Dear North Coast Repertory Theatre Audience and Supporters,
During this unplanned period of repose, taking a step back to consider what we have in our lives and what is important to us may be an unplanned positive.
I know for me, realizing how fortunate I am to have an amazing family who are healthy and that I love comes first, but a close second comes an appreciation of North Coast Rep and the community that is part of that. We are a thriving and successful beacon for our community, offering first-rate theatre productions that enrich the lives of those who attend. Being the artistic leader of the organization for more than 17 years has been my privilege and pleasure. This dormant time of reflection brings home the value and importance of the theatre that we create and what is lost by its temporary absence.
We have had to cancel much programming that was meticulously planned and scheduled for, and that we were excited to create. That is a great disappointment for us all. This is the reality that we face, but a challenge that we accept and intend to conquer. We are actively creating alternative ways to keep our audience and patrons engaged during this downtime. Our Theatre Conversations program seems to be a hit, and we will continue to have those conversations with interesting theatre artists both locally and nationally. We are putting in place a creative way for you to experience our next scheduled production Human Error, while staying ready to get back up to full speed once it is safe to do so.
I am so proud that at North Coast Rep we have been able to not only create top-notch intimate theatre productions but to do it in a fiscally responsible way. This has allowed us to be in a position to weather this crisis and still be here on the other side. Along with our generous donors, much of our fiscal success has been our ability to earn a high percentage of the money that we need to function. Most not for profit theatres don’t come close to earning 65% of their revenue, but we do. Under normal circumstances that is a great thing. Unfortunately, with the current health crisis, that 65% goes down to zero.
I realize in this unprecedented time that you are being asked to help many organizations in many ways. But if North Coast Rep is an important part of the quality of your life, please consider giving now to help us to get to the other side of this crisis, so we can be in a strong position once we are able to resume our normal creative process.
We need you now more than ever.
For me, there is no replacement for live theatre. It is the most intimate and personal of art forms that can not only entertain, but celebrate the resiliency of the human spirit and make a positive difference in our world.
With gratitude and warmest regards,
David Ellenstein
Artistic Director North Coast Repertory Theatre