Plethos: (n.) / plā-thōz/: plurality; multitude of people; magnitude.

In the Summer of 2017, founder Karin Richey decided to attempt the dream she had been fostering for over 10 years of starting her own community theatre. She and her husband Jon analyzed their local theatre scene and wondered what value they could bring, and what void they could fill in the area of live performing arts.

After much soul searching, the two theatre majors decided to re-imagine community theatre in hopes of creating a unique live performance experience as fresh, innovative and diverse as their community.

The first step was partnering with Smalltown Society for a rehearsal and performance space. Next was assembling a team of fellow creatives as a Board of Directors, and thus Plethos Productions was born.

Our mission is to use theatre as a tool to unite communities and create opportunities for unheard voices, untold stories and reimagined classics. We believe everyone should have access to live performing arts that are affordable, local, representative of the community.

From actors, to directors, to board members – we recognized that diversity, representation and inclusion cannot be accomplished by any one person, one show or one season. It’s an intricate system that requires commitment at every level. And that is precisely what we have been working towards ever since our Season 1 Launch Party on New Year’s Eve of 2017.

Throughout everything we do, there are a few key core values we bake right into everything we do!

OUR CORE VALUES
1. Community accessibility to shows: We are passionate about staying true to our hyperlocal 5 city area and at a price point that encourages diverse attendance.

2. Respect, integrity, accountability and quality work ethic: We treat everyone onstage and offstage with respect, love and like a happy, healthy family with teamwork.

3. United team: We trust leadership and are always quick to offer assistance.

4. Celebrate diversity and inclusion: We believe there is always room at the table. We appreciate everyone and actively seek a wide variety of participants of all ages, sizes, shapes, beliefs, demographics, ethnicities and cultures. We practice color-conscious casting which we implement by casting real people/cultures as authentically as possible and fictional people/cultures with as much diversity and representation as possible.

5. Learning: We are a unique, grassroots org that is always experimenting and open to learning as we go. No one is an expert, but we allow leaders to lead and all learn together along the way.

6. Open & honest communication: Lines of communication are always wide open from the Board of directors to every leader to every audience member and everyone in between. Always ask before you assume and be open and honest about your feelings in a respectful way.

7. Humility & Courage: Take risks, try new things and also have the humility to always be open to adjusting.

8. Reliability: Trust is critical. Do what you say you are going to do. Be on time. Be an example for others. Fulfill the commitments that you make.

9. Fun: Ultimately, we’re an entertainment company, so let’s have fun offstage and onstage and make every part of Plethos a fun experience

Thank you for believing in the magic of theatre!

We’d love to hear from you, contact us at info@plethos.org