10/06/2022
The Hangar Theatre launched a community-wide fundraising effort on September 16 to “Keep the Hangar Soaring High!” as they make plans for a more stable and sustainable future.
The Hangar, a year-round performance venue operating in a unique theatrical space converted from a WPA-era airplane hangar (once an essential training ground for WWII pilots) located on the banks of beautiful Cayuga Lake since 1975, offers professional theatrical productions and education programs during an expansive and diverse summer season (June-August) and hosts local and national musical acts, community arts groups and events, and education programs during the remaining months of the year (September to May).
“Our 2022 summer season was incredibly successful from an artistic, educational, and production perspective” reflects Hangar’s Artistic Director Shirley Serotsky. “We produced 5 excellent Mainstage productions, 3 joyous KIDDSTUFF Theatre for Young Audiences shows, 3 thought-provoking Hangar Wedge FutureNow theatre workshops, and 21 inspiring week-long sessions of the Hangar’s Next Generation School of Theatre. We were able to produce indoors, accommodating audiences eager to be back inside, and outdoors, which increased accessibility for individuals and families, especially those with specific health needs. The new outdoor tent shielded us from the elements and provided a flexible and innovative space for our most buzz-worthy productions, several of which were regional or world premieres. The feedback we’ve received from audiences, some longtime supporters of the Hangar and others attending their first Hangar shows, has been enthusiastic and encouraging, with folks sharing their gratitude about having access to such high quality and resonant shows right in their collective backyards. But we also faced many of the same challenges that small businesses across the region have experienced: staffing shortages, skyrocketing inflation, and rising housing and travel costs. We continue to believe that access to the arts is an essential and urgent tool for strengthening community bonds, improving mental health, instigating important dialogues, and sparking joy and we are committed to finding more stable and sustainable ways of offering these transformative outcomes.”
All proceeds raised by the “Keep the Hangar’s Soaring High!” campaign will help sustain the Hangar Theatre and its many programming streams and assure that this essential arts organization remains a strong and vital part of the Ithaca community. For more information or to give to the campaign, please visit: www.hangartheatre.org/soaring
About the Hangar Theatre
The Hangar Theatre is located at 801 Taughannock Blvd., north of Ithaca on Route 89 on the shores of Cayuga Lake. Originally opened as a summer theatre in 1975, the Hangar is home to the Hangar Theatre Company and serves as a venue for a variety of performing artists and community organizations. The Hangar Theatre Company offers professional theatrical productions throughout the year and a renowned education program.
Hangar Mission
The Hangar Theatre creates and presents performances of exceptional quality in New York’s Finger Lakes region while training the next generation of theatre artists. We inspire our community with work and classes that enrich, entertain, and enlighten. We believe in the power of theatre to transform lives.
