Help HOOLIGAN Revitalize Student Theatre At UCLA!

We are HOOLIGAN Theatre Company at UCLA and we need your help! HOOLIGAN is a completely student-run and directed educational theatre company aimed to provide a professional theatre experience for students of all majors and to revitalize, educate, and enrich the theatre community.

Thanks to the generous donations we received last year, HOOLIGAN was able to address the difficulties created by the pandemic. This year, we hope to build on that momentum, but the past two and a half years have truly taken their toll on the arts community around the globe and in LA. Pre-existing financial and structural challenges experienced by arts organizations at UCLA have been magnified. Your support is essential for us to continue our recovery from the pandemic and overcome these issues.

A bit about us:

HOOLIGAN Theatre Company has the distinction of being the largest student-run theatre company at UCLA. Since our founding in 2006, HOOLIGAN has continued to provide professional, completely student-led plays, musicals, one acts, and showcases to the public and thousands of UCLA students, and we have accomplished this in large part because of the financial support from our surrounding community. Our mission statement is as follows: HOOLIGAN Theatre Company is a not-for-profit organization that provides a professional theatre experience for students of all aspirations to revitalize, educate, and enrich the theatre community. HOOLIGAN Theatre Company is currently in its 18th season, which comprises Sweeney Todd, Once Upon a Mattress, Spamalot, and Pride and Prejudice..

While there are many opportunities for students to get involved in theatre on UCLA’s campus, HOOLIGAN is unique in that it provides these opportunities to students of all majors and all experience levels. All students involved in our productions will be given opportunities to improve their skills or learn new skills within the theatre trade. These skills range from performance (singing, acting, dancing) to design (scenic, lighting, sound, hair and makeup, costumes, and props) to creative directing (vocals, choreography, directing, conducting). HOOLIGAN is about giving opportunities to students and providing access to affordable, high-quality theater found nowhere else on campus. By the time a student completes their time with HOOLIGAN, they will be equipped with a variety of new skills poised to help them take on any professional endeavor, theatrical or not — and hopefully, plenty of new memories, too.

The audience for all of HOOLIGAN’s programs is comprised of the UCLA, Westwood, and greater Los Angeles community. UCLA students receive tickets for free, while UCLA faculty, parents, and theatre enthusiasts throughout Westwood and LA enjoy HOOLIGAN’s productions. The audience is exposed to professional-level productions, art, and compelling stories, including first-time exposure for many college students, at no cost.

Why we need your help:

For the above reasons, we hope to raise $18,000 for our 18th season this academic year. Your donations help us pay for equipment necessary to run our shows, our venues, and aid in reducing the financial burden to fundraise amongst our student body.

As stated by Kristin Sakoda, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, "The arts are vital to the wellbeing of our communities and our region’s recovery in this pivotal moment, but our cultural sector cannot fulfill that mission without additional support.” That being said, help us bridge the financial gap necessary to continue bringing accessible, educational, and professional-level theatre to the UCLA community.

What you can do:

Although we are looking for financial support at this time, even just sharing this message with your network would help us tremendously, spreading the word about our mission statement and our dire need for assistance. Coming up on our 18th season, HOOLIGAN has helped generations of UCLA students find their voice on stage, behind the scenes, or even simply around campus. We are in desperate need of financial support to continue bringing such magic to the UCLA arts community. If we could reach just 1,000 people in our community, who each donated $18, we would be able to reach our goal of funding our season, consisting of 4 professional, high-quality productions.

Thank you so much for your support, and we look forward to seeing you in our audience this season!