Chance Theater Joins impACT Anaheim Giving Day

On June 4th, Chance Theater will join the 2025 impACT Anaheim Giving Day, a citywide initiative uniting individuals and businesses to support causes that strengthen Anaheim’s youth, families, and cultural vitality. Known for its unwavering commitment to artistic excellence, education, and community engagement, Chance Theater invites the community to help sustain and expand programs that spark empathy, amplify diverse voices, and foster belonging.

By contributing during impACT Anaheim Giving Day, donors directly support:

Accessible Youth Theater Programs: Chance’s Speak Up series gives voice to diverse community members. Veterans Speak Up offers veterans a platform to share stories that promote healing and understanding. Spectrum Speak Up is a free summer camp empowering teens on the Autism Spectrum through acting, writing, directing, and team-building, culminating in original performances.

Community Engagement: Post-show talkbacks, outreach events, and partnerships with organizations like LGBTQ Center OC, Radiant Futures, and Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association foster dialogue and create inclusive spaces both onstage and off.

Emerging Artist Support: Mentorship, collaboration, and professional development opportunities cultivate a vibrant and diverse artistic community in Orange County.

Innovative 2025 Season Productions: Chance Theater’s 2025 lineup includes bold and compelling works that challenge, inspire, and connect audiences. These shows confront personal truths, cultural identity, and civic responsibility, offering urgent stories that help us make sense of who we are and who we want to become:

Tick, Tick… Boom! (Jan 24 – Feb 23)
An electrifying rock musical about the cost of following your dreams—and the courage it takes to keep going.

Such Small Hands (Feb 28 – Mar 23)
A haunting and poetic world premiere exploring loneliness, memory, and the need to be seen.

The Chinese Lady (May 16 – Jun 8)
A striking portrait of America through the eyes of its first Chinese female immigrant performer, examining race, exoticism, and resilience.

Spring Awakening (Jul 11 – Aug 10)
This bold, Tony Award-winning musical gives raw voice to adolescent desire, repression, and the struggle for self-expression.

What the Constitution Means to Me (Oct 3 – Oct 26)
An urgent, witty, and deeply personal look at how our founding document shapes—and fails—our lives today.

Expanding Impact Through Education and Outreach

In 2024, Chance Theater’s education programs served over 300 teens, including successful pilots of Speak Up at Anaheim Union High School and Brookhurst Junior High School. The theater is actively seeking new school partnerships to bring these vital youth platforms to more students across Orange County, empowering them to tell their own stories, build confidence, and foster empathy.

Every performance at Chance includes post-show talkbacks and free community events—with snacks and happy hour refreshments—to deepen audience engagement and cultivate ongoing conversations.

Facing Critical Funding Challenges

Despite this vibrant work, Chance Theater faces significant financial threats as funding landscapes shift. In May 2025, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) abruptly rescinded multiple grants, including those for small and mid-sized theaters, resulting in sudden budget shortfalls.

Compounding this, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget proposes eliminating the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund (PAEPF), a crucial initiative that supports payroll expenses for small nonprofit performing arts organizations. The potential loss of EPF funding jeopardizes the financial stability of theaters statewide and threatens fair wages for arts workers.

“These funding challenges make community support more essential than ever,” said Shinshin Tsai, Producing Associate at Chance Theater. “impACT Anaheim Giving Day offers a powerful opportunity to ensure that Chance Theater can continue providing transformative theater experiences, youth education, and meaningful community partnerships.”

How to Participate:

To learn more about our participation in impACT Anaheim Giving Day and how to make a donation, visit the Chance Theater Giving Day page. As we navigate the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic, community support becomes more crucial than ever. By participating in impACT Anaheim Giving Day and contributing to our theater, individuals can directly impact the cultural landscape of Anaheim and contribute to the resilience and vitality of the arts.

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