11/01/2024
November 1, 2024
Dear Beloved Bay Area Theater Community,
We know it came as a great shock when news of our impending closure appeared in the press a few weeks ago. At the time, we had not yet taken formal steps towards dissolution of the company, but little choice remained. It grieves us that this major loss to the Bay Area arts ecosystem circulated before we could speak with you directly. Today, it is with great sadness that we, the Board of Directors of California Shakespeare Theater, in accord with our Executive Director Clive Worsley, announce that as of November 1, 2024 we have suspended operations and entered into a legal process for liquidating assets.
Over the last two years we have worked very hard to find a path forward for the organization, for the venue, and for the community of artists and audiences integral to our mission. But the financial reality is insurmountable. A precipitous decline in ticket sales since 2008 coupled with rising production expenses, major shifts in funding trends, and our beautiful, off-grid, but expensive to operate location with significant staffing needs has brought us to this impasse.
When we began our North Star fundraising campaign in the fall of 2023, we promised that we would deliver a 50th anniversary homegrown Shakespeare production in the 2024 season. We raised nearly one million dollars for operating expenses to support us throughout the year and during much of the planning and preparation for the show. Despite the success of this campaign, we were forced to launch an emergency fundraiser in July to fulfill our promise when additional funding sources that we had great confidence in failed to materialize. Thanks to the outpouring of mostly small gifts from over 700 donors, many of whom had never given to Cal Shakes before, we were able to produce As You Like It. If there had to be a last show, we can think of no better production to emblematize who we are.
As the many sold out theatrical and musical productions over the last two years make clear, our vision for a multidisciplinary outdoor performing center is viable. But we did not have a long enough financial runway to make it a reality. If, in the fall of 2022, we had had more resources at our disposal—if funding from foundations, governmental entities, corporations, and major historical donors had not shifted their focus elsewhere—it might have been possible. We spoke at length with our civic partners at the city, county, and state level, with East Bay Regional Parks leadership, and with our landlords at EBMUD. Sadly, none of these agencies were in a position to take on the preservation and operation of the Bruns Amphitheater and its grounds, either as individual entities or as a consortium. The future of the facilities remains uncertain but if a new operator were to emerge, EBMUD would welcome the opportunity.
Our hope is that the last two years have planted the seeds for the sorts of partnerships and expansive programming that we see as the only way forward, not just for theater but for all non commercial arts ventures in the Bay Area. To that end, we are very happy to announce that our scenic department, which has been building theatrical scenery for a number of local theaters, will have a life beyond Cal Shakes as California Scenic Fabrication. This new entity will take over the lease of the shop in Concord, honor our existing contracts, continue to employ staff, and serve our local theatrical community.
With love and gratitude,
California Shakespeare Theater
Board of Directors
Clive Worsley
Executive Director
