Help Set the Stage: Unique donor benefits in the Central Square Theater

Underground Railway Theater and The Nora Theatre Company are immersed in the Campaign for Central Square Theater, which has raised $1.6 million of a $2 million goal. Now entering the critical and final phase, the Campaign for Central Square Theater is seeking donations to Set the Stage with state-of-the-art theater equipment, furnishings and seats, so the lights can go on at this new and exciting theatrical arts center in the heart of Central Square!

Play a Part:
Your face or the face of a loved one, hero, or heroine can forever be displayed in the Central Square Theater lobby mural. The mural, which will span the entire lobby wall, is being designed by renowned muralist and Underground Railroad Theater set and puppet designer David Fichter. The possibilities for the mural are endless --just like in theater! A donation of $5,000 will secure a face in the mural and allow you to play an active part in Central Square Theater's development.

Take a Seat:
Another exciting way to help us Set the Stage is by adding your family's name or the name of a loved one or a friend to a seat in the Central Square Theater. Placing a name on a seat is the perfect way for you to stay connected to Central Square Theater and offers a unique opportunity to honor or memorialize an important person in your life. A donation of $3,000 will provide you a permanent seat in our theater.

The Campaign:
Central Square Theater and its two award-winning, non-profit, professional resident theater companies, Underground Railway Theater and The Nora Theatre Company, will soon raise the curtain on their new theater at 450 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge.

The resident theater companies have formed a partnership and a new entity called Central Square Theater. They are responsible for design and fit-up of the theater interior and adjunct spaces --a state-of-the art black box theater, a Second Stage/rehearsal space, dressing rooms, classrooms, box office, lobby, control booth, workshop, green room, offices, and storage space.

Central Square Theater will be fully accessible to the community and its design incorporates universal access elements. This unique partnership and collaboration with the City of Cambridge and MIT, which is developing the building in which Central Square Theater will occupy over 9,000 square feet, has been heralded as a "model partnership" and "best practice" by the Boston Foundation.

Carl Barron, "the mayor of Central Square", has declared that Central Square Theater will be one of the community's best assets -- improving the prospects of drawing residents and visitors to the retail shops, restaurants, and cultural life that already color the district.

Vital Theater -- Vital Communities:
Combining actors, puppetry, and music, URT creates works of great beauty and compelling social content. For 29 years URT has reached out to underserved families, subsidizing residencies and classes and offering family rate ticket prices and free performances, resulting in recognition from both the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.

During The Nora's 19 years, audiences and media have recognized the company for its exceptionally high-quality work. Mission-driven to bring cutting-edge, thought-provoking and contemporary productions to New England audiences, The Nora has garnered 6 Elliot Norton Awards for excellence and has introduced local audiences to over 30 Boston, New England, and/or world premieres.

For more information, please contact:
Catherine Carr Kelly
Executive Director
Central Square Theater
P.O Box 391897
Cambridge, MA 02139
cck@centralsquaretheater.org
617-835-8611