Two foundations have offered to assist downtown Little Rock's Arkansas Repertory Theatre — with the condition that the theater help in its own salvation by matching the two high-dollar grants totaling more than $1 million.
The Rep will receive $75,000 up front from the Siloam Springs-based Windgate Charitable Foundation toward the Rep’s “Our Next Act” campaign. John E. Brown III, the foundation’s executive director, describes the remaining $925,000 of the $1 million as “a challenge grant” that the Rep will have to match.
In addition, the John & Robyn Horn Foundation has approved a challenge grant of $25,000 designated for “general support.” The Rep will have to match that amount as well.
The theater’s board of directors announced April 24 that, facing a substantial debit, it would suspend current operations, including canceling the final production of the Rep’s 2017-18 season, and cease planning for 2018-19.
As of Wednesday, the Rep had raised $113,000 from nearly 400 donors, pulling in $17,000 alone from Tuesday’s “Rally for the Rep” outside the theater. Earlier it had announced that it would need between $750,000 and $1 million in short order to get its financial head above water and be able to consider planning for the future.
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.