Consultant Team

The Washington Theater Redevelopment Commission and Friends of the Washington Theater are pleased to announce that the Market Analysis and Feasibility Study has been completed. This important study was sought in order to determine the viability of proceeding with the rehabilitation of the theater.

The study has provided an objective analysis of the feasibility of the Washington Theater project; identified the use options; determined the architectural implications of such proposed uses; and specifies the resources required to deliver a viable program to the residents of Quincy. A 5-year business plan for operation has also been created.

The Consulting Team

The consulting team retained by the Friends of the Washington Theater were selected from a highly talented pool of 16 architectural and marketing consultants who responded to a Request for Proposals in February, 2004.

Janis Barlow has been an arts consultant since 1981. She has undertaken feasibility studies and management plans for dozens of projects throughout the United States and Canada. She was one of the first arts consultants in Canada to adapt successful corporate strategic planning workshop methods to the distinctive needs of non-profit arts organizations. She has also  facilitated over 100 strategic planning workshops for artist-run organizations, emerging community arts boards, arts councils, professional theatres and associations.

Janis has served on the board of the Toronto Theatre Alliance, the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre (an international UNESCO project) and the League of Historic American Theatres. She is a founding member of Arts Consultants Canada and Those Women: Consultants to the Arts.

Chicago-area native Dulcie Gilmore has been successfully operating theatres since 1979 and has provided programming, management, the establishment of governance structures, and financial pro-formas, as well as audience projections, and start-up and annual operating budgets as a consultant to rehabilitation projects such as the Washington Theater. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago.

Ms. Gilmore also has provided management services for the Chicago International Film Festival, currently serves as President of the League of Historic American Theatres, and serves on the Chicago Central Area Committee, and the State Street Council, Chicago's Loop-based retail association. She is a trustee of the Stagehands Health & Welfare, Pension and Annuity Funds, Musicians Union Health & Welfare Fund, and a member of the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers. She has also served as president of the League of Chicago Theatres.

Killis Almond has been in private practice as an architect since 1978 and actively involved in theatre restoration and theatre consulting since 1981. He has served as a professional consultant or architect on over 40 separate theatre projects and has produced Master Plans and User Studies for over half of these. Mr. Almond is a frequent lecturer and has served as a Main Street resource team member for eleven cities.

Some representative projects include: the New England Center for the Performing Arts,; the Staunton Center for the Performing Arts, the Amherst Cinema Center, the Ritz Theatre, the Academy of Music, the Lincoln Theatre, Carver Community Cultural Center, the Sunrise Theatre, the Fox Theatre, the Alameda Theatre and San Pedro Playhouse, the Saenger Theatre, the Paramount Theatre, and the Grand 1894 Opera House.

Mr. Almond is a past President of the League of Historic American Theatres.