Set the Stage
Hartford Stage must act now to sustain and thrive, not just for today, but for decades to come. We have the support of our staff, artists, and community to continue forward together. We can remain a vital part of where we live, work, and play.
Join the Set the Stage Campaign by June 30. Thanks to a $500,000 Match, your donation will have DOUBLE the impact. Be a part of the Legacy of Hartford Stage.
GET INVOLVED
The Time to Act is Now
Help us reach our $20 million dollar campaign fundraising goal.
CUE THE APPLAUSE
THANK YOU to our growing list of campaign contributors!
This list is current as of 2/19/26.
$5 Million+
Hayes Family Foundation
$2 Million +
Stanley, Black & Decker
$1 Million +
Don & Marilyn Allan
Rick & Beth Costello
The Hartford
Karl Krapek
Christopher & Mary Swift
Travelers
$500,000+
Jill Adams & Bill Knight
Judith Meyers & Richard Hersch
Jack & Donna Sennott
The Richard P. Garmany Fund
$250,000+
David & Janice Klein
$100,000+
Doug & Sheryl Adkins
Sue Ann Collins
Robert & Francine Goldfarb
Barnaby W. Horton &
Hannah Granfield-Horton
Wes & Chloe Horton
Christopher Larsen
Thomas & Margah Lips
Chrissie & Ezra Ripple
Sally Speer
Sally & Allan Taylor
The Zachs Family Foundation
$50,000+
John & Suzanne Bourdeaux
Ellen Brown & Jim Bean
Estate of Zeus Goldberg
Carrie & Jonathan Hammond
Walter & Dianne Harrison
Barbara & Matthew Hennessy
Estate of Mary Jean Kilfoil
Barri Marks
Marjorie E. Morrissey
$20,000+
Anonymous
David & Kathleen Jimenez
William & Nancy Narwold
Michael & Colleen Nicastro
Eric Ort & Duffield Ashmead
Linda & Donald Silpe
$10,000+
Anonymous
Sara Bareilles
Marla & Jonathan Byrnes
The Edgemer Foundation
Marilda Gandara & Scott O’Keefe
Estate of Christine Hunihan
Katherine J. Lambert
Andy & Jen Pace
Brewster & Judith Perkins
Rosalie Roth
William & Judith Thompson
Elease & Dana Wright
$5,000+
Jamie & Isaac Cohen
Devon & Thomas Francis
David Hawkanson
Annie Hildreth & Ted Potters
George & Helen Ingram
Theodore & Nancy Johnson
The Nafe E. Katter Trust
Dan & Arlene Neiditz
Dr. William A. Petit, Jr.
Ted Whittemore
Sherwood & Maggie Willard
Under $5,000
Kyle Abraham &
Claire Sylvestre-Abraham
Anonymous
Harry F. & Carol H. Barnes
Rahul Barua
Kathleen & David Bavelas
Elizabeth Berman
John Bolduc
Robert & Catherine Boone
Patti Broad
Mildred Button & Lewis Button III
Mary Cahalane & David Weil
Brennden D. Colbert &
Brittnee Johnson-Colbert
Donna Collins
Kate & John Collins
Mark & Marybeth Contreras
Alona Croteau
Alana & Matthew Curren
Anne D’Alleva
John & Jacqueline Doran
Mary Ellison
George & Laura Estes
Janet Bailey Faude
Thomas E. Fogarty
Gary & Susan Giordano
Matthew & Katherine Grosso
Cornelia Hamilton
Emily & Patrick Harrington
Jane Harris
Rydell Harrison
William & Judy Hyde
Carolyn Johnson
Waldemar & Judith Kostrzewa
Michelle Kunzman & Steve Szafman
Marcia Lattimore
James Lindberg
Dan Lloyd & Cheryl Greenberg
Adlyn & Theodore Loewenthal
Aaron Lyles & Samantha Weragoda
Kathleen Lynch
Amy & Neal Mandell
Marianne Melchionde
Andrew Palmer
Chris & Louis Pandolfe
Robert Parrott & Sally Wister
Sarah Patterson & Dominic Fair
Robert & Joan Penney
Tyler Philpott
Eileen & Elliot Pollack
Elizabeth & Michael Reilly
Michael Ross
Gil & Kathy Salk
George Sanders
Jean Horn Schmidt
Steven & Karen Schutzer
Patricia Scully
Marisela Sener
Pam & Peter Sobering
Claire Stermer
Katherine Steven
Marilyn Stoudt
Rhonda Tobin & Jeffrey Smith
Paul & Karen Torop
Jeffrey Vida & Thomas Connolly
Beth Webster
Richard Wenner
Kathleen & Rick White
Yvette Yelardy & Daniel Morganstern
MISSION & VISION
A Roadmap to Fulfilling Our Mission
The $20 million Set the Stage campaign is focused on two areas where donors can impact the future:
Endowment
Creating a robust endowment will ensure Hartford Stage is here fulfilling its mission for decades to come.
This reliable funding resource will allow us to support our fiscal uncertainties in times of hardship without fear of a fluctuating economy or dining variability. The larger our endowment, the stronger our financial health becomes. We will be able to operate more confidently, and securely to explore new artistic education and community programs.
Programming
Theater sparks a lifelong love for the arts, cultivates empathy and community, and inspires creativity and teamwork.
The runway needed to grow back our audience, expand our reach, and deepen our impact has proven more laborious and costly since the return of live theater following the pandemic than anyone anticipated. As we continue to close the gap on our box office earnings, donor support is crucial to keep showing our community the power of what theater can do.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Did you know?
Hartford Stage must act now to sustain and thrive, not just for today, but for the decades yet to come. We have to remain a vital part of this community, where we live, work, and play.
Why invest now?
The overall patronage of the arts is down 37% in Hartford, since 2020. For us, that is a loss of 50% in subscriptions, or $1M in ticket sales.
Income from ticket sales cover only one-quarter of Hartford Stage’s costs.
Every ticket sold is subsidized! Without charitable gifts, every ticket would cost at least $175!
Every element you see on our stage is created from scratch! We build the sets and costumes right here in Hartford.
Our education programs serve more students than all the other Connecticut theaters combined!
The economic impact of arts and culture organizations is more than $158M in the Greater Hartford region, and more than $73.3B nationwide. The $20 Million raised will secure our future and enhance our impact.
Call to Donate:
860-520-7249
Email to Donate:
gifts@hartfordstage.org
Click to Donate:
Donate Online
Campaign Committee
Campaign Chair
Don Allan
Campaign Vice Chairs
Rick Costello
Rosalie Roth
Committee Members
John Bourdeaux
Marla Byrnes
Jamie Cohen
Brennden Colbert
Sue Ann Collins
Alana Curren
Devon Francis
Marilda Gandara
Darrell Goodwin
Carrie Hammond
Barnaby Horton
Jackie Iacovazzi
David Jimenez
Karl Krapek
Thomas Lips
Michael Nicastro
Andy Pace
David Polk
Chrissie Ripple
Jack Sennott
Claire Stermer
Nathan Sykes
Jeffrey Vida
Sherwood Willard
Katie Woodard
Honorary Committee
Hartford Stage has impacted the lives and careers of many. These loyal supporters, community leaders, and artists are all advocates for the success of this campaign.
Lynn Aherns
Betty Buckley
The Honorable & Mrs. Luke Bronin
Stephen Flaherty
Arnold Greenberg
Walt & Dianne Harrison
Greg & Renata Hayes
Quiara Alegría Hudes
David & Jan Klein
Mark Lamos
Priscilla Lopez
Marsha Mason
Jefferson Mays
Johanna Morrison
John Andrew Morrison
Linda & Donald Silpe
Richard Thomas
Darko Tresjnak
Sharon Washington
Michael Wilson
