Aurora Theatre Company Begins Process of Ceasing Operations

Aurora Theatre Company is ending its operations, and may soon be closing completely. This news was revealed in a video from Artistic Director Josh Costello, as well as in a letter posted to the company's website.

“We have begun the process of laying off our staff, finding a home for our archives and emptying out this beautiful building on Addison Street in downtown Berkeley,” Costello said in the video. 

The letter and video both note that it is only "possible" that the company will shutter fully, and that it is not a definite at this time. This news comes after the company’s announcement in May that they will be suspending production for the upcoming season.

"Despite the best efforts of our staff and board and supporters, the economic situation in the Bay Area today simply no longer allows for the small professional nonprofit theater model on which Aurora was built," Costello writes.

"As with so many theaters, attendance never recovered from the pandemic – my sense is that social media and a broader cultural shift away from in-person socializing are as much to blame as COVID. Other fundamental challenges include vastly increased expenses, the cost of living in the Bay Area and consequent hiring and staff retention challenges, the lack of a culture of arts philanthropy in the Bay Area tech community, and the disarray of foundation and government funding."

Watch the video: