To the St. Petersburg arts community,
For the past 49 years, American Stage has served the greater St. Petersburg community as a storied and beloved arts institution. Throughout that time, the company has continually grown, adapted, and evolved alongside our ever-changing city.
As the institution goes through a leadership transition on the eve of our 49th season, American Stage is tasked with once again reinventing itself. Amidst the uncertainty and economic challenges facing us (and all arts organizations nationwide), I choose to see an opportunity to shift, to adapt, and to grow. In this critical moment, I find myself simultaneously looking backwards while dreaming of what’s to come. How can we look to the legacy of American Stage’s rich history to help us envision our shared future?
This is why we are thrilled to announce The Bridge to 50. This 49th season, we are focused on providing the organization a stable pathway towards what will be our historic 50th season in 2027. We are proud to present these changes to our upcoming season, announce a new ticketing structure, and deepen our investment into our local community.
As we build this Bridge to 50, we reflect upon the groundwork laid over the last 49 years; a renewed commitment to our mission of presenting classic, iconic works of the American theatre canon; a deep investment in our local community, both through the stories we tell and the artists we hire; and increased accessibility through a new, sliding scale ticketing model, which will open our doors for new audiences, who may otherwise have been priced out.
The path forward is not without challenges; as we look towards the future, we must hone our focus towards our core mission. With this in mind, we have made the difficult decision to pause our Beyond the Stage program for this current season. As a co-creator of the Tales by Twilight series, I have a personal investment in this programming, and it was not a decision made lightly. However, with these changes and the support of our community, we position ourselves to grow stronger than ever for our 50th season and beyond.
As a St. Petersburg native who grew up attending the annual Park show, I have a deep love for this community, for American Stage, and the traditions formed around sharing live theatre. For this is a communal artform.
We cannot do it alone. Now, more than ever, the most important thing you can do to support American Stage is simple: come to the theatre.
Will you join me in building The Bridge to 50?
With gratitude,
Anthony Gervais
Interim Artistic Director