Set the Stage Campaign

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. 

Now – June 30, 2026; $500,000 match; every dollars counts twice! (1)

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 April 16, 2026.

$5 Million+
Hayes Family Foundation

$1 Million+
Don & Marilyn Allan

Rick & Beth Costello
Karl Krapek
The Hartford
Christopher & Mary Swift

Travelers

$500,000+
Jill Adams & Bill Knight
Judith Meyers & Richard Hersch
The Richard P. Garmany Fund at Greater Hartford Gives Foundation
Jack & Donna Sennott

$250,000+
David & Janice Klein

$100,000+
Douglas & Sheryl Adkins
Sue Ann Collins
Robert & Francine Goldfarb Family Fund
Barnaby W. Horton & Hannah Granfield-Horton
Wes & Chloe Horton
Christopher Larsen
Thomas & Margah Lips
The Katherine K. McLane & Henry R. McLane Charitable Trust
Chrissie & Ezra Ripple
Sally Speer
Sally & Allan Taylor
The Zachs Family Foundation

$50,000+
Suzanne & John Bourdeaux
Ellen Brown & Jim Bean
The Estate of Zeus Goldberg
Carrie & Jonathan Hammond
Walter & Dianne Harrison
Barbara & Matthew Hennessy
The Estate of Mary Jean Kilfoil
Barri Marks
Marjorie E. Morrissey
The Pryor Family Foundation

$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 & John Byrnes
The Edgemer Foundation
Marilda Gandara & Scott O’Keefe
The Estate of Christine Hunihan
Katherine J. Lambert
Andy & Jennifer Pace
Brewster & Judith Perkins
Rosalie Roth
Judith & William Thompson
Elease & Dana Wright

$5,000+
Jamie & Isaac Cohen
Devon & Thomas Francis
William Gratz & James Bruno
David Hawkanson
Annie Hildreth & Ted Potters
George A.+ & Helen Ingram
Theodore & Nancy Johnson
The Nafe E. Katter Trust
Bernhard L. Kohn, Jr. & Carol Kohn
Daniel & Arlene Neiditz
William A. Petit, Jr. in honor of Karl Krapek
Ted Whittemore
Sherwood & Maggie Willard

Under $5,000
Kyle Abraham & Claire Sylvestre-Abraham
Anonymous
The Harry F. & Carol H. Barnes Family Foundation
Rahul Barua
David & Kathleen Bavelas
Veronica Beaupre
Elizabeth Berman
Silvia Bettega
John Bolduc
Katherine Bonner Russo
Robert & Catherine Boone
Joel Brehm & Rodney Douglas
James & Dorothy Bridgeman
Patti Broad
Midred Button & Lewis Button III
James & Mildred Bzdyra
Mary Cahalane & David Weill
Frank & Jane Carlozzi
Deirdre Cherry
Coryn Clark
Brennden D. Colbert & Brittnee Johnson-Colbert
Donna Collins
Kate & John Collins
Ellen & William Conlon
Mark & Marybeth Contreras
Alona Croteau
Alana & Matthew Curren
Anne D’Alleva
Jean Degan
Ronald & Phyllis DeMaine
Valerie F. DeQuattro
Andrew Diaz-Matos & Josye Utick
David & Diane Doot
John & Jacqueline Doran
Warren Dutkiewicz
Mary Ellison
George & Laura Estes
Janet Bailey Faude
Christine Fisch
Anne Fitzgerald
Thomas E. Fogarty
Steven Gagnon
Gary & Susan Giordano
Denise Granell
Matthew & Katherine Grosso
Cornelia Hamilton
Emily & Patrick Harrington
Jane Harris
Rydell Harrison

Robert Henry
Samuel Higgins
Janet Hooper
Timothy Howe
Edward Hoyer
Mary C. Huntington
William & Judy Hyde
Jackie & Drew Iacovazzi
Carolyn A. Johnson
Dean Kavalkovich
Waldemar & Judith Kostrzewa
Lindsey Kotulski & Alan Fiondella
Michelle Kunzman & Steve Szafman
Marcia Lattimore
Patte & James Leathe
James Lindberg
Dan Lloyd & Cheryl Greenberg
Adlyn & Theodore Loewenthal
Nancy Lundy
Aaron Lyles & Samantha Weragoda
Kathleen Lynch
Amy & Neal Mandell
Frank McNamara
Marianne Melchionde
Steven Minkler
Anne Newhall
TJ Noel-Sullivan
Michael Norris
Avra Novarr
Nancy Pacht
Andrew Palmer
Chris & Louis Pandolfe
Robert Parrott & Sally Wister
Michelle Pascetta
Sarah M. Patterson & Dominic Fair
Carl & Alvyra Pavano
Robert & Joan Penney
Scott & Jean Peterson
Wendy Peterson
Ralph & Elyse Petzold
Doris Phillips
Tyler Philpott
Eileen & Elliot Pollack
Elizabeth & Michael Reilly
Jonathan Rincon
Laura & John Roche
Michael Ross
Stephen James Russo
Mary Salazar
Gil & Katherine Salk
George Sanders
Jeanne Horn Schmidt
Steven & Karen Schutzer
Patricia Scully
Marisela Sener
Frank Sentner
David Shapiro
Frank Siver
Pamela & Peter Sobering
Carolyn Spencer
Bruce Steinway
Claire Stermer
Katherine Steven
Marilyn J. Stoudt
Anthony Straiges
Jean Thomas
Rhonda Tobin & Jeffrey Smith
Paul & Karen Torop
Jeffrey Vida & Thomas Connolly
Beth Webster
Richard Wenner
Kathleen & Rick White
Gary & Beth Wilgus
Patty & Mark Willis
Charles & Sandy Wiseman
Diana & Jonathan Yeisley
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

David Polk
Chrissie Ripple
Claire Stermer
Jeffrey Vida
Sherwood Willard

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