"Whether that means ballet, opera. or punk bands. It's really about bringing arts and culture and building community around that for all the people of the East Bay and the Greater Bay Area, and promoting conservation of a beautiful yet fragile ecosystem, Romary said. We think by doing that, it will broaden the use of the facility and the audience."
"When iconic Bay Area theater group California Shakespeare Theatre, or Cal Shakes, closed after 50 years last October, it was unclear what would happen to the six-acre Bruns Amphitheater in Orinda that had been the group's home for decades. But on Wednesday, the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which owns the land, approved a 15-year lease to East Bay nonprofit Siesta Valley Foundation to operate there."
"Cal Shakes was famous for its modern interpretations of Shakespeare plays with updated names like Romeo y Juliet, Hamlet: Blood in the Brain, and Lear. But like many theater companies in the Bay Area, Cal Shakes struggled to regain financial stability after the pandemic. Despite donations from Cal Shakes alumni like Zendaya and a successful fundraising campaign that raised $350,000 last summer which helped Cal Shakes return to the park in 2024 the troupe declared bankruptcy."
California Shakespeare Theatre closed after 50 years in October, leaving the six-acre Bruns Amphitheater in Orinda's future uncertain. The East Bay Municipal Utility District approved a 15-year lease to Siesta Valley Foundation, which will operate the venue as the Siesta Valley Bowl and plans to reopen in spring 2026. The site will preserve theatrical history and expand live programming to include ballet, opera, punk bands and other performances. The amphitheater sits in a redwood and eucalyptus grove at 100 Gateway Boulevard and holds 540 people. Cal Shakes modernized Shakespeare productions but struggled financially after the pandemic and declared bankruptcy despite fundraising and donations.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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