08/06/2022
Please consider supporting Sunstone Studios as they continue to support Milwaukee Artists!
One year ago today we opened our doors in the middle of a pandemic and we are still here and growing! Thank you so much for helping us create our first year! We had so many successes and none of them would have been possible without you. Celebrate with us by making a donation so we can continue to grow!
Direct to us:
https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?donation=sun
Or if you want to be part of the public celebration:
https://gofund.me/8a1a80e7
Aug 6, 2021, Sunstone Studios opened our doors to perform live theatre for live audiences in the middle of a pandemic. We've done so much and learned so much! 3 Gunderson's, 2 Shakespeare, 3 New Work Premiers, 6 new works workshopped, comedy with Milwaukee Comedy, drag, cabaret with Testaduro Media, Gallery Night, White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, Who's Holiday and Flamenco with Studio K Flamenco and Marija Temo. We postponed a couple of times for COVID, but we also sold out shows. We had an ambitious first year and are gearing up for another one! This past year was not easy, but we feel blessed to begin our second season, where we will again pay artists for their work; the more you help, the more we can work toward fair pay.
We do need your help. Live theater is expensive, and last season theatres across the country experienced a 70% loss in attendance. This industry is fighting to survive COVID, and we are so new that we have no subscriber or donor base to help us make it through.
Small theatres like ours are essential to a city's ecosystem and the larger art world. Inexperienced playwrights first see their work come to life in small spaces and learn how to improve their work. Seasoned and new performers cannot hide behind big sets and costumes and must develop their skills when an audience is mere feet away. When budgets are small, designers test the limits of their creativity, and directors can focus on storytelling.
The funds you give today will help us provide more of these opportunities for Milwaukee area artists. Workshopping a new script costs us between $300 and $2000. Each stage play we produced or co-produced last season cost between $6000 and $10,000; most of that budget went to the over 100 artists involved. Every dollar you give now allows us to plan and realize a second season as dynamic as our first. We will give you a sneak peek into the 2022/2023 season before the formal announcement if you donate now.
