When COVID-19 compelled Bay Space theaters to close their doorways and cancel their seasons, many predicted they’d have the toughest street again from the pandemic. They weren’t flawed. Performing arts teams juggled with masking protocols, schedule adjustments brought on by sickness, prices for security tools and audiences that wanted to be cajoled to return.
Burglaries are the very last thing they want, however that’s taking place, too.
Metropolis Lights Theater Firm in downtown San Jose was the most recent sufferer, as their downtown theater and places of work have been damaged into over the weekend. Thieves ransacked the concessions space and took props — together with tablets and different tools — set for use for the upcoming manufacturing of “King Liz,” which goes into tech rehearsals this week. A pile of energy instruments was left behind — presumably, Government Creative Director Lisa Mallette suspects, as a result of they have been too heavy to haul away earlier than police responded to the alarm.
That’s what counts as a silver lining to this sorry story. Mallette informed me a police report was filed and the thieves have been captured on safety cameras, however they’re not identifiable and he or she has little hope they’ll be caught.
This isn’t Metropolis Lights’ first housebreaking, they usually’re removed from alone. In 2021, San Jose Dance Theater found thieves had made off with practically 100 handmade costumes — a number of have been later recovered at a San Jose park. In 2022, San Jose Playhouse’s enjoyable manufacturing of “Xanadu” on its parking storage rooftop was curtailed after thieves bypassed safety measures, vandalizing units and making off with tools. Undoubtedly, many extra theater housebreaking tales have occurred in between.
Metropolis Lights will make things better as finest it could possibly and do no matter it must with a view to open “King Liz” as deliberate March 21. Mallette definitely hopes that donors are beneficiant on the firm’s Black and White Time Warp Ball fundraiser on the Westin San Jose on April 27. Till then, take into consideration filling some seats at Metropolis Lights, San Jose Stage, San Jose Playhouse and different native theaters. Huge audiences are one of the best ways to get everybody again on their ft.
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES: After all, it’s arduous to get audiences again to arts occasions in downtown San Jose in the event that they don’t learn about them. That’s why the San Jose Downtown Affiliation, in partnership with the Knight Basis and the town’s Division of Transportation, is providing $100,000 in arts advertising and marketing grants to organizations that serve downtown San Jose. A complete of 20 grants of $5,000 every might be made accessible, and the applying deadline is March 29 at 5 p.m.
San Jose Downtown Affiliation CEO Alex Stettinski mentioned the group is thrilled to help the humanities group with these grants. “By these funds, we goal to advertise cultural experiences, improve downtown vitality, and contribute to the general vibrancy of our metropolis,” he mentioned.
When you’re questioning how the Division of Transportation suits into all this, it’s due to the lingering public notion that there’s no place to park downtown. As a part of their award, grantees might want to promote the town’s parking web site, ParkSJ.org, in hopes that extra guests and patrons make the most of city-owned heaps and garages that provide 90-minute free parking. Utility particulars on the grants can be found at sjdowntown.com/2024-arts-marketing-grant.
WINDOW TO THE SOUL?: Bellarmine Faculty Prep’s annual Golden Bell public sale is one occasion that does appear to have come again. Greater than 400 supporters of the Jesuit boys faculty in San Jose partied within the gymnasium final Saturday night time. They have been entertained by the music of the Speakeasies (led by vocalist Jackie Gage) and contributed tons of of hundreds of {dollars} for the college’s tuition help fund within the reside and silent auctions.
In terms of distinctive public sale gadgets, the Bells might be powerful to beat this 12 months. The gadgets included a stained-glass window that includes St. Alphonsus Rodriguez that had adorned the Jesuits’ private chapel at Wade Corridor from 1960 till this 12 months. It was one in all eight that have been eliminated earlier than the constructing’s demolition and restored. Six have been put in in a brand new chapel on the on the Bellarmine Jesuit Neighborhood and the seventh might be put in in one other campus constructing. The remaining window was auctioned for $5,000.
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