The Public Theater

Foundation Support

With the generous support of the foundation community, The Public Theater’s 50 th Anniversary season was a resounding success. From June 2005 through August 2006, we celebrated our first five decades with stellar seasons both downtown and at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, celebrity readings of classic Public Theater productions, a humanities series presented throughout the city, and the once-in-a-lifetime Public Sings event, a tribute to musical theater at The Public from Hair and A Chorus Line to Caroline, Or Change. Most importantly, we were able to offer 60% of the Anniversary programming to the public for free, cohering with founder Joe Papp’s mission of artistic excellence available to all. With sustained support, we will continue to cultivate plays to add to the American canon, keep the classics alive and relevant to contemporary audiences and reach out to young people and underserved audiences.

New Artistic Director Oskar Eustis joined The Public just as our 50th Anniversary got underway, and in his first year here, he has articulated his ambitious and thrilling long-range artistic plan. Building on the excitement of the Anniversary, he is now implementing his vision of a Public that offers even greater access to the arts, a support program for playwrights at all stages of their careers and an expanded Shakespeare education initiative for students throughout the city. The Public also remains committed to strengthening its position as the preeminent presenter of Shakespeare downtown.

The projected budget for The Public Theater’s 2006-2007 season is more than $16 million. This investment keeps alive Joe Papp’s founding vision of bringing the very best theater to the broadest possible audience, which includes New Yorkers and visitors from around the nation and the world. Because of the commitment to low-cost and free programming for all of our activities, The Public Theater must depend on the loyal support of our donors to continue to serve audiences and artists.

The 2007-2008 season offers a wide range of funding and sponsorship opportunities at various levels.

For more information on the many opportunities to support The Public Theater, please contact Alex Tonetta, Manager of Institutional Giving, at 212.539.8731.

Your support of The Public Theater is deeply appreciated.

Opportunities to Support The Public Theater