TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Reports Response to 'Save TheatreWorks Now' Effort

Since TheatreWorks Silicon Valley announced some three weeks ago that the devastating after-effects of the COVID pandemic have put its continuation at serious risk, the response has been immediate. On August 9, the nationally- acclaimed theatre company announced it must raise $3 million by November 2023 in order to complete its 53rd season, and in less than a month the company is more than halfway to its goal with some $1.7 million raised to date. “We are more than heartened by the outpouring of affection and support,” says Artistic Director Giovanna Sardelli. “We are thrilled to be hearing from people from around the Bay Area and all over the country. People who got their first taste of live theatre here, families now in their third generation of attending our shows, even those who are brand-new to TheatreWorks have all stepped up to show their love and support.” Reaching this goal will enable the company to solidify contracts to actors, directors, and designers for the rest of its current season, scheduled to run through June 2024 at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto, and the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

Among the major gifts the company has received is $250,000 from longtime supporters Peggy and Yogen Dalal. Donor Katharine Kleinke has pledged $500,000 for the campaign, as well as an additional $500,000 towards TheatreWorks’ endowment. In addition, an anonymous donor has established a $500,000 challenge grant which must be matched by two other gifts of at least $500,000 each to be received. Says TheatreWorks Executive Director Debbie Chinn, “It is difficult to find the words to express just how very grateful we are to these donors for their generosity. They are leading the way, and their early support has given us such a boost. Needless to say, we will not rest in our efforts to secure the remainder.”

If all the funds are not raised, Chinn reports the company will need to revisit the final three shows announced for its current season and make hard programming decisions based on funds available, such as replacing or cutting shows, shortening runs, and more. She adds, “It would also put us on shakier ground in making plans for our next season. Every dollar raised will put us back on our feet and solidify our future. It is vital that we fill the gap caused by loss of audiences and donors during the pandemic. Honestly, unless we do, the company’s very future is at stake. Once we are back on solid financial footing, we can continue to engage our communities and create top-quality theatre productions that celebrate the human experience.”

Chinn added. “The financial pressures facing theatres are extreme and we are working tirelessly to adjust every element of our budget to meet our needs and face those pressures. We're excited about the future as we explore new ways to build audiences and bring the power of live theatre to the Bay Area. With an eye on rebuilding education programs, strengthening our commitment to our community, and finding a balance of programming that is budget-manageable, exciting, and entertaining, we are convinced that there are bright days and years ahead for us.”
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley was founded in Palo Alto in 1970 by Robert Kelley as a community-based organization and rose to become one of the nation’s top producers of new works, and the only professional LORT (League of Resident Theatres) organization between San Francisco and Los Angeles. In 2019 the company was recognized with the theatre world’s highest honor, the Regional Theatre Tony Award, after which it embarked on a victorious 50th Anniversary Season of plays and musicals. But the abrupt pandemic shutdown in March 2020, followed by years of virtual and hybrid performances and a slow return of audiences, led to substantial shortfalls in subscription and single ticket revenue. As reported in recent news, its fate has been shared by many theatre companies, several of which are now ceasing production around the Bay Area, across the US, and abroad. COVID funding helped sustain operations during the pandemic but came with the requirement that they be spent during that period to keep people at work. Now that this source is depleted, theatres are struggling to survive.

Thanks to specifically directed funding, the company recently completed its 20th New Work Festival, offering local audiences a glimpse of new plays and musicals, launched with a special conversation between nationally renowned playwrights Rajiv Joseph and David Henry Hwang.

TheatreWorks is asking the public for donations of any size, also urging its community to show support through subscribing to this season’s productions. Says Sardelli, “A subscription is a great way to help save TheatreWorks and get great value for your contribution. Tickets for all six shows start as low as $132 (only $22 per show). We are asking current subscribers to consider doubling down: buy two more subscriptions and bring friends or family.”

TheatreWorks launches its 53rd season in October with the West Coast Premiere of Heidi Armbruster’s Mrs. Christie, directed by Sardelli. Exploring what happened to Agatha Christie during the 11 days she vanished from public sight early in her career, Sardelli describes the show as “TheatreWorks doing what it does best. This play is everything people love: mystery, comedy, heart. It’s a smart, funny show that celebrates the strength of women. It isn’t your grandmother’s Agatha Christie, but if you bring her, she will love it. I predict it will be done around the country after this production, and our audiences will be among the first to see it.”

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has created a reputation as one of the nation’s leaders in cultivating and producing new musicals and plays, developing and premiering 72 works by new and veteran artists, and presenting 171 Regional Premieres. Prior to the pandemic closures, TheatreWorks reached more than 100,000 people per year, presenting works that celebrate the human spirit and reflect the diversity of its community, with a history of inclusive casting and selecting or creating works that shine a light on the experiences of the diverse populations of the Bay Area. It was at TheatreWorks that the 2010 Best Musical Tony Award-winner Memphis was first workshopped and received its World Premiere. Stephen Schwartz’s musical The Prince of Egypt, based on the DreamWorks movie of the same name, also made its World Premiere at TheatreWorks before debuting in London’s West End in 2020. Among TheatreWorks’ community services are the Children’s Healing Project at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital which serves children in long-term care and their siblings, as well as its theatre program at Stanford’s Ronald McDonald House for children in families seeking lifesaving hospital treatments.

Additional information on this campaign, subscribing or making donations, can be found at theatreworks.org.

Photo credit: David Allen

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