Shakespeare Santa Cruz at Risk of Closing

Oh my! Another theatre to close?

Shakespeare Santa Cruz released this statement:

Shakespeare Santa Cruz, the nationally renowned professional theatre company in residence at the University of California, Santa Cruz, faces an uncertain future as the current economic downturn takes its toll on both the 27-year-old organization and its host campus. SSC has been hit especially hard by the 2008 recession but this is not the first season to end with a loss - the organization has not enjoyed a profitable season for several years. Shakespeare Santa Cruz (SSC) Managing Director Marcus Cato is projecting a $500K loss for 2008, primarily due to shortfalls in ticket sales and contributions. The current budget crisis gripping the State of California compounds the problem.

As the host organization, UC Santa Cruz’s Arts Division has been absorbing SSC’s accumulating deficit and the University has been working with the theatre company on proposals to address the deficit. UCSC has in the past afforded SSC the opportunity to continue its operations in the belief that SSC can eventually reach independent financial sustainability while it continues to provide an invaluable artistic and cultural experience to both students and the wider community. However, with the dramatic impact the current economic climate has had on all sectors, and on the State of California in particular, UCSC can no longer offer SSC this financial fall back position.

Despite restrictive budgets, UCSC leadership believes in the value of SSC and has been working closely with SSC board and staff to ensure its survival. After two months of discussions regarding SSC’s 2009 season and its future, an agreement was reached on Friday, December 12, 2008. SSC staff and Board of Directors, the UCSC Arts Division and the UCSC Chancellor’s Office have committed to jointly pursue this agreement: in order to present a 2009 season, and to ensure that any financial risk to UCSC is minimized. In addition to its regular annual campaign, SSC must raise $300,000 by 12:00 noon on Monday, December 22, 2008. Should SSC not succeed, the organization will be required to go dark for 2009, and therefore permanently.

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But how could this happen? The theatre has offered some FAQs that give some answers.

What will happen to SSC if it cannot reach its goal of $300K by December 22? This good faith campaign is designed to gauge both the interest and the ability of the community to financially support SSC in 2009 and beyond. If that ability is not demonstrated by raising the goal, the University will not be able to approve SSC’s 2009 season. SSC staff positions will be eliminated, resulting in job loss and SSC will go dark in 2009, and therefore permanently.

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The Board of Directors also posted a message.

The precipitous budget cuts inflicted upon the University of California have now impacted SSC.  We are on the verge of permanent shutdown.  It is tempting to think that UCSC is more than capable of sustaining SSC.  However, in his speech to the Regents on November 19, 2008, Chancellor Blumenthal stated that UCSC “will have no choice in this next round of budget cuts but to cut deeply into our academic programs; and this raises the specter that the progress we’ve made as a campus will be arrested (and perhaps even reversed) and that cuts to academic programs will erode the quality of a UCSC education.”  As recently as last week, the Arts Division, our home on campus, was required to cut an additional $1.1 million from its budget, on top of previous cuts.

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