Last year, the Chance Theater in Anaheim hosted a production of the award-winning musical Ragtime.
The well-reviewed performance (“a glorious, exhilarating production bursting with energy and ingenuity,” wrote The Show Report) tells the story of the experience of very different people in the United States in the early 20th century: a Harlem musician, a matriarch of an upper-class family and a Jewish immigrant.
One of the songs is titled “Make Them Hear You,” a passionate plea to a world going through a chaotic and critical time. Lyrics include:
“Make them hear you.
And tell them, in our struggle,
We were not the only ones.”
The parallels to what the world is going through now are clear, says Casey Long, managing director of the Chance Theater.
It’s one reason “Make Them Hear You” is the name of the Chance Theater’s fundraising campaign, designed to help support the storied theater through the changes wrought by the coronavirus.
Small Group, Big Influence
When the COVID-19 crisis shut the Chance Theater’s doors on March 13, it was in the midst of an extended run of the critically acclaimed musical Fun Home.
A Wrinkle in Time was next on their schedule. They were anticipating another year of successful runs, as well as continued participation in local outdoor theater.
While they were dismayed by the turn of events, the leadership team at the theater was not exactly surprised. They said they had been watching the developing crisis in China and Europe closely and thought the U.S. might feel the impact of this mysterious new disease as well.
Preparation, and a strong business operation, has always been a hallmark of the theater, led by Long, Executive Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen, and an involved board of directors, which counts numerous lawyers, bankers and other community leaders.
For 20 years, the group has prided itself in always running in the black; its pre-COVID-19 revenue was $1.2 million. The theater says it counted zero debt.
Nearly 20,000 people attended the Chance’s plays and musicals each year; another 10,000 if one were to count the people who came to their outdoor productions.
Taking a Chance
The impact of the Chance Theater has had in the last 20 years could have only been dreamed of in the late 1990s, when a group of artists who loved to perform and write came together to start a theater group. Long and Nguyen were there from the very start, both founding members.
“Local artists wanted a way to express themselves and connect with the community,” Long said. “It was a way for people to share an experience, to create empathy and understanding with each other.”
The group set up shop in a small space in a strip mall in Anaheim. In the beginning, Nguyen said, they wrote and performed in their own plays. The quality of the work proved impressive and as the Chance Theater’s reputation grew, their audience expanded.
The increase in income meant they could purchase the rights to other plays and musicals. They expanded their stable of talented actors. Set designers and crew members took their shows to the next level.
In time, the Chance Theater drew the attention of Bette Aitken, philanthropist and wife of Wylie Aitken, founder of Aitken Aitken Cohn. The couple loved the theater and became generous donors. In January 2014, the philanthropic pair named Chance Theater’s new home: the Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center.
Fundraiser Refocus
On March 14, the day after the theater dimmed the lights on its last performance, was supposed to be their annual community fundraiser.
The event, held over two days, was intended to feature 35 performances and draw more than 1,000 people. The projected loss was $500,000. The amount was a gut-punch. Executives had very little idea how to make up such a tremendous loss.
“After everything happened,” Long said, “the Aitkens reached out to us. Through their leadership and a leading gift, we formed the Make Them Hear You campaign.”
Make Them Hear You is a $300,000 matching campaign. More than $200,000 has been raised so far, but they are still in need. The funds will help the theater plan for future plays, as well as continue community outreach programs.
Pivot to Online
“We have a great family,” Nguyen said. “From the board to the resident artists, we all realize we are in this together. Everyone is trying to figure out how we’ll get through this.”
When they realized early on that they wouldn’t be able to produce stories, they created the Chance Cyber Chat. Five pre-recorded shows were chosen for a virtual theater “tour,” including Hamilton. When the go-ahead is given for the Chance to open its door, turn on the lights and raise the curtain, they will be ready.
“We’re 22 years in,” Long said. “With continued support and community investment, we’ll be back.”
