Aurora Theatre Company Goes Dark—and I’m Tired of Losing Places Like This

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

Another day, another theatre going dark. This time, it’s Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley hitting pause on its entire 2025–26 season—and maybe forever. That’s not just a season suspension. That’s an emergency siren screaming from the heart of a company that’s been doing thoughtful, intimate, actor-forward work for over three decades.

And if you're thinking, "Oh, I'm sure they'll bounce back," read the fine print. They're facing a half-million-dollar shortfall and a subscription base that's been cut in half. Half. That’s not a bruise; that’s a broken leg.

Aurora is one of those places that always felt like it existed for the right reasons. Fair pay. Thoughtful programming. A stage so up-close that you can see every twitch of an actor's eye. And now they’re saying they just can’t keep producing shows because the math doesn't work anymore. Ticket sales aren’t covering the costs. Donors are stretched thin. And the audience isn’t coming back the way they used to. Sound familiar?

It should. Because this is happening everywhere. California Shakespeare Theater? Paused. Cutting Ball Theater? Gone. We’ve seen this before and we will keep seeing it until we admit the truth: the nonprofit theatre model in this country is cracking.

It’s not that people don’t love theatre. They do. But we’ve made it so easy to stay home. So easy to scroll. So easy to forget that this thing—this gathering in the dark to watch stories come alive—is fragile. It needs participation. It needs funding. It needs people to care.

Aurora is considering options. Maybe they pivot to co-productions. Maybe they become more of a community arts hub. Maybe they just scale down entirely. But honestly? That’s not a fix. That’s a bandage on a gaping wound.

This isn’t just about one company. It’s about what we lose every time one of these spaces closes its doors. We lose jobs. We lose stories. We lose the chance to sit side-by-side with strangers and feel something together. That’s not melodrama—that’s the reality.

And unless we start treating theatre like the cultural cornerstone it actually is—unless we support it with our wallets, our time, our voices—we’re going to keep waking up to news like this. Again. And again. And again.

Aurora’s not gone yet. But it’s asking for help. The real question is: who’s listening?