/ Modified jul 18, 2016 12:36 p.m.

Curtain Up: $2M Saves Arizona Theatre Company's Season

Last-minute contributions keep the organization from financial collapse, officials say.

ATC logo

Arizona Theatre Company’s 50th anniversary season will proceed as planned, after being threatened with financially driven cancellation just a month ago, the company said Monday.

Officials said they have raised the $2 million needed to stay in business.

Late last month ATC officials warned they would have to pull the plug on next season and go on hiatus if donors didn’t step in to save the organization.

"It was a frightening thing to face, and through some really heroic efforts, we made it by the hair on our chinny chin chin," said Artistic Director David Goldstein.

Tucsonan Mike Kasser had said he would donate $1 million dollars and called on community members to pitch in an equal amount. His pledge was matched by 448 people in Tucson and 320 from Phoenix.

"It was really gratifying to see that people embraced us as the state theatre and not the Phoenix theatre or Tucson theatre," said Goldstein.

He said the company will be taking a close look at its operations to ensure it stays financially viable.

"It's not a matter now of sitting back and being complacent, it's a matter now of keeping our feet on the gas pedal."

The curtain will rise on ATC’s 50th anniversary season Sept. 10 with the debut of the play King Charles III at the Temple of Music and Art in downtown Tucson.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona