What a difference a year makes! When we wrote you this time last year, it was a decidedly different moment. Our path forward was unclear, and it felt, to many, like a return to live performances and a semblance of normalcy was years away. Yet today we are more hopeful than ever that the long-awaited return will soon materialize. We look forward to celebrating that milestone with you in the near future.
Thanks to your support, the past year, while challenging, has been among the most productive in our organization’s history. Our community and educational programming have never been stronger, our fundraising results have never been more promising, and our beautiful historic theatre remains in excellent condition.
As we spring forward into a new season of hope and resiliency, we are very pleased to share that our organization’s official name has changed. We will now be known as The National Theatre Foundation, a shift which better expresses our mission and purpose to provide world-class community and educational programming, as well as preservation of the theatre and operation of The National’s main stage, which occupies a distinctly important place in the nation’s theatrical history and in Washington’s cultural landscape.
This coming Saturday (May 8th at 9:30am) marks the season finale of our marquee program, Saturday Morning Live! at The National, featuring an all-star lineup of performances by two sensationally talented artists Paige Hernandez and David Gonzalez. This week’s episode is not to be missed! Our Teens Behind the Scenes program recently launched new websites based on information from our archives, including a particularly fascinating look The National’s place as a stop for shows on the way to Broadway. And Community Stage Connections continues to create deeply personal performing arts experiences for an array of audiences.
A year ago, The National Theatre Foundation had never produced a virtual program or video. Now, we’ve produced 41 free virtual events and videos, a number of which are available on demand. This is an incredible leap forward for our small nonprofit (we have a full-time staff of 4) and we couldn’t have done it without the support of friends like you and, of course, our incredible cadre of artists and collaborators.
To everyone who has attended one of our free programs, made a gift, or otherwise supported our efforts over the past year, we send our thanks. This has been a difficult year for the performing arts, yet we find ourselves overwhelmed with gratitude for the outpouring of support we’ve received from donors, artists, friends, and colleagues, and hopeful for a brighter future that lies ahead.
Should you wish to make a contribution to support our ongoing programming and provide critical resources to ensure our ability to reopen safely as soon as it is possible, please visit our secure online giving page. Thank you for your generous consideration.
We look forward to welcoming our audiences back to the theatre safely, and hopefully very soon.
David J. Kitto (he/him)
Executive Director
The National Theatre Foundation