Brave New World Capital Campaign
We are creating the first and only permanent, professional Shakespeare theatre in the state of Tennessee — right here in Memphis.
As of August 4, 2023, our Brave New World capital campaign has raised $2,858,263 from 452 generous donors toward a grand goal of $9,200,000.
We are in the process of raising the remaining $6,341,800.
Nearly $2 million of these funds purchased our facility outright in 2017. Nearly $500,000 of these funds purchased two years of architectural designs, general contractor planning, value-engineering, studio enhancements, code and safety compliance for the public, and theatre equipment.
Our Owen and Margaret Wellford Tabor Stage was named and created by the Tabors’ four extraordinary children: Wellford, Mary, Kyle, and Owen. They, along with hundreds of donors who love Margaret and Owen Sr. as we do, helped make possible the facility purchase and the future creation of the permanent Tabor Stage.
Our Brave New World campaign creates an innovative, inspiring, multi-purpose arts and education facility that will be unlike anything else in the Mid-South.
We will be able to perform plays, educate children, train actors, and rent the facility to third parties almost simultaneously. The facility will be operating year-round and will be income-producing.
Three Building Phases
The Brave New World campaign is strategically ordered into three phases of facility renovation that total the balance of our remaining fundraising need of $6,341,800.
Code-Required Infrastructure: $1,841,900
We will add a new storage facility to the north of the Tabor Stage that will allow for materials expansion as well as more efficient HVAC venting. We will add a small catering kitchen on our west side on what is now unused property. Our public restrooms will expand westward and accommodate ten guests in each.
Addresses General Conditions, Demolition, HVAC, Restrooms, Family Bathroom/Kitchen, Electrical Systems, HVAC Foundation/Storage Area.
Income-Producing Facility Rental: $1,000,000
The walls that currently separate the three studios will be movable, allowing for three distinct spaces or one large space to accommodate 300 guests. Our Rehearsal Hall and Education Hall will expand.
Adds to Phase One more work on General Conditions, Demolition, Restrooms, and Electrical Systems; enlarges Rehearsal Hall and Education Hall; creates operable wall partitions between spaces; purchases kitchen equipment and house lighting fixtures.
Owen and Margaret Wellford Tabor Stage: $3,500,000
The Tabor Stage will expand and house permanent two-wall balconies inspired by Shakespeare’s Globe Playhouse. Multiple audience seating configurations will surprise you at each performance.
Our lobby will expand out onto the current portico with glass walls and provide a new entryway leading to a new Box Office area with a southern entryway out onto a decking adjacent to our greenspace. The Trinity Road entrance will be more gracious and revealing, and our parking spaces will increase.
Aerial artwork inside the facility will capture natural light through our glass walls to create an Elizabethan solar system of sun, moon, and stars – inspired by Shakespeare’s plays and the Elizabethan chain of being.
Adds to Phases One and Two the final work on General Conditions and Electrical Systems; creates the Tabor Stage with balconies/control booth/catwalk/acoustical treatment; purchases Tabor Stage seating/risers/technical equipment; enlarges the Lobby and Hallway; renovates the Dressing Rooms/Green Room/Costume Shop and Box Office/Administrative Offices; creates facility-wide aerial artwork.
This will be for you, your children, and their children. And it will be here in Memphis.
If you are interested in discussing how you can support the naming of our Tabor Stage, or if you would like to discuss other Legacy Naming Opportunities in TSC’s new home, please speak with Dan McCleary (901-759-0620; danmccleary@tnshakespeare.org).
Brave New World Donors
These generous donors made possible the purchase of TSC’s facility in 2017 and then made the cornerstone gifts toward the creation of the Owen and Margaret Wellford Tabor Stage:
Anonymous
Nancy Copp
Cato Ealy
Robert and Mary Tabor Engel
William M. and Kyle Tabor Furr
Pat and Ernest Kelly and their family
Harriet and Jake McFadden
Milton T. Schaeffer
Owen and Jeannie Tabor
Wellford and Ann Tabor
These generous donors have made possible the design process and initial enhancements of the Owen and Margaret Wellford Tabor Stage through a special fund established by Owen and Margaret’s loving children, Wellford, Mary, Kyle, and Owen Jr.:
Connie and Dunbar Abston
Jennifer and Dunbar Abston, III
Fleet and Ami Abston
Buff and Tommy Adams
Alice Ahart
Dr. and Mrs. John Albritton
Julia W. Allen
Ray and Louise Allen
John and Lacy Apperson
Chip and Brooke Apperson
Barbara B. Apperson
Margaret and Ed Apple
David and Erin Archer
archimania
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey T. Armstrong
Celestine F. Arndt
Lauri and Jon Arnold
Sally and William Askew
Richard Aube
Stewart Austin
Frederick and Julia Azar
Dr. and Mrs. Carter Bagley
Carolyn and Paul Barber
Reggie Barnes
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Barnhill, III
Barbara and John Barrett
James H. Barton
Sandra Baylor
Dr. and Mrs. James H. Beaty
Roy and Jan Bell
Jon Bell
Jack and Kathy Blair
Mary and Travis Blalock
Davis Whitaker Blalock and
Shelby Rawlings Blalock
Brent and Alyssa Blankenship
Frank and Brenda Bluestein
Matt and Sandy Blythe
George Booth
Nelle and Tom Bordeaux
Leslie and Rand Bouldin
Lee Stuart Bowen and David Bowen
David and Ruth Bowlin
Hallam Boyd, Jr.
Elizabeth Gay Daughdrill Boyd
Mrs. Snowden Boyle, Jr.
Angelina and Jeff Brittain
Hope and Debbie Brooks
Whitfield Broome, Jr.
Cary and Keith Brown
Mim and Buck Brown
Temple Brown
Olivia and Wallace Bruce
Wyeth Outlan Burgess
(in honor of Lucia C. Outlan)
Jim and Dee Burnett
Kelly and Jim Burrow
Jim and Louise Calandruccio
Camp Tabor Players
Tyler A. Cannon
Ivy and Chip Caravati
Albert and Kathy Carruthers
Anthony and Beckett Caskey
Andrew and Allison Cates
Staley Cates
George and Bena Cates
James T. Smith and Heather Christensen
Rhea Clift
Mary P. Coffman
Mr. and Mrs. Glen Cofield
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen T. Colbert
Ginger and Dabney Collier
Anne Connell
Peggy Dulin Connolly
Justin Converse
Bill and Sally Cooper
Dabney Coors
Daniel Copp
Nancy R. Copp
Margaret and Jeff Corning
Lawrence and John Cowart
Kathy Craft
Brenda and Lester Crain
Harry and Catherine Crandall
Susan and Claude Crawford
John and Michelle Crews
John and Kaki Crews
Elise N. Crockett
Elizabeth and Glenn Crosby
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Crosby
Michael and Cynthia Cross
Frank and Sherrill Crump
Carita Crump
Niall Cullinane
Nicole and David Cundiff
Don and Sally D’Alessandro
Katie and Peter Dancy
Jeanie and Billy Daniel
Judith Danzoll
Elizabeth Daughdrill
Leslie Patton Davis
Hodges Davis
Blanche and Mike Deaderick
Sandree Dean
Mary Ann and Donovan
Dean Perry D. Dement
Will and Lauren Wellford Deming
Virginia E. (Lyn) Deroy
Rachel Bevan-Thomas and Ann Deveson
Barbara and John Dillon, III
John H. Dobbs, Jr.
Anne J. Doyle
Jane and John Dulin
Susan and John Dulin
Tommie and William B. Dunavant, Jr.
(in honor of Nancy Copp)
Martha Ealy
William Cole Early, IV
Mr. and Mrs. Chip Edens
Frank H. Edwards
Jane Engel
Liz Engel
Rob and Mary Engel
Jennifer Engel and Larry Young family
John and Marsha Evans
Eduardo G. Mestre of Evercore
Melissa Faber
Frances Fabian
Family friends
Sam and Esther Farnham
Lindsay and Tommy Farnsworth, III
Liz and Tommy Farnsworth
Anne and George Favaloro
Diana Fedinec
Eddie and Gloria Felsenthal
Douglas W. Ferris, Jr.
Gina Finn
Ted Fiske and Sunny Ladd
Kirby and Glenn Floyd
Jonathan and Barbara Foot
Mary and Bill Ford
Mott and Mary Call Ford
Judith West Forshay
Charles Frankum
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Fraser
Philip and Debbi Freeburg
Lilly and Maurice Freeman
Elizabeth Bailey Frincke
Happer Furr
Carter Furr
Rosa Furr
William M. and Kyle Tabor Furr
Mary Garner
Allison and Tom Garrott/Allison and Bo
Braswell/Liz and Murray Garrott/Brandon
and Joe Morrison
Luther Gause
(in honor of Pat and Ernest Kelly)
Clayton George
Trow and Elizabeth Gillespie
Marylon R. Glass
Molly and Robert Gooch, III
Jeff and Liz Gore
Alice B. Gorman
Kate Gould
Sam and Margaret Graham
Ural Grant
Bob and Betsy Gray
Chip Grayson
Richard Greenwald
Billy and Fann Greer
Paul and Dee Dee Gregoire
Brett and Megan Grinder
Russell B. Guerry
Laurie and Dan Haddow
Mary and Ben Haggin
Ellis and Peggy Haguewood
William and Julia Halford
Bob and Lee Harper
Thomas and Nell Hartley
Margaret Britt Hartley
Stephanie and Timothy Hayes, Jr.
Florence P. Hays
Gaye and Haywood Henderson, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. James T. Hedrick, Jr.
Paul and Linda Herbert
Ricky and Lucia Heros
Jenny Harris Hester
Lucy and Michael Higginbotham
Laura Hoglan
Jeanne and Richard Hollis
Leslie and Lewis Holmes
Perry and Dennis Hooks
Janie and Bruce Hopkins
Sandra and Jim Horn
Becca Howell
David and Debbie Hudson
Jerry Huff
James R. Humphreys
Cindy Hurley
Olivia and Burt Hurlock
Bobby and Eva Hussey
Beth and Richard Hussey
Julie and Rob Hussey
Buzzy Hussey
Katie Hutcheson
Tom and Garnett Hutton
International Paper
Steve and Cissy Jackson
Virginia King Jeffries
Frank and Jeanne Jemison, Jr.
Erin and Kim Jenkins
Camp Jenkins
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Jennings, III
Ann and Joe Jennings
Rob and Pam Jiranek
Rose M. Johnston
Peggy and Bill Carrington Jones
Rich and Louisa Jones
Milly M. Joyner
Susan Pritchard Kaminskas
Linda S. Kaplan
Dirk Katstra
Emily and Harvey Kay
The Dan and Lauren Keel Family
Anne Orgill Keeney
Ernest and Pat Kelly
Jeff D. Kent
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Kerlan
Joy and Tom Kimbrough and Leigh and
Doug Marek
George S. Kirk, II
Karl Knapp
Merit Koch
(in memory of Paul Marsh)
Thomas Korona
KPMG
Mr. and Mrs. E. Carl Krausnick, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Lance R. Kruchten
The Lambert Family
Tiz and Jack Lambert
Robert and Linda Larsen
Davant and Natalie Latham
Shannon and Davant Latham
Steve and Beth Lawrence
Kathy and Scott Ledbetter
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Walker Lee
Joseph Leitess
Angie Lenschau Joan and Billy Leonard
G.B. Leopard
Nell Levy
John and Vance Lewis
Rocque Lipford
Robert E. Loeb
Rob and Paige Lonegan
Jean Long
Bentley Long
William and Mary Lunsford
James and Irene Mackie
Claire Mackie
Lon and Ragan Magness
Suzanne and Neely Mallory
Allen and Mary Malone
Julia and Van Manning
Andrew V. Mariano
David and Lydia Martin
Holly and John Mason
McFerrin T. Mavar
Sally Maynard
Andy and Jessica McArtor
Laura McArtor
Kay McBryde
Karen and J.P. McBryde
Jane R. McBryde
Angus M. McBryde, III
Mr. and Mrs. William E. McCardell, Jr.
Anne and Andy McCarroll
Tim McCarver
Kathryn McCarver
Dan, Stephanie, Sullivan, Collins McCleary
Marion Latham McDonald
Rebecca B. McDoniel
Michael McDonnell
Senter Crook and Joe McFadden
Mr. and Mrs. Stillman McFadden
Dr. Norris W. McGehee, D.V.M.
Bill and Dana McKelvy
Bill and Tricia McKelvy
Bill and Frances McMillan
Roger and Ann Meier
Robert and Nancy Miller
Ted Miller
John and Katie Monaghan
Peter and Courtney Monaghan
Jackson Moore
Jack and Betty Moore
Allen Morgan, Jr.
Scott and Mary Morris
Susan and RJ Moskop
Drew and Melia Murphy
Mary Wallace and Richard Murray
Sharon and Frank Murtaugh, III
M.U.S. English Department
Leslie and Buck Neely
Kurt and Vicki Nelson
Ed and Carroll Nenon
Tom and Monika Nenon
David and Karen Nenon
Elizabeth Nenon
Philip Nenon
Sarah and Dennis Norton
(in honor of Cato Ealy)
Jean M. Oast
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Orgill, III
Caroline and R. Wilson Orr, III
Norma Davis Owen
Christian and Davis Owen
Scott and Robbie Pahlow
Allison and Tommy Parker
Lane and Demetri Patikas
Clyde and Leslie Patton
Meg and Clyde Patton, III
Elizabeth Wilson and Guy Pelly and Willow
Brandon S. Peters
Parker Phillips
Paige and John Phillips
Corinna F. Pidgeon
Pam and Will Pierce
Nancy and William Pope
Selden and David Popwell
Elizabeth and Tim Portland
Jeffrey Wellford Posson
Pete and Johanna Pranica
Barbara Prest
Anne and Charles Pringle, Jr.
William and Page Proctor
Missy and Frank Quis
Jim and Missy Rainer
Richard and Lila Ray
David and English Rand
Michael and Melissa Reddoch
Tonya and Sam Rembert, III
Gordon and Amy Ritter
Scott and Joni Rose
Margaret and Matt Rosser
John and Connie Russell
Oakleigh and Tobin Ryan
Jay and Karen Saenz
Henry Safrit
Reid and Chris Sanders
Anne and Pat Saunders
Pat and Mary Lee Schaefer
Josephine Schaeffer
Frederick C. Schaeffer, Jr.
Deirdre and Brett Scharffs
Brannon and Samuel Schroerlucke
Dawn and Hugh Scott
Christina Wellford, Terry, and Alexander Scott
Andrew D. Scott
(in honor of Allen and Mary Malone)
Carol and Andrew Seamons
Amy Sebes
Cynthia Segraves
Dr. and Mrs. Barrett Sexton
Marian and Frank Shaffer
Rachel Brun and Joey Shaw
Terry Shelton
Janet Lewis Shepherd
Cally and Conor Shine
Scott and Kathleen Simpson
Walker and Amie Sims
Caroline Sinclair
Ben G. Sissman
Carl and Katherine Sitler
Charles Slatery
Sally and C.D. Smith
Charles F. Smith, Jr.
Margaret Ivy Smith
Hue Smith
Stanley Smythe
Lisa and Bayard Snowden
Deborah Saint-Phard
Dr. Lisa Stanford
Cynthia L. Stanley
Laurie Stanton
Agnes G. Stark
Judy and James Stephenson
Scott and Jennifer Stevens
Anne and John Stokes
Carol and Jack Stokes
Meaghan Strife
Mary and Rob Sumner
Virginia and Jack Syer
Marvin and Dolly Tabor
Matt Tabor
Bruce C. Taylor
Blair Taylor
Norman and Carole Thompson
Alex and Frances Thompson
Jon and Susan Thompson
(in honor of C. Cato Ealy)
Kerrye and Josh Threlkeld
Deborah Dunklin Tipton
Carroll and Tina Todd
Jo and Jack Trant
Dana and David Tuck
Randolph Turner
James and Suzanne Varner
SuAnn and Russ Vandevelde
Russell H. Vandevelde, IV
Gabe Vaughan
Drs. Susan and Bill Warner
Dr. Bertram L. Warren, Jr.
Lese Weaver Margaret and Jock Weaver
Bob and Tracy Weiss
Adele and Beasley Wellford
Hal and Amanda Wellford
Shea and Alex Wellford
Donna and Scott Wellford
Alexander W. and Karen L. Wellford
Harry W. Wellford
Buckner Wellford
William Harrison Wellford
Leslie and Trip Wells
Kelly and Henry Wetter, III
Russell and W. Cary Whitehead, III
Frank W. Wilbourn, Jr.
Lisa Wilder
Nathalie Manire Willard
Mr. and Mrs. Willis H. Willey
Jenne and Tom Williams
Virginia Apperson and Pete Williams
Billie Anne Williams
Barbara and Lewis Williamson
Sid and Lynn Wilroy
Mr. and Mrs. Kemmons Wilson, Jr.
Lyn and A.D. Windsor
Louisa and Jay Winthrop
Karen and Greg Wolf
William Duncan Wood
Mr. and Mrs. Kent Wunderlich
Gary and Libby Wunderlich
Michele Yellin and Cliff Hilman
Robbie Young
Jack Young
Lois Yu