THIS IS AN AMAZING MOMENT, BOTH FOR SECOND STAGE AND FOR AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS AND THEATREGOERS. FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES, SECOND STAGE HAS TAKEN THE COMMITMENT TO PRODUCING NEW PLAYS VERY SERIOUSLY. AS WE NOW EXPAND ONTO BROADWAY, WE CONTINUE THIS PROMISE. WE PLEDGE TO KEEP OUR NEW THEATRE A BUSTLING CENTER OF ACTIVITY ON BROADWAY, NURTURING NEW PLAYS FROM ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING WRITERS, AND FEEDING A NEW, DIVERSE GENERATION OF THEATREGOERS WHO WILL HELP KEEP AMERICAN PLAYS AT THE HEART OF THE BROADWAY EXPERIENCE. CAROLE ROTHMAN, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
SECOND STAGE THEATRE MOVING FORWARD
A SENSATIONAL NEW COMEDY WITH STILETTO-SHARP WIT. The New York Times
Katherine Waterston & Celia Keenan-Bolger in Bachelorette by Leslye Headland. Photo by Joan Marcus.
WHAT IS IN DANGER OF DISAPPEARING FROM BROADWAY, SADLY, IS THE NEW AMERICAN PLAY… SECOND STAGE HAS AN IMPRESSIVE TRACK RECORD OF PRESENTING WORKS OF LESS ESTABLISHED ARTISTS, AND NEW PLAYS BY WOMEN. Charles Isherwood, The New York Times, January 6, 2015
In 1979, we launched our company with the mission of producing “second stagings” of contemporary American plays that deserved to reach a wider audience. The idea took flight, and our dedication to telling essential American stories in their most exciting forms quickly expanded to include genre-bending solo performances, cutting-edge theatrical events, explosive new musicals, and world premieres by America’s most esteemed playwrights. Second Stage became a home for provocative, unexpected theatre, with a reputation for discovering the best new talent. Now we’re expanding again. Beginning in 2018, we’ll bring our unique brand of bold, unflinching theatre to the most visible platform in the
world—Broadway—where we’ll be the only company dedicated exclusively to the development and production of works by living American writers. With only 41 theatres on Broadway, many of them occupied by long-running musicals, there’s little room for new and adventurous plays, let alone works by women and artists of color. Since our founding, we’ve been committed to diversity by giving a voice to artists and writers who have struggled to be seen and heard. Our expansion to the Helen Hayes Theatre will not only provide us a permanent home, but also create a much-needed Broadway home for new American voices.
A DREAM PERFORMANCE! Variety
S. Epatha Merkerson in Birdie Blue by Cheryl L. West. Photo by Joan Marcus.
WHO IS SECOND STAGE? SECOND STAGE BELIEVES IN THE WORK , AND THAT’S WHY YOU COME BACK. S. Epatha Merkerson, Actor, 2ST ’s Birdie Blue; “Law & Order”
WE MAKE THEATRE THAT’S FUN AND SEXY. THEATRE THAT TELLS RAW HUMAN STORIES BY AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS WITH FRESH IDEAS ABOUT WHAT THEATRE SHOULD BE.
A TWISTY AND TIMELY DRAMA ABOUT GOOD SEX AND BAD FAITH. The New York Times
Anna Gunn & Billy Magnussen in Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason. Photo by Joan Marcus.
A RIOTOUS DEEP DIVE INTO THE SHALLOW WATERS OF GOSSIP. Entertainment Weekly
John Lithgow in Mr. & Mrs. Fitch by Douglas Carter Beane. Photo by Joan Marcus.
MUCH MORE THAN A FEEL-GOOD MUSICAL; IT’S A FEEL EVERYTHING MUSICAL. The New York Times
Alice Ripley, Asa Somers, Aaron Tveit, Brian d’Arcy James, Adam Chanler-Berat & Jennifer Damiano in Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey & Tom Kitt. Photo by Joan Marcus.
MAGICAL, BRILLIANT, STUNNING. Today Show
Anna Deavere Smith in her solo show Let Me Down Easy. Photo by Joan Marcus.
POWERFUL AND RIVETING. KEEPS YOU GASPING WITH EXCITEMENT. New York Observer
Karen Pittman in King Liz by Fernanda Coppel. Photo by Carol Rosegg.
POWERFULLY EMOTIONAL! A MUSICAL GEM. New York Magazine
Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul. Photo by Matthew Murphy.
CLEVER, FUNNY, AND TOTALLY MISANTHROPIC. Bloomberg
Sutton Foster & Zach Braff in Trust by Paul Weitz. Photo by Joan Marcus.
AUTHENTIC AND EXCITING! A TOP-OF-THE-LINE CAST. The New York Times
Taye Diggs in A Soldier’s Play by Charles Fuller. Photo by Joan Marcus.
DANGEROUSLY IRRESISTIBLE. The New York Times
Thomas Sadoski & Amanda Seyfried in The Way We Get By, by Neil LaBute. Photo by Joan Marcus.
A CAPTIVATING NEW PLAY WHOSE GRIPPING STORIES WILL SHAKE YOU. New York Daily News
Ryan Quinn, Sherie Rene Scott & Nicholas Christopher in Whorl Inside A Loop by Dick Scanlan & Sherie Rene Scott. Photo by Joan Marcus.
IF THERE’S A THROUGHLINE TO OUR WORK, IT’S THAT YOU’LL BE SURPRISED, YOU’LL FIND A DIFFERENT WORLD ON STAGE EVERY TIME. WE MAKE THEATRE THAT GETS PEOPLE TALKING. WE MAKE THEATRE VITAL.
1979 1984 1986 1987 2ST established, founded by Carole Rothman and Robyn Goodman.
2ST leases its first home, the 108-seat McGinn/Cazale Theatre, at B roadway and 76th Street.
I was just off the boat or train as it were with a suitcase and a dream and I needed a gig and that’s what Second Stage provided for me. It didn’t pay me much but it gave me an opportunity to work with directors and actors who were fantastic and who I learned a lot from who luckily in the course of my life I’ve been able to circle back with. Kevin Bacon, Actor, 2ST ’s Spike Heels & Flux; Apollo 13; Footloose
Tina Howe’s Coastal Disturbances opens at the McGinn/Cazale. The following year the show transfers to Broadway, where it’s nominated for three Tony Awards®.
Michael Weller’s Spoils of War opens at the McGinn/Cazale. The show transfers to Broadway, where it’s nominated for a Tony Award®.
2002 2005 2006 2008 2ST launches the Uptown series at the McGinn/Cazale to showcase the work of emerging artists.
I feel Second Stage took a chance on me when they first decided to produce my work. I worked on that play intensely through the rehearsal process… Over the past few years as my career has started to take hold, I’ve been grateful for those opportunities. Rajiv Joseph, Writer, 2ST ’s Animals Out of Paper, All This Intimacy & Gruesome Playground Injuries; "Nurse Jackie"; Draft Day
2ST opens The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with music and lyrics by William Finn and a book by Rachel Sheinkin; the show transfers to Broadway and is nominated for six Tony Awards®. Sheinkin wins for Best Book of a Musical and Dan Fogler wins for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.
TIMELINE
Douglas Carter Beane’s The Little Dog Laughed opens. It moves to Broadway, where it is nominated for two Tony Awards®. Julie White wins for Best Performance by an Actress in a Play. Second Stage has such brilliant taste with developing new writers and sticking with writers throughout their career, I think it’s such a joy that they’re going to have this new Broadway space. Julie White, Actor, 2ST ’s Spike Heels, Family of Mann, & The Little Dog Laughed; “Grace Under Fire”
Next to Normal opens featuring book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. It transfers to Broadway the following year where it’s nominated for 11 Tony Awards®. It wins four, including Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical for Alice Ripley and Best Original Score for Yorkey and Kitt. Yorkey and Kitt win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Next to Normal. At Second Stage, you feel 100% supported and taken care of, and that was so huge for Tom and I. That sounds really simple, but it’s really rare. Brian Yorkey, Writer, 2ST ’s Next to Normal; If/Then
1995 1999 2000 2001 2ST produces Lynn Nottage’s first play, Crumbs from the Table of Joy.
Second Stage has been my theatre home for the last 30 years, my career began at this theatre. Lynn Nottage, 2ST Trustee & Writer, 2ST ’s Crumbs from the Table of Joy & By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Ruined (Pulitzer Prize winner)
2ST leases and renovates a bank on 43rd Street and 8th Avenue, turning it into the state-of-the-art, 296-seat Tony Kiser Theatre, designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. The first season in our new space we open Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night. It goes on to win a Drama Desk award for Outstanding Lyrics.
2ST opens the New York premiere of August Wilson’s Jitney. The show moves to the Union Square Theatre and wins the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play.
Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses opens and later transfers to Broadway, where it’s nominated for three Tony Awards®; Mary Zimmerman wins for Best Direction of a Play.
The 296-seat playhouse is an architectural hors d’oeuvre—fresh and tangy, a morsel of the sophisticated design many New Yorkers have been craving. Herbert Muschamp, The New York Times, April 8, 1999
2009 2012 2015 2016 2ST produces Everyday Rapture by Sherie Rene Scott and Dick Scanlan. It opens on Broadway the next year and is nominated for two Tony Awards®.
2ST opens Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play Water by the Spoonful.
Second Stage believes in the here and now, producing exclusively contemporary work, many times by underrepresented voices. In due time they will be providing unique and dynamic experiences on the great white way. They reflect the spirit of the real New York City, its diversity, its grit, its will to take chances. Armando Riesco, Actor, 2ST ’s Water by the Spoonful & The Happiest Song Plays Last
Between Riverside and Crazy opens. Playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis wins the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
2ST opens Dear Evan Hansen, marking the second collaboration with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The show transfers to Broadway.
2ST purchases the historic Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway, making 2ST the only theatre company on Broadway dedicated exclusively to developing and producing works by living American playwrights.
2ST begins renovating the Hayes, transforming it into a state-of-the-art showcase for American theatre and a permanent home for the company.
Image Captions 1979 Carole Rothman; 1984 Kevin Bacon in Spike Heels by Theresa Rebeck. Photo by Susan Cook; 1986 Annette Bening & Tim Daly in Coastal Disturbances by Tina Howe. Photo by Susan Cook; 1987 Christopher Collet & Kate Nelligan in Spoils of War by Michael Weller. Photo by Susan Cook; 1995 Ella Joyce & Kisha Howard in Crumbs from the Table of Joy by Lynn Nottage. Photo by Susan Cook; 1999 David Campbell & Lauren Ward in Saturday Night by Julius J. Epstein & Stephen Sondheim. Photo by Joan Marcus; 2000 Russell Hornsby & Anthony Chisholm in Jitney by August Wilson. Photo by Craig Schwartz; 2001 Felicity Jones in Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman. Photo by Joan Marcus; 2002 Thomas Sadoski & Krysten Ritter in All This Intimacy by Rajiv Joseph. Photo by Joan
It’s so helpful to be working within an organization that supports bold and risky work. And it’s a gift to work under leaders who are there to encourage, to challenge, and to push the piece along, helping it find its way. In Second Stage we have found all of these things. Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, Writers, 2ST ’s Dogfight & Dear Evan Hansen
Marcus; 2005 Jose Llana, Deborah S. Craig, & Jesse Tyler Ferguson in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by Rachel Sheinkin & William Finn. Photo by Joan Marcus; 2006 Julie White in The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane. Photo by Joan Marcus; 2008 Alice Ripley in Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey & Tom Kitt. Photo by Joan Marcus; 2009 Sherie Rene Scott in Everyday Rapture by Dick Scanlan & Sherie Rene Scott. Photo by Joan Marcus; 2012 Zabryna Guevara & Armando Riesco in Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes; 2015 Stephen McKinley Henderson in Between Riverside and Crazy by Steven Adly Guirgis. Photo by Carol Rosegg; 2016 Ben Platt & Rebecca Bay Jones in Dear Evan Hansen by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, & Justin Paul. Photo by Matthew Murphy.
75K 180 350K AWARDS
3
VISITORS
Pulitzer Prize Awards for Drama within the past six years: Between Riverside and Crazy (2015), Water by the Spoonful (2012), Next to Normal (2010)
additional people around the world saw 2ST ’s work during the 2015–2016 season through touring and regional productions
nominations and awards
100
people per year come to a performance in one of our theatres
ARTS & ARTISTS
64 868
171 % 8 114 167 281 2ST BY THE NUMBERS Directors & Choreographers
plays and musicals have been produced since our founding, plus countless developmental workshops and readings
plays written by living American writers
of our productions have transferred to Broadway
Playwrights, Composers & Lyricists
%
plays written or directed by women and/or artists of color
Costume, Lighting, Projection, Scenic & Sound Designers
Actors
BROADWAY & EXPANSION
17 28 60
full-time permanent jobs in the theatre’s artistic, marketing, development, general management, finance, and technical/ production departments
+
47M 5,000
seasonal union jobs in the box office, house management, and technical/production departments
+
100 project-based jobs per year for writers, actors, directors, designers, and production crews
200K
new jobs created
additional students served with our free education program
people expected to attend our Broadway productions each year
EDUCATION
Second Stage provides free tickets and arts education programming to 1,000 students per year through Free Student Matinees for NYC public school students and Second Generation Nights for community college students. 12% Caucasian
11% Queens
19% Brooklyn
40% Manhattan
15% Asian 52% Hispanic or Latino
56% Qualified for free or reducedprice lunches
21% African American 30% Bronx
Location of Schools Served
Demographics of Schools Served
pedestrians walk through the intersection of Broadway and 44th Street each year
SHARP-TOOTHED AND INGENIOUSLY CONSTRUCTED. The Wall Street Journal
Sanaa Lathan in By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage. Photo by Joan Marcus.
WHAT’S NEXT BROADWAY NEEDS A SPACE THAT WILL SHOWCASE THE RICH DIVERSITY OF VOICES THAT MAKE UP THE AMERICAN THEATRE. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS NEW SPACE SHIFTS THE CREATIVE CONVERSATION ON BROADWAY, INTRODUCING A RANGE OF ARTISTS WHO PREVIOUSLY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN REPRESENTED THERE.
Lynn Nottage, 2ST Trustee & Writer, 2ST’s Crumbs from the Table of Joy & By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Ruined (Pulitzer Prize winner)
THIS CRAZY-LIKE-A-FOX COMEDY IS THE REAL THING. The New York Times
Terence Archie & Desmin Borges in The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz. Photo by Joan Marcus.
Left: Mahershala Ali & Joshua Jackson in Smart People by Lydia R. Diamond. Photo by Matthew Murphy. Right: Bill Pullman in Edward Albee’s Peter and Jerry. Photo by Joan Marcus.
BROADWAY IS STILL A BRAND NAME THAT REGISTERS WITH PEOPLE, EVEN IF THEY DON’T GO TO THE THEATRE.
Bill Pullman, Actor, 2ST ’s Edward Albee’s Peter and Jerry; Independence Day
With the addition of a Broadway theatre to our campus, we’ll increase our impact on the American theatre scene. We’ll be able to nurture our artists throughout their entire careers and create a clear pipeline for their work, from the McGinn/ Cazale to the Kiser to our new Broadway home. A Broadway stage also gives us a competitive edge for the best material, the best actors, and the best directors and designers. And the shows we produce on Broadway will be eligible for Tony Awards®, placing Second Stage and our artists firmly in the national and international spotlight. We’ll create more jobs at better wages for artists, stagehands, and administrative staff.
As a Broadway company, we’ll join a multibillion dollar industry and one of New York’s most unique brands. There’s no better platform for us to continue to enrich and grow our community with expanded education and outreach programs. Second Stage on Broadway will be open to all, ensuring that our art remains accessible to everyone who calls New York City home.
A SHARP-WITTED, SHARP-ELBOWED COMEDY. The New York Times
Tony Shalhoub & Anna Camp in The Scene by Theresa Rebeck. Photo by Joan Marcus.
THE PROJECT THE HELEN HAYES IS KIND OF A PERFECT FIT, BECAUSE IT’S A LITTLE BIT SMALLER HOUSE, AND YET IT HAS THE PROFILE OF BROADWAY. SO IT’S JUST THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. Tony Shalhoub, Actor, 2ST ’s The Scene; “Monk”
THE CAMPAIGN IS COMPRISED OF THREE GOALS:
1 THE PURCHASE 2 THE RENOVATION 3 THE NEW AMERICAN VOICES FUND
RENOVATION TIMELINE FALL 2016 ABATEMENT & DEMOLITION WINTER 2017 GENERAL CONSTRUCTION SPRING 2018 RIBBON CUTTING & FIRST PRODUCTION
1 THE PURCHASE
After several years of searching for a permanent home, in April 2015 we purchased the Helen Hayes Theatre in the heart of the Broadway Theatre district. This intimate space was originally built as “The Little Theatre” and dedicated to presenting new playwrights and experimental dramas deemed too risky to stage in large Broadway theatres. It remains the smallest theatre on Broadway today—a perfect fit for the types of work we produce. This acquisition allows us to provide a bigger canvas for our artists while giving us the security of knowing that we have a permanent theatrical home.
2 THE RENOVATION
With its unusual Neo-Georgian design, the Hayes is a striking presence on 44th Street. But the century-old building is showing its age and is in need of significant upgrades in order to provide our artists and audiences with the production values and amenities they expect from Second Stage. We’re collaborating with the celebrated architect and theatrical designer David Rockwell and Rockwell Group on the renovation, which will focus on three key areas: public spaces and audience comfort; ADA accessibility; and design and infrastructure. Public Spaces & Audience Comfort Over the years, the building has been used as a theatre, television studio, and town hall. Because of this, many of the public areas have been repurposed, diminishing their open,
inviting nature. We’ll restore these spaces while preserving and protecting their historic landmarked features. The lower lobby, currently housing dressing rooms, will be reestablished as a gathering space and concessions area for theatregoers. This will be one of the theatre’s most visible and well-used public spaces, where audiences can mix and mingle before the show and during intermission. Rooms previously used as private offices on the third floor will be reclaimed for our artists, including expanded dressing rooms and a green room. A new multipurpose room will be added for hosting play readings during the day, and for use as a donors’ lounge during performances. Plus, we’re nearly doubling the number of restrooms in the building.
SECOND STAGE’S EXPANSION INTO THE HELEN HAYES THEATRE WILL BRING JOY TO THAT MANY MORE PEOPLE. I’M PROUD TO HAVE HELPED WITH FUNDING SECOND STAGE IN THE PAST—THEY’RE THE KIND OF INSTITUTION THAT ENRICHES OUR CITY, SHOWCASING THE WORK OF EMERGING ARTISTS AND OFFERING MULTIPLE PROGRAMS TO BRING THEATRE TO A WIDER AUDIENCE. Gale A. Brewer, Manhattan Borough President
ADA Accessibility We’ll add a full-service elevator so that for the first time in the building’s history, everyone will be able to move freely between all four levels of the theatre, including the lower lobby, the stage, the dressing rooms, and the mezzanine. We’ll also add a new ADA-accessible building entrance, an accessible window at the box office, four new accessible unisex restrooms, more wheelchair positions in the orchestra level, and new wheelchair positions in the mezzanine, allowing our mobility-impaired guests the same freedom of movement and choice of seats as everyone else.
Design & Infrastructure The auditorium will be transformed to give it a fresh look that blends the theatre’s history with Second Stage’s style. When the theatre first opened, painted reproductions of a French tapestry by Rococo artist and theatrical designer François Boucher (1703–1770) adorned the walls. A new
environmental mural, designed by Rockwell Group and EverGreene Architectural Arts, will pay homage to the past by enlarging a scene from Boucher’s “The Loves of the Gods” depicting Dionysus—the Greek god of theatre. The HVAC system will be completely overhauled on all floors for greater comfort. And we’ll take this opportunity to improve the stage’s technical capacity in order to give our creative teams a better platform to make their artistic visions a reality. We’ll install a modern rigging system and a trap room below the stage, providing our designers greater flexibility and efficiency. Overall, our renovation is designed to achieve LEED Silver certification through the use of renewable energy, sustainable materials, and energy-saving designs and technology.
TO ME IT’S IMPORTANT THAT SECOND STAGE MOVES ACROSS EIGHTH AVENUE TO THE HELEN HAYES BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY TO MAINTAIN, IN TERMS OF ENERGY AND A DYNAMIC INSTITUTION, IS TO EXPAND. Dick Scanlan, Writer, 2ST ’s Everyday Rapture & Whorl Inside A Loop
BROADWAY THEATRES CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH TO THE CULTURAL VIBRANCY OF NEW YORK THAT REIMAGINING THIS ARCHITECTURALLY UNIQUE THEATRE FOR A NEW GENERATION OF THEATREGOERS IS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY. David Rockwell, Founder / President of Rockwell Group. Photo by Brigitte Lacombe.
Meet the Architect David Rockwell, FAIA, is the Founder and President of Rockwell Group, an interdisciplinary architecture and design studio that emphasizes innovation and thought leadership in every project. Influenced by theatre, technology, and finelywrought craft, the studio creates a unique narrative for each project, ranging from hotels and restaurants, to theatres, airport terminals, museum exhibitions, festivals, products, and to Broadway sets. Honors include the 2016 Tony Award® for Best Scenic Design for the musical She Loves Me; the 2016 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical for She Loves Me; the AIANY President’s Award; the National Design Award from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; the Presidential Design Award for the renovation of Grand Central Terminal; induction into the James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America; and inclusion in Architectural Digest’s AD 100. Rockwell Group was named
by Fast Company as one of the most innovative design practices. Known for his commitment to charitable organizations, David currently serves on the boards of Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA); the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Citymeals on Wheels; and New York Restoration Project. Notable projects include: The Shed in Hudson Yards; Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles; TED Theater in Vancouver, British Columbia; Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center at Lincoln Center; JetBlue Terminal at JFK ; New York EDITION; The Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta; and sets for more than 20 Broadway shows.
Above: A scene from one of François Boucher’s tapestries will be digitized into a dot-based stencil pattern. Below: Walls will be hand painted with an artistic ombre treatment, then the stencil will be applied by hand to the wall. The resulting effect is obscure up close and evident at a distance. Following Page: Rendering of renovated auditorium.
3 THE NEW AMERICAN VOICES FUND
Owning and operating a Broadway house is an enormous undertaking. This project will push and test us in many ways, and we need to make sure we have the resources and capacity to rise to the challenge. To set us up for success, we’re establishing the New American Voices Fund to facilitate our organizational growth and support the play development, education, and audience outreach initiatives needed to fill our three theatres. New Play Development The addition of a third theatre means we’ll need more plays to fill our stages. The Fund will allow us to launch an extensive artistic development program that will commission and workshop new plays during the next five years, creating a pipeline of work from emerging and established artists for all three of our stages. Education Adding a third theatre also means we’ll be able to dramatically expand our free arts programs. The Fund will enable us to increase the number of schools we serve with our Free Student Matinees for NYC public school students and Second Generation Nights for community
college students. We’ll reach an audience that includes students from low-income families (56%) and students of color (85%). Diversity & Outreach We tell stories that reflect the broad range of American experiences, and we want to make sure our audiences continue to reflect that range as well. The Fund will help us expand and diversify our audiences with a more robust, year-round outreach initiative across all of our stages and encompassing underserved communities in all five NYC boroughs. Financial Stability & Capacity Building Our annual operating budget will double with the Broadway expansion, and we’ll need time to grow our subscriber and donor base to cover our operating expenses. The Fund will ensure that we can continue to take artistic risks in producing thought-provoking new plays and musicals across all of our stages, while remaining fiscally responsible. The New American Voices Fund is made possible with a lead gift from David Stone.
YOUNG JEAN LEE
Second Stage is aiming to change the face of American theatre in a large-scale way, and having seen how they operate, I think they’re going to succeed.
MICHAEL GOLAMCO
Without a doubt, my career started at Second Stage. When I think of New York, it’s the place I think of as home.
LAURA EASON
Second Stage's commitment to creating the classics of tomorrow by developing the writers of today is a gift to the American theatre. Having a play developed by Second Stage is an honor.
ERICA LIPEZ
Being commissioned by Second Stage is both daunting and thrilling. To be told by a theatre with such a celebrated history and inspiring roster of playwrights that they care about what you have to say… oops, I’d better get back to work.
BESS WOHL
Second Stage gave me my New York debut Uptown and opened the door for me to a brave new world of thrilling theatrical possibilities, guided by a constant vision, courageous support, and mandate to dream big.
GREG PIERCE
I’m wildly grateful to Second Stage. They’ve given me the time to focus on my play. When it comes to new play development, the word ‘Second’ is misleading—nobody does it better.
DOMINIQUE MORRISEAU
Second Stage productions always ignite my spirit, so being a commissioned writer and joining this movement of new voices is gonna be fire!
ESSENTIAL VIEWING FOR THOSE ON THE WATCH FOR FRESH TALENT. The New York Times
Tony Goldwyn & Kate Burton in The Water’s Edge by Theresa Rebeck. Photo by Joan Marcus.
THE NEED
WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO HAVE SECOND STAGE ON BROADWAY IS THE RESURGENCE OF THE AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHT. Tony Goldwyn, 2ST Trustee & Actor, 2ST ’s Spike Heels & The Water’s Edge;
“Scandal”; Ghost
Annette Bening, Kevin Bacon, & Cynthia Nixon at Second Stage’s 25th Anniversary Gala.
CAMPAIGN SNAPSHOT PURCHASE $28,575,000 RENOVATION $22,000,000 NEW AMERICAN VOICES FUND $14,000,000 TOTAL $64,575,000
WE ARE THANKFUL TO OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WHOSE WISDOM, CONFIDENCE, AND GENEROSITY MADE THIS INCREDIBLY EXCITING MOMENT POSSIBLE. WE ARE ALSO VERY GRATEFUL TO THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND THE MANY PRIVATE DONORS AND FOUNDATIONS WHO HAVE PROVIDED LEADERSHIP SUPPORT TO OUR CAMPAIGN— PARTICULARLY THE PETER J. SHARP FOUNDATION, WHICH CONTRIBUTED ONE OF THE FIRST GIFTS. Casey Reitz, Executive Director
This project is incomplete without you. Our campaign is an opportunity for our community to come together to secure Second Stage’s position as a premiere producer of new American plays and to ensure a dedicated space on Broadway for producing the work of living American writers. Become a part of our future. With your support, we’ll transform our Broadway theatre into a home for the best talent in playwriting, directing, acting, and design, and a national showcase for the diverse voices and stories that make up our cultural landscape. Your gift is an investment in our future, the artists we support, and the creative life of New York City. There are many ways to get involved. With recognition and naming opportunities ranging from seats in the auditorium to the building’s moniker itself, we’re able to develop an ideal giving plan that fulfills your philanthropic goals. Join us on this incredible journey, and let’s make history together.
MAJOR NAMING OPPORTUNITIES THEATRE DONOR/EVENT SPACE CAFE LOUNGE ORCHESTRA LOBBY STAGE MURAL STAGE DOOR LANDMARKED ENTRYWAY FLY SYSTEM BAR ELEVATOR GREEN ROOM
2 x STAIRWAYS 3 x STAR DRESSING ROOMS 2 x CHORUS DRESSING ROOMS 2 x RESTROOMS LOWER LOBBY 4 x ADA RESTROOMS 12 x EXTERIOR WINDOWS STAGE MANAGER’S OFFICE HOUSE MANAGER’S OFFICE PRODUCTION CREW’S OFFICE
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO GET INVOLVED, PLEASE CONTACT: ANTONELLO DI BENEDETTO, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT (212) 787-8302 x122 OR ADIBENEDETTO@2ST.COM