Kaufman Rossin in the Community: Zoetic Stage

Kaufman Rossin’s Cary Valdes-Perez talks about her second year on the board of Zoetic Stage.

Tell us about Zoetic Stage and why you are so passionate about it.

Zoetic Stage was founded as a non-profit in 2010 to create fresh, bold interpretations of contemporary plays and musicals. It produces world-premiere plays under the direction of playwright, founding artistic director, and multiple Carbonell Award recipient Christopher Demos-Brown, most recently acclaimed for his Broadway debut of “American Son.” In addition to Broadway, other theater companies often pay for rights to Zoetic’s plays and produce their own interpretations. We have an exciting season coming up and I look forward to continuing promoting the organization.

What has been your role in Zoetic Stage and how has it changed in the last year?

As an auditor for a public accounting firm, I’ve been privileged to work with several industries and I have an insightful understanding of business and non-profits. I bring this acumen and experience to the board, and help the organization with its fundraising efforts. Now that I’m a year in, I feel more comfortable participating and truly understand the financial aspect of the organization.

What keeps you motivated to continue working with Zoetic Stage?

I’m passionate about this organization because it’s reviving theater in our community and highlighting Miami as an art destination. The majority of the actors we hire, the production team, the writers, the directors… are all local, and that’s important to me. We are also working to expose younger generations to performance art – several schools brought their students to see our rendition of “The curious incident of the dog in the night-time”, adapted for Broadway. We are always trying to put on performances that are relevant, modern, relatable, conversation-sparking – it’s exciting to be a part of it!

How can someone get involved with the organization?

My advice to anyone interested in finding out more about Zoetic Stage is to attend one of our plays at the Adrienne Arsht Center.  Tickets are reasonably priced, and we have plays that are suitable for the whole family. We encourage you to get involved as a volunteer, we can always use an extra hand! It’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and gain a better understanding of the organization, which will hopefully motivate you to seek a more active role – perhaps on the board or leading fundraising efforts.

Whether it’s Zoetic Stage or any other non-profit organization, find something that you are passionate about and go for it! When you share a vision with a group of people and love what you’re doing, it’s the most rewarding experience. No matter what your interests are, there’s likely an organization whose mission resonates with you – find it and ask what you can do for them.