FRAMING THE FUTURE
Our CEO’s Day One Perspective& Uniting for Fundraising Success

I am honored and excited to begin my first day today! — As your new President & CEO of The Public Theater of San Antonio. It is with a deep sense of responsibility and enthusiasm that I step into this role, leading an organization that has been a cornerstone of our community’s cultural tapestry for years. As we embark on this journey together, I am filled with a profound commitment to upholding our legacy of artistic excellence while also charting a course for an even more vibrant and inclusive future. Your unwavering support and passion for the arts will be integral to the success of our collective endeavors, and I am eager to collaborate with each of you as we continue to enrich the lives of those we serve through the power of theater.

As you may have seen, the theater is well underway in an emergency fundraising campaign effort we have aptly titled, Save the Playhouse. Within just two short weeks since this campaign’s launch, our team has secured over $80,000 towards our $500,000 goal. But this is just the beginning. We have a long way to go, and during this multi-month effort, we are dedicated to updating you every step of the way as we work towards sustainability and responsibly producing high quality theatre for generations to come.

When our leadership team came on board in early August and got full access to our finances, we discovered just over $150,000 in unpaid bills and less than two weeks of operating funds in our bank. In the midst of opening Merrily We Roll Along, our team relied heavily on ticket and bar sales as well as current and new donors to stretch us to today. Each production’s total expenses are budgeted at about $165,000 making Twelfth Night an unfortunate impossibility. In addition, our monthly operating expenses average around $45,000.

To summarize, we are currently looking at:

• $150,000 — Outstanding Bills
• $165,000 — Our Holiday Show
• $185,000 — Our September – December operating expenses at roughly $45,000/month
• TOTAL — $500,000

My first and immediate priority is to launch our team into strategic and business planning to solidify our path to sustainability as we move forward into 2024. Diversifying and maximizing our revenue is a major focus of this planning and will include:

• Strategic show selections that achieve our mission as well as bring audiences back to the theater
• Relaunching a robust Education Program (help us get started by giving feedback here!)
• Revamping our Venue Rental program
• Hosting ongoing fundraising events 
• Reigniting and healing our relationships with the Corporate and Foundation community

As we venture into this exciting, yet challenging new chapter of The Public Theater of San Antonio, I am acutely aware of the importance of leading with transparency, establishing trust, and promoting healing in our community. Change and growth can sometimes stir uncertainty, and I believe that through open communication, collaboration, and a shared dedication to our mission, we can forge a path that honors our past while embracing a future filled with possibilities. Your continued support, engagement, and belief in the transformative power of the arts will be the foundation upon which we build this next phase. Together, we will not only create exceptional theater experiences but also foster an environment where our theater community flourishes. After all, #TheatreBuildsCommunity.

Asia Ciaravino
President & CEO
The Public Theater of San Antonio

Save The Playhouse Campaign Announced

The Public Theater of San Antonio Launches Fundraising Campaign

(SAN ANTONIO, TX) —  The Public Theater of San Antonio announces the launch of Save the Playhouse, a fundraiser with a campaign goal of $500,000 to secure and sustain the organization by the start of 2024. Like other theaters nationwide, The Public Theater has been navigating financial instability since reopening from COVID-19 pandemic closures. This hardship and fundraising shortcomings from the 2022–23 Season have left the theater with a financial void of crucial funding necessary for the theater to succeed. To prevent closure and layoffs, The Public Theater presiding in the San Pedro Playhouse has several efforts set in motion to save the theater. To most theatergoers in San Antonio, the organization is affectionately known as “The Playhouse.”  “This beloved theatre organization has endured and survived for over a century in San Antonio, including multiple leadership transitions from the past ten years,” says Director of Marketing and Audience Experience Rick Sanchez. “The Playhouse has been the home to many artists throughout its legacy. A treasured theater for the San Antonio theatre community and beyond. This campaign is an important call to action for the community and San Antonio to show their love and dedication for the theater, to come together and save it for future generations of storytellers and theatergoers.” As well as the Save the Playhouse fundraising campaign, new leadership is working on renewing and rebuilding relationships with foundations to lock in large gifts to help secure and sustain the theater’s future. “The Playhouse is a treasure to San Antonio, and the Board has full faith that the new team will cultivate new and past supporters to supply the much-needed funds so we can produce top-class art for all audiences,” says Board Chair Dawn Cole. “The theater has faced an uphill battle in these post-pandemic years. We are doing everything we can to save the theater. We hope the theater’s long history of theatre-making will draw on the many generations affected by the organization’s theatre magic. Now is the time for all to answer the call to support the theater during this time of need.” Measures to secure financial stability from this past season have already begun:

• The theater will pause productions until the start of the new year to allow the staff to recover and focus on rebuilding and reorganizing the organization.
• A gala and celebration concert will be held in the fall of 2023 to secure significant funds.
• New pledges to the top donor level, the Ovation Society, have been secured, including a $40,000 gift from Board Members.
• New strategic planning includes developing a business plan and diversifying the revenue streams by launching a new education program for all ages.

“The next few months of this campaign are crucial. We are calling on ALL supporters, big and small, from the past, present, and future, to dig deep and give as much as they can to the theater and secure its longevity for the future.” says incoming President and CEO Asia Ciaravino.