California Shakespeare Closes After 50 Years

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/10/24 at 10:40pm

Sigh. They did get their emergency funding over the summer, but I guess things looked bleak and the curtain is falling on 50 years of productions. And their theatre venue is likely to close as a theatre venue as well - although that is not yet certain. 

SF Chron Article (may have a paywall)

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/10/24 at 11:29pm

https://x.com/hesherman/status/1844550084341457181?s=46&t=c8AYn9o3ZHkn-imSWQVGxA

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 2:38pm

More here: https://www.americantheatre.org/2024/10/11/cal-shakess-revels-are-now-ended/

 

 

[merle57]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 2:51pm

Many Bay Area theatre companies and arts organizations have cut back due to sparse audiences and loss of subscribers . Even before the pandemic, audiences were getting sparse; after covid, audiences have almost disappeared for many venues.   SF Opera, SF Symphony, SF Ballet have all made cuts to their season offerings and often offer substantial discounts. Best of Broadway offers substantial discounts for most shows except Wicked. 42nd Street Moon, ACT, even Theatreworks in Palo Alto are having financial difficulties and not drawing as they did before. Movie theaters are closing and offering fewer showings.

The young tech generation seems to dislike large communal gatherings -- churches and theaters hit hardest, but even the concert scene has greatly diminished. Very sad to see this. Even restaurants are cutting back hours and closing some nights since no one seems to go out. It is not the economy so much as a major cultural shift along generational lines. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 3:12pm

It is unfortunate. I know in the past 2 years there has been a big number of tech layoffs in bay area yet the young tech generation will still go to large communal gatherings if it interests them. Look at the extremely sold out Taylor Swift eras concert.