Transforming conversations about wealth

Our Library of Productions

“The Living Case Study gives families a unique opportunity to introduce objectivity to their own family situation.”

- Kathryn McCarthy, Independent Advisor

Talking about wealth, and how to use it effectively, is a challenging process that raises personal and family issues involving identity, status, legacy, communication and interpersonal dynamics. It is difficult to develop objectivity, see different perspectives and consider potential solutions.

Shaking the Tree has developed The Living Case Study as a pathway to exploring such emotional issues as family–business succession, corporate governance in family enterprises, trustee/beneficiary relations, family decision-making, and the responsibility of inherited wealth, including philanthropy. Through the combined use of interactive theater and expert facilitation, The Living Case Study generates meaningful and open discussion on the real impact of the choices made and actions taken by individuals and families of substantial resources.

Our Living Case Studies are in every way seamless, professional theater productions. Here are four main reasons why the Shaking the Tree process delivers a high-end experience:

Our Creative Team and guest collaborators are well-regarded professionals from different aspects of wealth management and philanthropy bringing authentic detail through decades of experience in working with affluent families.

“Excellent play. Fun. Informative. Witty. A non-threatening way for family members and advisors to think about the emotional issues in wealthy families.”

- Joanie Bronfman, Ph.D., Wealth Consultant

Our Managing Artistic Director, David Kersnar is a seasoned theater professional who is a co-founder and ensemble member of the prestigious Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago. Through his network, we are able to tap into the region’s top acting, writing and directing talent.

We individually cast each play, through a casting call process, with professional actors thoroughly prepared and fully rehearsed to provide a faithful portrayal of their character.

At the end of each play, the audience is encouraged to question the actors, who reply in character, providing a realistic discussion, and an opportunity to more fully explore thoughts, motivations and interpersonal dynamics.

“It was great. I found it to be very insightful. What impressed me the most was that the actors sounded real!”
- Dr. Harold Ehrlich, Private Family Advisor, Ehrlich Associates LLC

“Shaking the Tree’s production affords the opportunity to learn about one’s own family by observing and discussing another family. A family’s experience with its foundation, compressed into a short play and the participatory conversation afterwards, becomes a discussion of why family members act and react the way they do and allows the audience to evaluate objectively. Yet at the end of the evening, every person watching learns something of his or her own family and of himself or herself. The sensitivity of the players, their ability to leave the stage and remain their characters for group discussion, and the high quality of the script enhance the experience immeasurably. ”
- Charles A. Lowenhaupt, Lowenhaupt & Chasnoff

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Library of Productions

DYNAMICS OF WEALTH AND FAMILY

Full-length Productions (45+ minutes)

The Outsider
A trusted advisor struggles to fulfill his commitment to steer the descendants of a legendary and colorful entrepreneur according to the ‘plan’ established in his will.  The family must learn to collaborate in order to renew their business and philanthropic legacy, but ghosts from the past erupt from an unexpected direction. The play emphasizes themes of legacy and renewal and especially membership – an exploration of the work and thinking of seminal author Jay Hughes.

The Reluctant Cinderella/A Perfect Wedding
The youngest member of a prominent wealthy (or entrepreneurial) family returns from travel to make final arrangements for her wedding. She faces a surprise from her family and family office executive who seek to prepare her to make a big decision about her inheritance before the marriage takes place. Issues highlighted include younger generation responsibility and communication in an inherited-wealth, old-money (or new money) family.

Grandpa’s Little Secret.com
A wealthy grandfather, secretly and unexpectedly, marries a much younger, self-made woman with a child from a previous relationship.  Dynamics of a blended family and inherited vs. created wealth in the information age, along with complications of wealth shared by existing family members and the introduction of new additions to the family by marriage.

The Big Payday*
A recently liquid, mature family wrestles with expectations of inheritance and generational equity as it explores the beginnings of building a legacy through modest gifting and a family foundation. What is a “fair” amount of funding for professional adult children?  How do various family members communicate values and develop future plans in this muddled context?

The Accidental Team
How do wealthy families and their various advisors/intermediaries establish and build on a trusted business relationship? In this timely story, a newly liquid family and their deceased father’s long time attorney carefully navigate the initial process of looking for wealth management advisors. How much information – both qualitative and quantitative – is disclosed by each side (and when?) in this delicate courtship process. Does a reality check occur when the clear mandate is to gather assets? How do both sides get to a mutually agreed to terms?

The Penland Family
A widow, unprepared and unknowledgeable about finances, is faced with tough decisions after the death of her husband. This production focuses on insights into the challenges of wealth and the potential for emotional distress around legacy.

The Blandesman’s Big Day
A family meeting erupts into disarray when the rivalry between two brothers impacts decision-making and relationship issues around wealth management.

Shorter Productions(~30 minutes)

The Decision
On the first anniversary of the patriarch’s death, a grieving/recovering family deals with remembering him with a new ship launching, while simultaneously dealing with a potentially disruptive liquidity event brought on by the terms of the estate and outside interests. This particular story focuses on the role of legacy, generational succession and wealth transfer.

CONVERSATIONS ON PHILANTHROPY (“COP”) SERIES

Full-Length Productions (45+ minutes)

The Measure of a Life
A third generation family member unexpectedly (and very publicly) announces a dramatic philanthropic grant, igniting controversy within the family over ‘acceptable’ gift giving practices and causing everyone to re-evaluate what it means to encourage philanthropy, pass an inheritance to a child and finally learn to trust their decisions.

A Time to Be Daring
A group of sophisticated venture capitalists, on the eve of launching a dramatic innovation in supercomputing technology, discover that they have very different views on the role of the corporation in ‘doing good’, the meaning of generosity and finally the need for urgent action in the face of sudden challenges.

Shorter Productions (~30 minutes)

Stalemate*
Due to age/interest, a well educated third generation grandson attempts to become more active in a long lived family foundation, causing old and new ideas on governance and grant making to clash.  The story explores the challenges of appropriately incorporating younger family members into the decision making process a family philanthropy and its mission.

The Gift
A grieving/recovering family discusses how to best distribute the assets of a foundation formed by the recent death of a loved one. This particular story focuses on the role of donor intent, how families make decisions about the potential grants they fund and finding/executing projects that one is passionate about.

*These two productions are available on DVD for smaller group facilitated workshops