There can be no doubt that Teatro Live is having a celebratory moment. With the unprecedented success of our Join the 400 campaign, a marked increase in subscription and single ticket sales, the arrival of some sparkling new ensemble members in recent and upcoming shows, and the announcement of a brand new artistic director… well, festivity really is in the air. Will that be a distraction for us, one might ask? Will all that good news and the attendant joy it provokes get in the way of the hard work that producing live theatre demands? Friends, it absolutely won’t. Harnessing exuberance has always been part of the skill set at Teatro and we’re itching to do just that.

Some of the best loved and most fondly remembered productions in Teatro’s 43 year history have been the ones we refer to simply as the Party Shows. Following the standard set by Cocktails at Pam’s back in 1986, these have been the most populous productions in the company’s history, with ensemble casts featuring up to a dozen actors. Ranging from the glamorous murder mystery of The Ambassador’s Wives to the soapy intrigues of Mother of the Year, the jet-set espionage of The Scent of Compulsion to the screwball pandemonium of A Rocky Night for His Nibs, these works have always been the most vivid embodiment of The Teatro Riot of Fun.

Currently, we speak of these shows in the past tense, but that just isn’t how it ought to be. We’d like to bring some of these big shows back and what’s more, we’d like to create new ones. We have the personnel, we have the imagination and enthusiasm, so what’s holding us back? Well, it’s the cost of the enterprise. A bigger show means more actors, which means more costumes, which means more dry cleaning…  and generally also more furniture and champagne glasses. More people and more things, basically.  Nevertheless, as we’ve stated, it’s time to reignite the party. We think we can do it with your help.

So we’re pleased to announce a new campaign, very much in the spirit of its predecessor. Once again, critical mass is the magical secret ingredient. Just 500 donations of $100 each would handily beat last year’s total, providing us with $50,000 to be put toward expanding the size and scope of our programming. Our deadline is August 31, and what a fine and fitting thing it would be if we could welcome Farren Timoteo on his first day, September 1 by declaring “Mission completed!”

And what are we calling this campaign? Return of the 400? The 400 Strikes Back? In fact, we are calling it The Life of the Party, because that’s what we’re asking you to be. Every donation we receive will add a little more splendour and zest to our ensuing Party Shows and when you finally get to see the riotous results in full swing, you can say “I did that. It was me, the Life of the Party!” and you won’t even have to put a lampshade on your head or roll down a staircase in an evening gown. 

PLEASE NOTE: We use a donation platform named Zeffy, they provide a platform for charities (like Teatro) to accept donations online without a fee. You are not required to support Zeffy with an added donation. To OPT-OUT of this donation, under “Support the 100% free Canadian platform we use!” change the amount to “Other” then input zero ($0).

When you donate securities (stocks, mutual funds and bonds) directly to Teatro Live, capital gains tax is eliminated, allowing you to donate more. Or save your charitable tax credits for future tax returns within 5 years of the transaction.

A tribute donation is a heartfelt gesture that honours the memory or celebrates the life of a loved one, friend, or colleague by supporting a cause or organization meaningful to them, leaving a lasting impact while commemorating their legacy.

Our Join the 400 Campaign Update: As of June 19th, 2024

The Teatro 400!  YES WE DID!

As all who follow Teatro Live are likely aware, this season saw the launch of our unique  fundraising initiative inviting folks to “Join the Teatro 400”. The goal was to pay off the $40,000 federally administered CEBA loan which helped us to cover basic operational and staffing expenses during the shutdown of 2020/21, and the thinking behind this campaign was that if just 400 individuals donated $100 each, we’d kick this debt to the curb in no time flat. Well we’re pleased to report that WE DID IT! And what’s more YOU DID IT! We reached our goal on June 9, and what’s more, over the course of the following week we raised a further $1200 to cover the additional 3% in administrative fees that Canada Helps charges for the wonderful service they provide to non-profits like Teatro. AND in addition to the online total, we’ve received an additional $3400 through various other platforms- cheque, cash, debit - for a grand total of $46,006.76. 

Now, we promised that there’d be A PARTY FOR THE 400! once we achieved our goal and we want you to know that we’re on it. It won’t likely be until some point in the upcoming season because we need time to make sure it’s just that good and that everyone can make it. But please stand by for more information. We’re so grateful to everyone who contributed so generously and enthusiastically to this initiative. Raising that five figure sum may have been our stated primary goal, but the real benefit is that unencumbered by debt, we can now get back to the business of seizing new opportunities, creating new structures, and revving up the riot of fun that is Teatro Live! WELL DONE, EVERYBODY!