Town Hall

As we share our gratitude for the extraordinary response to our recent Save the Rep appeal - we acknowledge the questions raised from the community. This open forum was led by our Managing Director, Klaus Schuller, and Artistic Director, Rick Hammerly, and Chair of VA Rep's Board of Directors, Martha Quinn.

While we are unable to have a full transcript - the “Your Questions, Answered” page has been update with key questions and answers.

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Virginia Repertory Theatre, central Virginia’s largest professional theatre, is on the verge of closing its doors for good. Without immediate intervention from donors, local and state government, and our patrons, the current production of Stephen King’s Misery will be our last. 

At a time when arts organizations all across the country are struggling to survive, a closure at Virginia Rep would be a huge blow to the thousands of patrons - adults, children, families, and summer campers whom we serve, not to mention the hundreds of actors, artists, technicians, and administrators who make Virginia Rep their home.  And the impact doesn’t stop there.  For many downtown restaurants, shops, and other businesses, theatre patrons can mean the difference between success and failure.

Virginia Rep recently brought on a new leadership team. Their vision is to reinvigorate Virginia Rep and create the conditions for it to truly be a theatre of, by, and for all the people of Richmond.  Our new Managing Director, Klaus Schuller, is a specialist in budgeting, strategy, and organizational development who gained his skills as an executive with large commercial theatre and variety organizations. Our Artistic Director (and co-leader) Rick Hammerly is a Helen Hayes Award winning director, actor, filmmaker, and arts administrator. The current season is a real step forward for the organization, built on a mix of recent Broadway favorites (Waitress), literary classics (Misery, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Grace for President), and forward-looking collaborations (Fat Ham).  

Unfortunately, Virginia Rep is facing a deficit of $1.7 million, and a further deficit of $1.6 million projected for the year to come. Virginia Rep is not alone - theatres all across the country are struggling with the lingering, devastating effects of COVID, including not yet reaching pre-COVID audience levels, increased costs and donor fatigue. Further, unlike many organizations of our size, we lack an endowment fund to get us through the financial ups and downs common to not-for-profit organizations.

If we cannot make up that shortfall - and quickly - we will not have the time and opportunity to make the changes to our structure and programming necessary to survive.  To be clear, we need an immediate infusion of more than $600,000 or we will be forced to close our doors in the coming weeks.

Virginia Repertory Theatre is very much worth saving. Richmond deserves a world-class regional theatre, and based on the quality of its other leading arts institutions, Richmond clearly has the wherewithal to support one.  We are immensely grateful to the donors, foundations, and companies that have, and continue to support us through these difficult times.

The vision of our new leadership team that will guide the organization once we get through this crisis is clear: We will continue to do better for our community, our staff, and our mission. We will be clear, honest, and transparent about our finances, our progress, and our plans to serve the community. We will work hard to rebuild and enhance our relationships with donors, foundations, and community groups - and especially with historically underserved and marginalized communities. We will be focused on our future, and be committed to the principles of equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion. And we will be a trusted, reliable partner to the people and organizations on whom we rely.

To accomplish all of this, we will build seasons and programs that are sustainable, responsible, and forward-looking. This means right-sizing the organization to be laser-focused on our core mission of producing great theatre, telling stories that entertain, enlighten, and speak to our diverse audiences. The budgets for future seasons will be realistic, responsible, and actionable. Our tickets, programs, and core fundraising will be sufficient to our financial needs.  Then, once we are stable, we will build reserves and an endowment to help us get past future bumps in the road.

The leadership and board of directors are committed to these ideas, and to producing the finest theatre in Central Virginia.  At this moment we lack the resources to continue, but hope that the people of Richmond and the foundations, governments, and companies which serve them, will all step forward, lend a hand, and keep the curtain raised.

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Photos by Aaron Sutten & Jay Paul