Rehearsals have begun for William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” at the California Shakespeare Company, a production that almost got canceled when the venerable East Bay company suddenly found itself facing a $350,000 budget shortfall late last month.
But fans of Shakespeare and supporters of the company came through in an emergency fundraising campaign that brought in all the money needed, said Cal Shakes executive director Clive Worsely.
“The show will go on,” Worsely said about the Sept. 12-29 production of the Bard’s beloved romantic comedy. As always, the show will be staged under at the company’s home at the outdoor Bruns Amphitheater in the Orinda hills.
“It’s amazing,” Worsely said about the show. “The cast is stellar, the design team, etc., is amazing. It’s going to be a gorgeous, gorgeous show for our 50 anniversary production.”
Cal Shakes staff also were moved that the emergency funds came from some 700 people, who made small and large donations in a range of amounts. “That tells us, there is still very much a desire and support (in the community) for our work to continue. We just have to find a way to make it sustainable.”
Indeed, the fundraiser was a lifeline to keep the company afloat just this summer. Like a lot of theater companies in the Bay Area and nationally, Cal Shakes has been in survival mode, starting even before the COVID-19 pandemic. As Worsely and other theater directors have explained, audience tastes and habits have changed over the past decade, while production costs have risen.
The company canceled its entire season in 2020 due to COVID lockdowns. The company has long been known for putting on four shows per summer. But it could only return with truncated seasons in 2021 and 2022, as it also sought to diversify its revenue stream by renting its amphitheater to comedy acts and other groups’ productions.
The company was excited about staging one show for its 50th anniversary season. It also jubilantly announced in February that a $100,000 donation from film star Zendaya, a Cal Shakes alum, would help pay for its production of “As You Like It.”
The current crisis erupted last month when other expected funding for “As You Like It” suddenly didn’t come through, Worsley said. The shortfall came after the sets had been designed and were being built and the actors had been cast and were preparing to begin rehearsals.
Worsely acknowledged that $350,000 was “a big ask in a very short period of time.” But if the show couldn’t go on, some 100 Bay Area actors and crew members would lose work, and the company would have to lay off staff, he said.
But even more, permanent closure of Cal Shakes was “definitely in the realm of possibility, sadly,” he also said. He explained that it would be very hard for the company to mount a comeback next summer if it cancels “As You Like It.”
Now, there will be an “As You Like It” at Cal Shakes, and the 50th anniversary season is saved. “Still, as an organization, we’re not 100% out of the woods in the long-term future,” Worsely said.
If nothing else, the company can offer its unique theatrical experience in September — showcasing top Bay Area artists performing Shakespeare’s great dramas and comedies. As in past years, “As You Like It” will unfold under the night sky in the Bruns amphitheater, located in a picturesque valley, surrounded by hills and oak trees.
Worsely is proud that Cal Shakes only works with Bay Area artists, and promises audiences that “there will be faces on stage that people will recognize and some brand-new faces.”
Cal Shakes has become known as an important training ground for Bay Area talent, either through its classes or by casting actors in shows. Zendaya, the star of “Challengers,” “Dune” and “Euphoria,” studied acting at Cal Shakes. Other Hollywood luminaries who have performed at Cal Shakes include Mahershala Ali and Annette Bening.
