Steps down as TheatreWorks Artistic Director |
SILICON VALLEY, "Today, June 30, is my final day as TheatreWorks Artistic Director. It has been an honor sharing this inspiring journey with you." writes ROBERT KELLEY on an e-mail to the press: Starting tomorrow I become "emeritus" and join you as a subscriber, proud donor, and lifelong friend to TheatreWorks (the theatre he founded fifty years ago.) I look forward to supporting the extraordinary director and leader TIM BOND as our new Artistic Director. What an exhilarating, hope-filled moment for the company --and for me! I've watched TheatreWorks grow and thrive for half-century, supported by and incredible community that grew and thrived just as we did. As it became the vibrant innovative Silicon Valley, TheatreWorks became a vibrant, innovative force in the American Theatre, ultimately achieving the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony® Award. Looking back at our journey, I know that your faith and commitment to the company have been responsible for our success. Thank you so much.
TheatreWorks began on April 1, 1970 with a meeting of young artists determined to turn our troubled times and social unrest into life-affirming theatre. Our first show, Popcorn, was about bringing our fractured community together, about turning our differences into inspiring art. Fifty years later, as we begin a new TheatreWorks era in the face of a crippling pandemic and ever greater unrest, the task before us remains what it has always been: unite our community, turn our conflicts into art, and celebrate our belief in the potential of the human spirit. In fulfilling this task, your support is essential. The very first gift to TheatreWorks came when the cast of Popcorn filled my car with food, literally providing the sustenance to continue creating our art. Fifty years later, on my final day as Artistic Director, I invite you to help end my tenure with another gift. Together we will provide Tim and TheatreWorks the resources to create incredible theatre for the next 50 years and beyond. Give $500, $250, $100, $50 or any amount you can donate. Thanks for so many incredible memories, dear friends. I hope I have brought you some as well. Gratefully, Robert Kelley P.S. I hope you'll join me at 5PM Pacific Time on Sunday July 5 for a Virtual Toast. Together, we'll raise a glass and share some stories and highlights from the last fifty years. |
