Berkeley Rep and Shotgun Players Raise $45K for Hurricane Relief

Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced today that two arts organizations raised a total of $45,000 for hurricane relief efforts.

Berkeley Rep and Shotgun Players raised the money through audience donations during two weeks of performances. The donations collected at Berkeley Rep will be divided between the Red Cross and the Alley Theatre in Houston, while the proceeds collected at Shotgun Players will go toward Direct Relief.

On August 25, 2017 Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast. The Alley Theatre in Houston sustained significant damage, as did the homes of many of its employees. Hurricanes Irma and Maria arrived shortly thereafter, creating destruction in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

"We so appreciate the generosity of our audiences," says Susan Medak, managing director at Berkeley Rep. "We are proud to be able to do our part to help those who are suffering at this time."

All the collected funds will be distributed between the three causes to help their relief efforts.

The Alley Theatre, one of America's leading not-for-profit theatres, is a nationally recognized performing arts company lead by Artistic Director Gregory Boyd and Managing Director Dean R. Gladden. Home to a Resident Company of actors, the Alley creates a wide-ranging repertoire and innovative productions of classics, neglected modern plays, and premieres. Alley All New, the initiative to commission and develop new work year round, features the Alley All New Festival each season presenting workshops and readings of new plays and musicals in process. A recipient of the Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the Alley has brought productions to Broadway, 40 American cities including New York's Lincoln Center and internationally to Berlin, Paris, and St. Petersburg throughout its 70 year history. Visit www.alleytheatre.org.

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. As the nation's premier emergency preparedness and response organization, the Red Cross is there to help and comfort people through devastating crises-from house fires to earthquakes. With nearly 600 chapters across the U.S; alongside their global Red Cross partners, the organization is part of the largest humanitarian network in the world. For more than 130 years, the American Red Cross has been helping neighbors down the street, across the country and around the world. Go to www.redcross.org.

Direct Relief is a humanitarian aid organization active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies. Learn more at www.directrelief.org.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre has grown from a storefront stage to an international leader in innovative theatre. Known for its core values of imagination and excellence, as well as its educated and adventurous audience, the nonprofit has provided a welcoming home for emerging and established artists since 1968. In four decades, four million people have enjoyed nearly 400 shows at Berkeley Rep. These shows have gone on to win five Tony Awards, seven Obie Awards, nine Drama Desk Awards, one Grammy Award, and many other honors. In recognition of its place on the national stage, Berkeley Rep received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 1997. Its bustling facilities - which include the 400-seat Peet's Theatre, the 600-seat Roda Theatre, the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, and a spacious campus in West Berkeley - are helping revitalize a renowned city. Visit berkeleyrep.org for more.

Shotgun Players is a company of artists determined to create bold, relevant, affordable theatre that inspires and challenges audience and artist alike to re-examine our lives, our community, and the ever-changing world around us. Find out more at www.shotgunplayers.org.

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