There is no shortage of exciting productions at American Stage. The company is known for its Mainstage shows, which feature everything from edgy new plays to beloved classics. New audiences have also been discovering the theater through American Stage’s Beyond the Stage Series, which takes performances out of traditional venues and into the community. Additionally, the company serves students through its annual school tour, the Write On program, in schools and onsite classes, for both young people and adults.
However, American Stage is perhaps best known for bringing large-scale musicals to Demens Landing Park, each spring. What began as Shakespeare in the Park evolved into full-scale musical productions. But after more than 20 years of staging these elaborate performances, the theater revealed a surprising fact: the event has never come close to breaking even. Each year, the company has absorbed significant financial losses to keep the tradition alive.
With rising labor and material costs, American Stage announced that it could no longer sustain the annual production without additional community support. This led to the launch of the Save Park fundraiser.
“We felt it was time for our community to understand how much work and money goes into an event like this,” says Helen R. Murray, producing artistic director of American Stage. “We don’t just put on a show—we build an entire theater in the park, every year, complete with a stage, dressing rooms, lighting, sound, storage for props and wardrobe, concessions, ticketing—everything! It is a gargantuan effort.”
The monumental scope of the production led the team to rethink its approach and engage the community in finding a sustainable path forward.
“We wanted to explore new ways forward and gauge how important this show is to our community. The response has been overwhelming: this city does not want to see this beloved tradition disappear,” she continued. “Thanks to our supporters, we are close to reaching our fundraising goal, which has made this year’s upcoming production of Hair possible—and allowed us to plan for next season. We are overjoyed by the generosity of our donors and hope their commitment continues in the years ahead.”
The fundraising efforts came just in time. American Stage’s production of the Tony Award-winning musical, Hair opens on March 28. The high-energy, rock-infused show will feature all the iconic songs audiences know and love. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their grooviest outfits for a night of music and theater under the stars. However, this show is not for children—while the production will not include the often-debated nude scene, it does contain strong language and adult themes.
“Watching audiences enjoy Beauty and the Beast at the park last year, I couldn’t help but feel emotional,” Murray says. “I worried that we wouldn’t be able to keep this tradition going. The joy and camaraderie among our park attendees are a beautiful reflection of what the St. Pete community is all about.
“A vibrant arts scene is a major asset to any local economy. At American Stage, we are committed to supporting local vendors, hiring local artists and crew members and contributing to our local economy however we can. We’re grateful that this commitment is being reciprocated. In the future, we hope to see increased show sponsorships to help close the funding gaps for this programming. Additionally, we have made the difficult decision to raise park ticket prices by $5. Our goal is simple: we just want to break even so we can continue this incredible event year after year,” Murray says.
American Stage’s production of Hair opens on March 28. Tickets are available at americanstage.org.
Contributed by American Stage Staff