UPDATE: Arizona Theatre Company Faces Deadline To Save 50th Anniversary Season Tomorrow

As reported by BroadwayWorld, on June 27th, the Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) informed its subscribers and donors that its 50th Anniversary 2016-17 season will be cancelled unless a $2 million debt could be erased by July 1st.

Three days later, it was announced that Tucson business leader and board member Mike Kasser had guaranteed $1 million from the Tucson community if an equal amount can be raised through outreach efforts statewide. An anonymous donor provided $100,000 as a separate donation to extend the fund-raising deadline to July 15.

ATC's last website update on the matter, dated July 12th, states that the statewide effort to raise $2 million has generated $447,620 from 599 donors, doubling the amount reported on June 8. Additional pledges and commitments are pending.

Total donors as of 3:00 p.m. on July 12 include 330 from Tucson contributing $227,432 and 230 from Phoenix generating $220,188. 29 donors from out-of-state and outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas have contributed $15,790.

"The momentum has been steadily building and we remain cautiously hopeful," said ATC Managing Director Billy Russo. "But, we have a deadline looming and major decisions to be made this week, and we are staying vigilant in our outreach. We are incredibly grateful for the broad-based response so far."

"We know that those who have supported us in this effort not only want to see ATC continue operating, but also have expectations as to how we will move forward if we are successful," Russo said. "Throughout this process, we have been having very serious strategic conversations to ensure that we meet those expectations in terms of cost-effectiveness and efficiency for the 50th Anniversary Season and beyond."

The state's only LORT Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company began as a community theatre in Tempe and now stages productions both there and in Phoenix. ATC has produced more than 200 plays, from the classics of Shakespeare, Shaw, and Moliere to the works of contemporary writers such as Shepard, Stoppard, and Fugard. ATC has also committed itself to the development and presentation of new works, both on the main-stage and through special programs.

The intended 2016-17 season includes two popular new plays from the most recent Broadway season, Mike Bartlett's KING CHARLES III and David Javerbaum's AN ACT OF GOD, followed by the classic musical, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. The season's second half would include THE RIVER BRIDE by Marisela Treviño Orta, winner of the company's National Latino Playwriting Award, the Johnny Cash revue RING OF FIRE and Jeffrey Hatcher's new mystery, HOLMES AND WATSON.

Artistic Director David Ira Goldstein introduces the season in the video. Visit ArizonaTheatre.org.