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Theatre alliance seeks partners, feedback

  Oct. 8 marked the end of the Sonoma Theatre Alliance’s Summer Theatre Festival 2012. More than 4,000 tickets were sold to performances this summer.

  With Sonoma’s population of around 10,600, that means about a third of the people here saw a show in our beloved Andrews Hall. This support is extremely encouraging.

  When we started the Alliance in 2009, we were hoping for Sonoma community support. Sonomans responded with the purchase of 80 seats and riser packages. When we went to the Rotary Club with our dream of a dedicated performance space, once again Sonoma responded, and Rotary issued a $100,000 challenge grant to the community to renovate Andrews Hall.

  With the Sonoma Community Center behind this important project, an outpouring of donations, and Jean Charles Boisset hosting the MUSE event, we have met the Rotary Challenge grant, and renovations to our historic Andrews Hall begin on schedule this January. The STA is thankful to groups such as Butch Engles’ Readers Theatre, Defying Gravity and Vox Populi for making donations as well.

  We are happy that the Alliance has been able to give back to the community this summer. Philip Sales’ CAPS donated $2,450 to the California State Parks Association, and Abbey Lee’s Star eQuality Players were thrilled to be able to give $2,000 to the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation.

  With so much talent in this town, and with a renovated Andrews Hall as our theatre home, the future is bright. The Alliance will be moving to six months of entertainment, from May through the end of October 2013, and we’d love to hear from companies interested in joining us in this expanded adventure.

  Our biggest announcement is this: in gratitude for the successful Rotary Challenge Grant, and our commitment to making Andrews Hall our permanent home, Sonoma Theatre Alliance is donating our wonderful Theater Seats to Andrews Hall permanently.

  As we packed up these seats the other day, we felt the pride and love represented in each of the nameplates. These chairs commemorate a well loved actor, a parent or family member, walking clubs, quilting clubs or other legacies. And now, even when the Sonoma Theatre Alliance is not in the theatre, these comfortable seats and risers donated by Sonomans, will continue to provide a truly elevated experience year round.

  Please take a moment and take our survey at surveymonkey.com/s/DW7WV3G, also available at our Sonomatheatrealliance.org website. We welcome your thoughts and ideas.

  Thanks for your support, Sonoma, and thank you to the staff of SCC, the Sonoma Valley Box Office and all of our summer volunteers.

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  Jaime Love is executive director of the Sonoma Theatre Alliance.