Bringing the Gift of the Arts to All

Did you know that AWIP gives away over $3,000 in scholarships and discounts each year? Did you know that it’s our aim to keep prices low so that homeschooling families don’t have to cut the arts out of their curriculum? Did you know that we have an outreach group that brings FREE performance art to our surrounding communities (schools, churches, community centers, nursing homes, and more)? And finally – did you know that we’ve been fixing up the Tolman Stage on our own, providing a clean, safe stage for the Tolman students and our own?

Well, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more we hope to do, but we truly aren’t making any profit. In order for us to continue doing these things, we need your help! Scroll down to read more about what we hope to do!

Click Here to Go to Our Online Giving Page for general donations, including the Sound-in-Progress fund!

Not sure what we need or how to help? Here’s what’s on our Wish List:

New monitors for our sound system: $250 each
Better ‘packs’ for our microphones: $200 each
Our own speakers: $1,000
The cost of hiring a sound technician to help us engineer our sound system: $5,000
The cost of costumes for one show: $1,000
The cost of rights for a show: $2,000
The cost of make up for a show: $100
The cost of tech for a show: $1,000
The cost of scenic design for a show: $1,000
The cost of pizza for a cast party: $100
A new PA system for Salt+Light (our touring company): $400
The cost of programs for one show: $500

Your giving enables us to enrich the lives of hundreds of students, and bring the gift of the arts to dozens of communities along the South Shore and Rhode Island.

Making Progress at the Tolman Stage

A Work in Progress started using Tolman Theatre in 2013 and now partners with the Pawtucket School Department to restore this historic theatre. Tolman Theatre was built in 1925 to show silent movies, embodying every aspect of a grand and “Gilded Age” entertainment venue. The gorgeous organ below the stage, ornate molding, beautiful murals, brass railings, cushioned seating for 1,000, and state-of-the-art fly system are among a few of its assets. However, after decades of neglect and vandalism, the theatre is in need of many repairs–repairs to costly for the school system to keep up with.

Each year, as part of our growing relationship with the Pawtucket School Department, and to show our gratitude for being allowed to perform in this grand arena, A Work in Progress Productions has focused on improving some basic cosmetic things with paint and carpentry volunteers. To date, we have painted the green room & backstage halls as well as the house bathrooms, repaired and replaced the stage, sewn new curtains, and we are working on the lighting.
In the future, we would love to have the funds to upgrade the house/foyer lighting, install new stage curtains, replace the torn seating, remodel the bathrooms, and restore the beautiful carved walls to their original grandeur.