We sat down with our favorite development associate to talk about the role young Seattlites can play in artistic philanthropy.
Samantha Cooper (Rapper alias: “S-Coop” or “Scoops”)
Hometown: Cheney, WA
School: Western (WWU)
Age: 25
You and Book-It. What’s the history there? My friend and mentor, playwright Bryan Willis introduced me introduced me to Managing Director Charlotte Tiencken who encouraged me to come and intern for Book-It. A week after graduating, I moved down to Seattle and started as Book-It’s management intern. That Sept, my current position opened up so I applied and a few weeks later, much to my happiness, I was hired! It’s been love ever since.
So besides loving Book-It, what are you into? I try to be doing something creative as often as I can. First and foremost, I’m a playwright and an actor. I also have a particular interest in generative and collaborative theatre. I’m currently working on self-producing a cycle of one-acts I wrote called Related Strangers and on a new generative theatrical event called Blood Sailing. In my spare time, I’m a board member of Northwest Playwrights Alliance and the senior editor of their annual 10-minute literary magazine NorthNorthwest. Other interests: Park-hopping, running, happy hour trying.
The Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG event is coming up on Wednesday, May 2nd. You are passionate about getting the 20-something crowd involved in giving as well, but young people typically don’t have a lot of money, right? Where do they fit in when it comes to artistic philanthropy? As a young adult with limited money to give, I still like to make donations where and when I can, and I like to know the little money I can donate will go a long way. I think, generally, what young people don’t realize is that when we say “anything helps” we really really DO mean “anything helps.” If you skipped your latte in the morning and donated that $4 instead, you help us buy a can of paint to use for a set or paper to print our brochures on. Young people are the building blocks of artistic philanthropy. It has to begin somewhere.
But SAMANTHA, shouldn’t this be an older, more financially stable person’s scene? Just as it’s never too early to start saving for your future, it’s never too early to start giving for your future. Your gift ensures that we can continue to bring high quality theatrical productions and influential education programs to the Puget Sound. AND if you are an artist and want to be a working artist, your gift ensures that there will be theatres for you to work at in the future. Booyah.