear vision and strong leadership like CATCO to flourish (many other small theatres did not survive during this period). After a tentative start in 1985 (when Nelson leveraged his Visa card to produce three plays that garnered critical success as well as enough income to pay the actors and the credit card bills), CATCO incorporated in 1986, organized a Board of Trustees, and moved into its first home, a converted warehouse at 512 N. Park St., strategically-located in the thriving Short North District just north of downtown Columbus. During this first stage, CATCO's strength lay in an amazing collaboration between the artists, the Board of Trustees, and hundreds of volunteers. Support from the community was there as well, especially from the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) and the Ohio Arts Council (OAC).                                                               

Critical successes and balanced budgets marked the first stage of the theatre's history. During this time, Nelson focused on inspiring actor-driven productions of a wonderful mix of diverse plays, including several world premieres and original works, and finishing each season "in the black.” But the theatre found it difficult to grow to the size required to meet all of the values Nelson had envisioned in the mid-1980s.The technical aspects, for one thing, were not where Nelson wanted them to be. While the Board was able to help the theatre end each season "in the black," its members were not able to generate the large donations that other arts groups garnered (the Symphony, the Ballet, etc.). CATCO's image of a young, energetic, risk-taking theatre in an old converted warehouse sustained its critical acclaim but did nothing to increase donations to enable the theatre to grow to the professional level Nelson had envisioned.

From the mid-1990s to the early twenty-first century), a change in the context of Central Ohio's theatre community (Players folded in 1993 and Gallery Players contracted its offerings) propelled CATCO into a second stage of development. During this growth period, CATCO continued to garner critical artistic reviews (now including appreciation for intricate set designs and enhanced sound and lighting) and to attract more professional actors and technicians (many of them native Central Ohioans who had moved to Chicago or New York City to obtain steady work). But the changed context of the theatre community, and new expectations of CATCO, made it more difficult to maintain a financially sound operation.

The enhancement in technical values was made possible when CATCO's Board decided to move the theatre from the old warehouse to the Studio Theatre complex in the Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, in downtown Columbus (the very complex Players had vacated in 1993).The move took place over two seasons; in 1997-98, CATCO produced four plays at the Riffe, and two of them broke box office records. But, to increase revenue to ensure "finishing in the black," the Board encouraged the artists to stage more plays. This resulted in thirteen productions produced in 12 months in two different locations. The strain on the organization was immense; key people, both from the business and artistic staffs, left for better paying jobs. Meanwhile, CATCO was accepted into the National Arts Stabilization project, a program designed to help artistic organizations plan for and achieve financial stability, not just solvency. The theatre finished "in the black," but only because Board members stepped up (one garnered a creative and revenue-producing co-production of business-theatre with Structure). Then, at the end of the season, the theatre lost its long-serving Managing Director to a better-paying job at the Ballet.      

Recognizing that the theatre needed new business leadership, the Board decided to launch, with immense support from GCAC, a national search for an experienced Executive Director. While the search moved forward (it took 21 months), Geoffrey Nelson and the Executive Committee of the Board, with key help from other Board members, attempted to lead the business staff in the absence of a managing director. Overworked already, the business staff continued to forge ahead. Board members also worked with representatives from NAS and the business and artistic staffs on the long range planning process. Meanwhile, attendance was not growing and fundraising was not meeting admittedly high projections. Responding to the attendance problem, and after authorizing a special consultant to guide the theatre, the Board authorized the hiring of a professional marketer and an increase in the marketing budget. That move came too late in the 1998-99 season, however, and CATCO suffered its first "in the red" season (about 11 percent shortfall, mostly traceable to productions not making budget). To maintain CATCO's reputation for critically-acclaimed productions, and to try to control costs, the Board authorized a much smaller season for 1999-2000, just seven plays (further extensive cuts were made during the autumn of that season). The new marketing director brought attendance back to near historic levels, but growth still remained sluggish and not on a par to sustain the theatre in its ambitions. Meanwhile, an understaffed development department did not make aggressive budget projections.

The Board's hiring of Executive Director David Edelman in April 2000 came too late to avoid the second consecutive deficit (albeit less than one half of the previous year's). With extensive managerial and fund raising experience in theatre, Edelman joined an organization that historically encouraged high artistic values and strove for financial solvency. The Board's charge to David was straight-forward: Hire the best people and find the money to pay them in order that CATCO could grow into the vision that Geoff Nelson had over 15 years ago--a resident actor company that values high artistic achievement, serves the multiple audiences in Central Ohio, receives national and international recognition, and sustains its financial health.