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Park Square Theatre receives $600,000 for expansion

Posted at 12:21 PM on April 28, 2011 by Marianne Combs (2 Comments)
Filed under: Funding, Theater

Park Square Theatre
Photo by Teresa Boardman

Park Square Theatre, which is in the midst of a $4.2 million campaign, has just been given a big push toward its goal.

The theatre just received $600,000 in new gifts, including $350,000 from The St. Paul Foundation, $200,000 from the F. R. Bigelow Foundation and $50,000 in new gifts from individuals.

Including the most recent gifts, the theater has now raised nearly $3.2 million, or 75% of its campaign goal.

The "Next Stage Campaign" is intended to fund, among other things, the construction of a second stage, and provide Park Square with the resources to double its programming.

According to Artistic Director Richard Cook, the St. Paul Foundation gift is the largest single grant in the theatre's 35-year history.

In a release issued today, Park Square also announced the theatre has already sold more tickets this season than in all of last year's record-breaking season, with two shows yet to open (Opus by Michael Hollinger opens May 13 and Panic by Joe Goodrich opens June 17).

Attendance to date is 57,242 compared with last year's total attendance of 55,832.