Hartford Stage Surpasses $20 Million Goal for Set the Stage Campaign

Hartford Stage has surpassed its ambitious $20 million goal for the Set the Stage campaign, marking a pivotal milestone in the theater's history and strengthening its role as one of Connecticut's leading cultural organizations.

The comprehensive campaign will provide critical support for Hartford Stage's artistic and educational programs while making a transformative investment in the theater's endowment, helping ensure the long-term vitality of this celebrated downtown Hartford theater.

The campaign crossed the $20 million threshold thanks to a series of leadership gifts, including extraordinary investments from individuals Jill Adams & Bill Knight, Don & Marilyn Allan, David & Sherry Cordani Family Foundation, Rick & Beth Costello, Hayes Family Foundation, Nancy & Jeffrey Hoffman, Janice & David Klein, Karl J. Krapek, Jack & Donna Sennott, and Christopher & Mary Swift, and from institutions committed to the vitality of the Hartford region: Cigna, The Hartford, Stanley Black & Decker, and Travelers.

In recent weeks, that momentum was amplified by hundreds of donors responding to a public match challenge, with gifts at every level helping carry the campaign across the finish line. “This campaign has always been about more than a number—it's about this community and what Hartford Stage means to the cultural life of this city,” said Don Allan, Campaign Chair. “The extraordinary leadership of our major supporters created the momentum to reach this milestone, and the incredible grassroots response we've seen in recent weeks truly brought us over the top. I am so grateful to be a part of this community, and I thank every donor who has participated in this essential campaign.”

While the campaign has achieved its initial financial goal, Hartford Stage emphasizes that the effort continues through June 30 as the organization hopes to double its number of donors and hopes 200 more individuals will contribute before the close of the campaign and become part of this historic legacy campaign.

The campaign's culmination comes at an especially exciting moment for Hartford Stage. From June 5 through July 5, Hartford Stage and TheaterWorks Hartford are presenting Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the first-ever collaboration between the two institutions and Hartford Stage's first-ever production of a Stephen Sondheim musical. The landmark co-production celebrates a combined 100 years of theater-making in Hartford between two of the capital city's leading theaters.

“There's a powerful sense of history and possibility converging right now,” said Cynthia Rider, Managing Director. “Reaching this milestone while preparing to launch Sweeney Todd—our first Sondheim production and a historic collaboration with TheaterWorks Hartford—feels deeply meaningful. This is a defining moment for Hartford's cultural community, and now is the time that everyone can help us build what comes next.”

Hartford Stage is inviting the community to be part of the momentum—by purchasing tickets to Sweeney Todd, supporting the Set the Stage campaign, and helping ensure a vibrant future for live theater in Hartford.

For more information and a list of all campaign supporters visit HartfordStage.org.

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