Interview with Sid Williams-Heath
Executive Director, Pensacola Little Theatre
How long have you been involved with Pensacola Little
Theatre?
I joined the Pensacola Little Theatre team in March 2017. My
husband and I were moving to Pensacola (or back to Pensacola
for him, rather) from New York City. I had previously been
working in the administration of the Savannah College of Art and
Design, another nonprofi t centered around the arts.
How did you become involved?
My husband Nicklaus acted at PLT and the Pensacola Children’s
Chorus as a child, and so this was a heart-warming full-circle way
to get acclimated to Pensacola. My passion is advocating for the
arts from the business and public relations side, and PLT was the
perfect fi t. Luckily, some of my friends on the Board of Trustees
at the time thought so as well. My background in public relations
and nonprofi t networking sealed the deal. Though you’re
unlikely to fi nd me on stage in a PLT production, rest assured I
grew up the most dramatic kid on the block.
What is the most rewarding part of your involvement with
PLT?
PLT touches everyone in the community. We have made great
strides to move from being just community theatre, to being
recognized as the
community’s theatre.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofi t
organization, we rely heavily
on community support, so
I’ve worked hard to give back that same great support to the
community. Whether hosting a pet adoption day or collecting
winter-wear for the Gulf Coast Kids’ House, we understand
that it takes a village. Partnering with other diverse nonprofi ts
to give us all a louder voice has been one of my most rewarding
experiences while at PLT.
Where does the primary funding for PLT come from?
Thankfully, PLT’s primary source of funding is admission,
and that really speaks to the quality of the art made in the
theatre. We are not a travelling professional theatre troupe
whose actors you won’t recognize personally. But we couldn’t
thrive without community support. We create art for the
community – by the community. Other major sources of
funding include our education department tuition, private
donors, state grants, and fundraising efforts. Our two largest
fundraisers are a spring Cabaret theatrical celebration and
our fall Raffl e Benefi t.
March 2019 | 65
65-67 Give Care Share_PLT.indd 1
2/25/19 8:35 PM