Desert Rose Playhouse ReOpening Project

I have always been a firm believer in the fact that “You Never Know Where You Will Be A Year From Now.”
 
I think that statement has become a solid reality for all of us in the last 14 months. 
 
When theatres were forced to shut their doors in March of 2020, none of us had any idea that this was not to be a temporary roadblock but a new way of life to all of us for a very long time to come.
 
The Desert Rose Playhouse was in the middle of its most successful season since its conception over 8 years prior and to everyone involved, Life was going great and we had just opened another well received production called “Beautiful Thing” and was nearing a sold out run before opening weekend was even completed.  Then the pandemic hit.  We performed only 3 shows.
 
The Desert Rose Playhouse was one of the very first theatre companies in Coachella Valley to cancel performances and very soon after we came to the harsh realization that the entire production would have to scrapped. We found ourselves going from Top of the World to desperation and uncertainty overnight.  Our tiny Black Box Theatre with 75 seats and 8 foot ceilings was in serious jeopardy and there wasn’t a thing we could do about it.  Eventually were forced to come to the conclusion that we had no other options and we had to close our doors forever.
 
While packing up years of beautiful memories to be taken to a storage unit or sold off we all cried daily.  We were not only losing a best friend and place of joy and comfort for so many but I was watching my life long dream slowly dissolve to Covid.
 
In that darkness came a miracle in the form of a 7,000 square foot night club in the heart of downtown Palm Springs.  It seemed like a beautiful dream come true… but the hard reality was that it was basically impossible to achieve.  Our tiny theatre company had lost many tens of thousands of dollars in unrefundable royalties and performance rights, show rehearsals, promotional and production costs, refunded tickets, and finally months of paying full rent for an empty building we couldn’t use.
 
We were broke and on the way to finding new 9 to 5 jobs or basically anything that would keep a roof over our own heads while we tried to figure out our next steps so acquiring a huge new theatre in downtown Palm Springs with 5 times the space and basically 5 times the seating capacity seemed ridiculous and even irresponsible considering all of our resources had been dried up.
 
But I have never been one to lose the gift of having a dream so I decided to just reach out to our community and see what would happen.  
 
That next day we gained access to the space and I recorded a video and I asked for help saying “IF this is something the community would like to have for themselves and others once we got through the pandemic and returned to life, then please give and make it happen.”
 
Within 7 days of posting the video, we had received enough financial support from all of you to be able to pay the deposit and sign the lease.
 
Then the real challenges began.  The space had been closed almost 2 years and had been neglected for several more and in the middle of the pandemic, we were forced to work with a skeletal crew and begin the now 10 month long process of creating a new state of the art theatre from the ashes of two failed businesses.
 
Each day I walk into the space I am humbled and filled with awe and gratitude that during one of the darkest times in many of our lives, we were given the opportunity of a lifetime to build a venue that will bring us a all joy, tears, laughter, and monumental creative for decades to come.
 
It hasn’t been easy.  Some days I questioned if we would be able to see the new theatre actually open.  But with every challenge we have faced and every request for needed support, you… our community, has responded and said that you will Not allow this to fail.
 
We are almost at the end of this incredible chapter in all our lives and there is finally a beautiful and bright light growing daily at the end of this seemingly unending tunnel.
 
This is the last phase and we simply can’t stop now.
 
The theatre is almost ready for you all to see what you have made possible.
 
The lights are hung, the sound system is installed, the new 20 person dressing room is beginning construction, we just announced our new LGBTQ Youth Performing Arts Outreach Program and we are ready to start rehearsals for the remaining 2021 productions and begin programming our 10 year Anniversary Season!
 
So many amazing things are coming to fruition from your generosity and confidence in the Desert Rose Playhouse.
 
Right now we plan to raise the beautiful new Austrian Stage Curtain on June 17th with our first production, The Miss Firecracker Contest by Beth Henley being followed by a full schedule of quality productions and special events already booked into early 2022.
 
 
We are so excited for the future but we need your continued support to see it all the way through.
 
The final stages include finishing the required upgrades to the electrical, plumbing, and fire systems along with much needed cosmetic work and a very deep cleaning… and of course, a new sign for the venue.
 
But again, “It Takes A Village.”
 
So,
 
If you have it in your heart and within your means to make a donation to help us to finish this amazing and very special community project then please know that you are the reason we are still here and we will continue to be here as long as we have your continued support.
 
We cant thank you enough for allowing us this opportunity thus far and your continued support will only contribute your arts community for years to come.
 
Thank You

Robbie Wayne and Matthew McLean
Artistic and Managing Directors 
Desert Rose Productions, Inc.