2024 Annual Appeal Letter

"...good friends are behind all good stories.
And good stories make for good lives."

-The Book of Will

Fall 2024

Dear Friends,

For many years you’ve received one of these Appeal letters each autumn from our former Artistic Director, Bonnie J. Monte. She has passed the baton on to me now, and it feels only apt to kick off with a quote from the beautiful production of The Book of Will that Bonnie just directed for us; a play that vividly depicts the ever-rocky endeavor to create art. The precarious and often fragile life of a theatre requires fortitude, strength, tenacity, endless hard work, and supportive friends like you.

Just as in Shakespeare’s day, we live in a challenging and perilous time for the arts. Across the nation, we have witnessed scores of theaters crumble under the weight of pandemic and post-pandemic struggles. I make no bones about the fact that this annual appeal for donations is crucial to our continued life as a theatre. The kind of work we celebrate and bring to life for you is not easy nor cheap to produce. Just look at a single Shakespeare production – the cost for the cast alone is far greater than that of smaller, contemporary plays with fewer actors. That said, we are determined to continue to bring you dynamic productions not only of the masterworks of Mr. Shakespeare and other exciting classic authors, but also new, modern twists on classic works, characters, and people as well – like our recent acclaimed productions of The Book of Will and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.

In addition to consistently producing celebrated work on our stages, we are also one of the few teaching theatres left in America. With almost a dozen dynamic programs for emerging artists, students, and adults, our work in classrooms and behind the scenes is more important than ever. You are key to all of this. Corporate support has practically evaporated (fie!), government funding is modest, and ticket prices — which we are very proud to have kept among the lowest in the region — only cover 50% of our costs. The rest comes from folks like you; individuals who have felt the impact of our work on their own lives and in their communities.

 

So, as you consider a gift to The Shakespeare Theatre this season, I hope you will recall the moments you have shared with us and the profound effect the company has had in our region. Remember the laughter ringing through the theatre, the gripping human stories on stage, the magic of Shakespeare under the stars, that special insight you learned at a talk-back, or the pride you felt seeing your child performing Shakespeare in one of our education programs. Those moments of magical connection have become the hallmark of The Shakespeare Theatre, and they can only continue with your support.

Whether you are a long-time loyal patron, a relative newcomer, or a first-timer, I hope you will consider a generous gift as we enter the giving season. We need your help more than ever. You are the good friends behind these good stories that make for great lives for so many in our region. I promise that we’ll continue to bring you great theatrical gifts in return!

With deepest gratitude,

 

Brian B. Crowe
Artistic Director