Seeing Red

It seems like there is always something interesting going on down at Sycamore Rouge. Even right now when they don’t have a main stage production open, they have a burlesque thing happening this Sunday, they had one of their 24-hour theater experiences a couple of weekends ago, and on April 7th they’re sending 2 busloads of people up to New York to support hometown success story, Blair Underwood, who is appearing on Broadway in “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if that last excursion gains some national media coverage. It really is a fabulous idea and, given that kb saine and her cohorts were able to keep the cost of the whole deal below $160, a great bargain for a really good time.

One of the things happening down there in Petersburg is not so great, though. Because of one of the company’s major funders “changing their priorities” (i.e., cutting them loose), Sycamore Rouge is now trying to raise a big chunk of change so they can buy their building and provide a buffer from future funding swings. $300,000 is not small potatoes, even in an improving economy, and it’s going to take a groundswell of support to make up that sum.

I know a big percentage of the people reading this blog (1 out of 2?) work for some organization that is struggling to get funding. I know this because all of the theater companies in town struggle to get funding, from the largest to the smallest. But even though the search for money is an ongoing predicament, there are special cases. It was a special case when Firehouse Theatre Project was in danger of losing their building. It was a special case when Triangle Players was moving into their new location and building a theater space from scratch. And this situation with Sycamore Rouge is a special case as well.

So I hope any and everybody who is able will chip in something for Sycamore Rouge. And probably even more important, please let other people know about what’s happening down there. Like I said, it’s going to take a lot of people working together to keep them afloat. And, based on the creative and exciting things they are doing, it would be a shame if this ship sinks.