Where we are, and where we’re headed
Dear friend,
You’ve likely heard that Trinity Rep cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 Season, ending A Tale of Two Cities two weeks early and cancelling the runs of Sweat and Sweeney Todd. While a difficult and heartbreaking decision to make at the time, it is clear, at this point, that it was the right decision. Trinity Rep’s core values are company, community, and education, and cancelling the remainder of the season was imperative to keeping our company, students, patrons, and community safe.
But just because it was the right decision does not make life after it easy. Trinity Rep’s staff are all working remotely, learning how to navigate a new kind of shared experience of running a Tony Award-winning regional theater and producing artistic and educational content from our kitchen tables and makeshift home offices. Please keep an eye on our website and social media for additional opportunities to engage digitally with your artists, arts educators, and staff at Trinity Rep, including our page The Show Goes On. Through this all we’ve been uplifted by the outpouring of support and kind words, and have been heartened by how our community has responded to this crisis.
We’re writing to you today about where we are and what comes next.
Over the past few years, we have been working diligently to improve the financial health of your Trinity Rep through increased subscription and ticket sales, strategic fundraising efforts and wider national support, and prudent expense management and debt reduction. Thankfully, that work resulted in positive cash flow over the past three years, which gives us a more solid foundation to weather this crisis. It has allowed us to commit to paying and retaining your staff and artists as they shift their focus and attention to mounting the exciting 2020-21 Season, which we will be announcing in a few weeks. They, and you, are the lifeblood of what makes Trinity Rep so special, and together, through our collective generosity and sacrifice, we will emerge from this current situation ready to inspire, educate, and engage audiences in-person again. In the meantime, your staff and artists are creating digital content, teaching remotely, making masks and gowns for healthcare workers, and reaching out to check in and process ticket orders for this season and next.
One thing this current health crisis will likely teach us all is the importance and value of spending time with people we care about, and that is something theater does best. We need each other now more than ever. Together, we can keep your Trinity Rep strong, so that we may continue to provide outstanding theater, arts learning experiences, and meaningful connection for decades to come.
Our gratitude is immeasurable for all that you have given to get us to this point. We will do everything we can to be ready for when we can gather together again in-person. We so look forward to seeing you at the theater soon.
In service,
