TheatreWorks Silicon Valley in danger of closing, company says
Directors have announced that TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, a Tony Award-winning stage company that has been a cornerstone of the Bay Area theater scene for decades, is facing a severe post-COVID financial squeeze and may not survive the year.
The company, which earlier this year postponed a world premiere musical, “Alice Bliss,” scheduled to Arun July 12 to Aug. 6, said in a news release Wednesday that if it does not raise $3 million by November, it will be forced to close permanently.
“We have now reached a dangerous point,” said executive director Debbie Chinn in a statement. While federal COVID funds kept TheatreWorks afloat during the pandemic shutdown, “those emergency sources were spent according to federal regulations, and despite our best efforts to recover from this crisis, we are now facing a gravely dire income shortfall,” Chinn said. “We have made and continue to make difficult decisions, including significant financial cuts within the company.” But, to be honest, we will be unable to continue operations without significant additional funding.”
The news is the latest unsettling reflection on how the pandemic, which shut down nearly all live performances for two years beginning in March 2020, has left an indelible mark on the Bay Area and beyond’s arts and entertainment scenes. TheatreFIRST, based in Berkeley, recently announced that it will close after its end-of-August performances, while several other Bay Area companies, including Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Dragon Theater, foolsFURY, Ragged Wing Ensemble, Those Women Productions, and PianoFight, have closed in recent years.
TheatreWorks, which performs at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts and the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto, pushes the envelope. It is regarded as one of the Bay Area’s premier regional professional theater companies, alongside American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Its predicament is comparable to that of the Center Theater Group, one of Los Angeles’ primary stage companies, which announced in June a variety of cost-cutting measures, including the closure of one of its three theaters, the iconic Mark Taper Forum, and all productions scheduled there through the 2023-24 season.
TheatreWorks has established a national reputation as a company eager to create and present new works. Over the course of its history, it has hosted 72 world premieres, including the musical “Memphis,” which went on to win the Tony Award for best musical in 2010.
While not all of the closures were the result of the pandemic, having theaters close for two years deprived them of vital revenue and forced patrons to seek alternative forms of entertainment. Many of those customers have yet to return to the theater.
“We’ve gotten out of the habit” of going out for entertainment, said Giovanna Sardelli, who was recently named artistic director of TheatreWorks. She was successful.
Tim Bond, who left to lead the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
, yet another company facing difficult economic times.
The sale of tickets and subscriptions isn’t the only issue. According to officials, the company is also dealing with a significant drop in individual and corporate donations.
Currently, the company has stated that it intends to proceed with its widely acclaimed annual New Works Festival, a series of staged readings of plays in development, actor and playwright appearances and performances, and other events, which will take place from August 11 to 20 at the Lucie Stern Theatre. Guest artists include playwrights David Henry Hwang and Rajiv Joseph, as well as performer Shakina.
The opening production of TheatreWorks’ 53rd season, “Mrs. Christie,” a comedy/thriller by Heidi Armbruster, is also still on the schedule. It revolves around the mysterious 11-day disappearance of legendary author Agatha Christie early in her career. Sardelli will direct the West Coast premiere of the show, which will run from October 4 to 29 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.
Sardelli called the situation “a profound moment of change” that requires TheatreWorks and other arts organizations to rethink everything they do and how they do it. She remains optimistic, however, that the company will weather the storm.
“I have to believe that when people see how dire our situation is, they will come out to support us,” she said. “I know that we are worth fighting for.”
