Aurora Theatre Company

Last updated

Aurora Theatre Company
Formation1991
TypeTheatre group
Location
Artistic director(s)
Josh Costello
Website http://www.auroratheatre.org

Aurora Theatre Company is a professional theatre company located in Berkeley, California.

Contents

History

The company was founded by actor and director Barbara Oliver along with Dorothy Bryant, Marge Glicksman, Richard Rossi, and Ken Grantham in 1992 with the desire to continue to produce plays "about something important; ideas mediated by language and people, which are assisted by other elements like sets, lights and costumes," not dominated by them. [1] The founders of Aurora Theatre Company came together around the development and production of a new play: Dorothy Bryant's Dear Master. [2]

Programs

The company produced a five play season until 2024, when its programming was cut to four productions. [3] In addition to their regular season, they produced an annual staged reading festival known as the Global Age Project.[ citation needed ]

Location

Aurora Theatre Company has a small, intimate performance space, and had been referred to as “chamber theatre.”

In 2001, the company moved to a dedicated custom-designed 150-seat theater in downtown Berkeley, situated immediately adjacent to the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. [4]

Recognition

The company has won 20 awards from the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Aurora received a $25,000 Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation award in 2000 for new play production. The San Francisco Weekly named Aurora Outstanding Bay Area Theatre Company.

They operate under a Tier 4 BAT contract with Actors' Equity Association. Currently, more than one-third of the budget is allocated to acting salaries, with Aurora Theatre Company having been commended for the high percentage of Equity actors in its productions.[ citation needed ]

The Berkeley location at 2081 Addison St. Aurora Theatre Building.jpg
The Berkeley location at 2081 Addison St.

Financial woes and suspension of programming

In June 2024 Aurora approached Berkeley City Council for emergency funding of $350,000. [5] The company was granted $150,000 by the city and raised an additional $250,000 from private donors. The company downsized employees, scaled back its season from five to four productions, and the artistic director Costello and managing director Robin Dolan each agreed to take a 25% pay cut (at the time Costello earned in excess of $110,000 and Dolan over $88,000 per year). [3] [6] In May 2025 the company sought additional emergency funding of $50,000 to finish its season and announced the suspension of its planned 2025-2026 season, citing a $500,000 budget deficit and flagging subscriptions. [7] [8]

As of June 2025, no performances have been announced beyond August 2025, when the company's production of The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe is scheduled to close. [9]

List of productions that premiered at Aurora

1991–1992

1995–1996

1996–1997

1997–1998

1998–1999

1999–2000

2002–2003

2003–2004

2004–2005

2005–2006

2006–2007

2007–2008

2008–2009

2009–2010

2016–2017

2017–2018

References

  1. Berkeleyside Staff (2013-05-23). "Barbara Oliver, iconic Bay Area theatre figure". Berkeleyside. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
  2. Fancher, Lou (2016-09-13). "Aurora Revives Inaugural Production: Dear Master". East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda. Archived from the original on 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  3. 1 2 Kwok, Iris (3 September 2024). "Aurora Theatre scales back 2024-25 season amid financial struggles". Berkeleyside. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  4. Aurora Theater Company. "the critics weigh in on our new theatre". Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  5. Mendel, Emily S. (4 June 2024). "Facing financial woes, Aurora Theatre Company seeks funding to stay afloat". Berkeleyside. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  6. "Aurora Theatre Company". NonProfit Explorer. ProPublica. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  7. "Why Local Theater Is in 'Free Fall'". The Bay. KQED. 27 June 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  8. Kwok, Iris (14 May 2025). "Aurora Theatre suspends upcoming season, citing financial challenges". Berkeleyside. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  9. "Calendar (2025)". Aurora Theatre Company. Retrieved 29 June 2025.