Dell’Arte International, a world-renowned theater company and school, will celebrate its 50th anniversary this summer. Photos by Andrew Goff.


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Dell’Arte International has staged a successful comeback.

Following a three-month crowdfunding campaign to save the world-renowned theatrical organization, Dell’Arte has exceeded its fundraising aspirations and is now on a triumphant path to celebrate its 50th anniversary this summer.

As of this writing, Dell’Arte has raised $167,345 – well over its $125,000 goal.

“We made it to our fundraising goal, and it was especially awesome that we were even able to surpass it by a good bit,” Tony Fuemmeler, Dell’Arte’s head of training programs, told the Outpost in a recent phone interview. “The funds that we raised through our online campaign really helped to sustain us through October, November and December, and helped us reach the year’s end. Now we can look to build back our programming.”

Dell’Arte’s leadership laid off nearly all of its staff in mid-October in response to “critical cash flow issues” following the end of pandemic-era grants and a significant drop in audience attendance. The organization’s board of directors launched a crowdfunding campaign to save the Blue Lake-based theater company and school, with hopes of raising $125,000 by the end of the year.

Dell’Arte reached (and quickly exceeded) its fundraising goal sometime around the beginning of the year after receiving an influx of cash from its end-of-the-year gala and silent auction. 

“After the gala, I was asked to sum up my feelings, and my response was a single word: joy,” said Dell’Arte Board President Pat Bitton. “I think that’s what we all felt – the joy of community support, the joy of live performance, the joy of hearing the Carlo filled with laughter.”

Now that the theater company has stabilized a bit, Fuemmeler said staff is looking to bring back some programming and hire new staff.

“We’re hoping those programs sustain themselves while we build up our workforce … and expand our capacity to create more programming,” he said. “As we look to the future, we’re hoping to find recurring donors and strong investors to kind of bolster any revenue we get from our programming.”

Asked whether Dell’Arte was in a position to bring back any of the staff members who lost their jobs during the recent layoffs, Fuemmeler said the board of directors is hoping to hire specific positions, including a full charge bookkeeper and a grant writer. 

“In terms of strategy and trying to build towards stability, we’re looking [to hire] those positions first,” he said.

Dell’Arte is still looking to sell its 1.33-acre property, which hosts the Mad River Brewery and Tap Room and several other small units, on Taylor Way in Blue Lake.  The property, acquired by the theater in 2018, is currently listed for $1.5 million.

“Once we sell that [property], it’s going to be a substantial investment in our ability to build back our programming,” Julie Douglas, Dell’Arte’s head of arts engagement, said. “If everything moves in the right direction … we are going to offer some more professional intensives so we can, again, build back that self-sustaining programming and have the support to do that.”

In the meantime, Dell’Arte will continue its winter term of community classes, which vary from yoga training to mask-making to karaoke-specific singing lessons. Carlo Theatre will also host the Papaya Lounge, Home Cookin’ and Appliances and a classical music series in the coming months.

If you’re looking to participate in the organization on a deeper level, Dell’Arte’s Board of Directors is looking for new members. Board President Pat Bitton said the board is currently seven strong, but they’re looking to add a few to the bunch.

“We have our first board meeting of the new year next week, at which we will have three potential new board members as guests; if all three are voted in, that will take us to ten,” Bitton said. “We have a few others ‘in the wings’ who are not quite ready yet – between 11 and 13 board members is probably the sweet spot for us; our bylaws allow us a maximum of 23, but I don’t envisage a board of that size in our future any time soon!”

Those interested in joining the board can contact Dell’Arte at info@dellarte.com.

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