Palm Beach Dramaworks Announces the Take A Breath Campaign

Palm Beach Dramaworks, which announced last week that it would resume live, onstage performances in October for the first time in 20 months, has launched a capital campaign, Take a Deep Breath, to help the company pay for new health and safety practices as recommended by the CDC.

The protocols include a new HVAC system throughout the Don & Ann Brown Theatre that complies with all the latest safety guidelines, including UV light, bi-polar ionization, and specialized high quality air filters; upgraded facilities and ticketing procedures to allow for as much of a touch-free patron experience as possible; numerous sanitation stations; and increased cleaning frequency, including disinfectant spraying of the audience chamber before and after every performance.

These ambitious and necessary measures cost close to a million dollars, and PBD has been without revenue from ticket sales since February, 2020. During the past year, the company has presented some 75 free programs online, with many more to come through August. The only time PBD has charged for tickets was earlier this month, when it teamed with Actors' Playhouse on a streaming production of The Belle of Amherst, which was a benefit for both companies.

"The Belle of Amherst was a breath of fresh air for all of us who miss going to the theatre," said Louise Snyder, chair of PBD's board of directors. "It was a beautiful production that met Dramaworks' high standards, but it lacked one thing: an audience. In order to ensure everyone's safety and peace of mind when they return to the theatre, PBD's new practices and procedures are essential - and costly. So now we're asking patrons to contribute whatever they can to this capital campaign, knowing that when they come to see a show at PBD, they'll not only be able to 'take a deep breath,' but that they helped make these new protocols a reality."

Donations to the Take a Deep Breath campaign can be made online at palmbeachdramaworks.org/donate; via check payable to Palm Beach Dramaworks at 201 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401; or by calling Director of Development Carla Bryant at 561.514.4042 x 106.

Palm Beach Dramaworks is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company founded in 2000 and located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. Each season, the award-winning company produces five mainstage shows and offers a wide variety of programs for students at the theatre, in schools, and online. Committed to fostering the future of theatre, PBD has become a hub for playwrights in Florida and around the country to nurture their work through initiatives including Drama(in the)works and the annual New Year/New Plays Festival. PBD is a member of Theatre Communications Group, Florida Professional Theatres Association, and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. www.palmbeachdramaworks.org