Oh, oh, and they're not the only one:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Theater Artaud in trouble <BR>Fund-raiser Oct. 11 for troubled space<P>Steven Winn, SF Chronicle<P>Saddled with a $200,000-plus deficit, Theater Artaud is teetering on the brink. The cavernous South of Market performance space, which has presented scores of important and emerging artists over the past 30 years, will close in November unless an infusion of cash and new initiatives can revive the organization.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><a href=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/09/27/DD39311.DTL target=_blank>More</a>

Another view:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Rethinking Theater Artaud<P>Rachel Howard, SF Examiner<P> Yet another key city arts space is facing imminent closure, unless it can raise $100,000 by next month.<P> Theater Artaud, the converted Mission District can factory celebrating its 30th anniversary as a venue for experimental theater and dance, must pay off half of its $200,000 operating deficit immediately to keep its doors open.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><a href=http://www.examiner.com/ex_files/default.jsp?story=X1008ARTAUDw target=_blank>More</a>

From the SF Chronicle. Nice of them to stop by...<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Stripping, stunts at Harvest party <BR>Artists and public rally to save Artaud<P>Steven Winn, Chronicle Theater Critic <P>Performers danced outdoors, scaled fences, twirled fire and rappelled down the facade of Theater Artaud. Two arts administrators stripped naked for the cause. The audience downed beer and Brussels sprouts dispensed by local restaurants and ponied up donations. <P>In a kind of high-concept rent party, Thursday's Harvest event filled Florida Street near 17th with four hours of street theater. The admission-free benefit was the showiest part of a continuing strategy to save Theater Artaud.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/10/13/DD166730.DTL&type=performance" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P>

It is amazing what people will do to support the arts, to the point of stripping to raise money. However, word on the street was that the donations were disappointingly small.

Guess they thought it was a FREE SHOW.....

Maybe I personally would have specified "an article of clothing per every $10,000 donation". I know that sounds mercernary, but hey, if you're going to strip, you must as well get a bundle of money for it.

Trina, from what I heard, they only got 1/10th that amount... now remember to also divide that by the five people who stripped. Not much to <I>show</I> for it, is it?<P>My biggest fear, even though this event is bringing attention to the crisis, is what this does to the international reputation of Theater Artaud, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the arts community in general in crazy San Francisco.<p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited October 14, 2001).]

Sounds like they did not plan the proper allocation of their resources.

Well, WordFox, maybe they didn't have that much to begin with. Oh wait, you said "resources." I thought you meant "assets."<p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited October 15, 2001).]

I am not surprised that this theater is in trouble or that their fundraiser was not very successful. The word about town has been that this facility is very hard to work with, they are very selective for no apparent reason and they have 3 dark days for every performance that is given. This is another example of bad management of a great space in San Francisco. It was just a matter of time...

Azlan:<P>One must always be sure to differentiate between one's resources and one's assettes.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>My biggest fear, even though this event is bringing attention to the crisis, is what this does to the international reputation of Theater Artaud, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the arts community in general in crazy San Francisco.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>The main damage Azlan is to your own reputation for not letting me know this was taking place. <P>

Maybe the donations weren't all that was small.

From <B>Yerba Buena arts director bares it all</B> by Lord Martine in the San Franisco Chronicle:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>John Killacky has such vehemence for the arts that he'll do anything for the cause -- including get naked. The 49-year-old executive director of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts did indeed remove every article of his clothing (for a price) at a recent fund-raiser for Theater Artaud. <P>He aroused $3,000-plus.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/11/09/WB36461.DTL" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A>

Good news?<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Theater Artaud gets a reprive<BR>By Rachel Howard<BR>Of The Examiner Staff<P> Supporters of Theater Artaud had a lot to be grateful for over the Thanksgiving holiday after the venue's board voted to keep the key Mission District performing arts space open until August 2002.<P> The 300-seat converted can factory, which over the course of its 30-year history has helped bring national attention to Bay Area artists like Margaret Jenkins and the Kronos Quartet, warned last month that it would shut down Nov. 1 unless it immediately raised $200,000 to retire its outstanding debt.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.examiner.com/ex_files/default.jsp?story=X1125ARTAUDw" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A>