Rubicon Theatre Company Reaches Out for Thomas Fire Relief

A week ago, the artists of Rubicon Theatre of Ventura were in final dress rehearsals for the first show of the company's 20th Anniversary Season - an original adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol by Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns.

The large two-story set was in place; the period costumes were pressed and ready; lights were designed and focused; stockings were hung by the chimney in the lobby (with care); and a 27-member cast, led by stage and screen veterans Peter Van Norden and Joe Spano, was poised and ready for opening Dickens' timeless tale of transformation and redemption.

The next day, rehearsals came to a halt when the electricity went out in the building; staff, cast and crew were evacuated, and fires throughout the area came within blocks of the theatre. The Thomas Fire, as it has come to be called, has since engulfed more than 230,000 acres and destroyed more than 500 homes and structures in the area (135 in the City of Ventura). At this time, the fire is 15% contained.

Fortunately, the theatre's home has been spared, However, previews and opening week performances had to be canceled, as well as a student matinee and a Saturday morning Tiny Tots Concert and Santa Party for young children. The company has lost approximately $50,000 in ticket sales and is in a perilous cash flow position - having also incurred additional expenses in order to clean ash and debris from the theatre, shampoo carpets and seats, purify the air in the theatre, clean costumes, etc. Additionally, the season brochure had dropped just a few days before the fire started. The phones were ringing and subscriptions sales were strong, but the shelf-life of the brochure ended as soon as the fires started.

Recognizing that the whole community is affected and that local support must go to basic needs in Ventura, Rubicon is reaching out across the nation to ask for support from other theatre communities.

"We have many friends and colleagues in our backyard who need help with shelter and food, and that must be the priority here," says Burns. "Our hope is that support will come from those in other regions who believe in the power of theatre to provide healing and to bring people together in times of difficulty."

Rubicon has set up an account for tax-deductible contributions at the following: www.gofundme.com/rubicon-theatres-fire-relief-fund. Secure donations may also be made by phone at 805.667.2900 or on the Rubicon website at www.rubicontheatre.org/donate. Please follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RubiconTheatre or Twitter @RubiconTheatre.

In true show-must-go-on mode, Rubicon has announced that performances will resume this Wednesday, Dec. 13, with the 2:00 p.m. matinee. Performances will continue on the regular performance schedule as follows through Dec. 23: Wednesdays at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. (talkback after evening performance),Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

The company is offering free tickets for December events for first responders and for anyone affected or displaced by the fires. This includes the critically acclaimed production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which was a Critic's Pick in the L.A. Times (Dec. 13 - 23 - see schedule above), the Tiny Tots Concert and Santa Party (rescheduled for Dec. 23 at 11:00 a.m.), and the Rubicon Harmonix Concert, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. The free tickets may be redeemed through the theatre box office at 1006. E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001, or by calling 805.667.2900. Those who wish to purchase tickets may call 805.667.2900 or go online at www.rubicontheatre.org.

Rubicon Theatre Company is a non-profit regional theatre based in Ventura, California. True to the name and the vision of founders Karyl Lynn Burns and James O'Neil, the company is committed to providing a nurturing environment for artists where exploration and experimentation are encouraged and supported. Rubicon has earned a reputation for innovative, reinvigorated productions of classics; and for the development of new works. The company has presented more than 130 diverse mainstage productions to more than 450,000 audience members. Described by critics as "the rising star of the Southern California cultural scene" and the "best theatre between Los Angeles and San Francisco," the company has won a New York Drama Desk Award (four nominations), the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for "Sustained Excellence," 16 Ovation Awards, a NAACP Award, and multiple Indy, Garland and Robby Awards. Luminaries such as Alison Brie, Susan Clark, Dana Delaney, Bonnie Franklin, Joel Grey, Gregory Harrison, Bill Irwin, Harold Gould, Larry Hagman, Stacy Keach, Michael Learned, Ted Neeley, Paul Provenza, Linda Purl, Joe Spano, Bruce Weitz, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. and Stephanie Zimbalist have graced theRubicon stage. Jack Lemmon and John Ritter made their final stage appearances with Rubicon. According to an independent economic impact study conducted by California State University Channel Islands, Rubicon has generated $5.3 million annually in the region.

Rubicon Theatre Company kicks off its 20th Anniversary Season with the return of the critically-acclaimed holiday hit Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Broadway, TV and film veterans Peter Van Norden (RTC's Taking Sides, Copenhagen) and Emmy Award-winner Joe Spano ("NCIS," RTC's Bucky) reprise their roles in this innovative telling of the timeless classic. Adapted by Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns and directed by Brian McDonald, the 27-member cast features many of the same actors from the original production that earned a "Critic's Choice" in the Los Angeles Times and rave reviews from Ventura County Star, CASA Magazine, VIDA Magazine and the Ventura Breeze. This imaginative version of Dickens' transformative tale offers a revealing portrait of the yearning, lost child inside the cold-hearted miserly man. Actors perform in the storytelling style of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production ofNicholas Nickleby, playing characters, animals...even dressing gowns and doors!

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