Shakespeare in the Ruins is raising a glass to another successful summer season with its exclusive "Cocktails and Conversations" fundraiser, offering theatre lovers a sneak peek at the upcoming season while enjoying music, readings, and delicious food and drinks.
Since 1994, Shakespeare in the Ruins has been entertaining Winnipeg audiences with the best in Shakespeare and Shakespeare-adjacent theatre.
The Trappist Monastery in St. Norbert has become a mecca for theatre lovers—a place where they can soak in the warmth of a Winnipeg summer while enjoying a captivating show.
While the Ruins may currently be covered by the chill and snow of a Winnipeg winter, the team at Shakespeare in the Ruins has been busy planning for another successful summer.
Having ample funds in the coffers will be key to making this summer a success.
This Sunday, at 2 p.m., Shakespeare in the Ruins will host a fundraising event called Cocktails and Conversations at Prairie Theatre Exchange. The event will feature music, readings, and a variety of food and drinks.
This past summer, SIR had a highly successful season, and there is a strong sense that audiences are returning after the pandemic. Rodrigo Beilfuss, Artistic Director of Shakespeare in the Ruins, says, “Last summer was again a record-breaking season.… We had so many sold-out shows... We have a sense that audiences are back. Like they really, really are, and they want this thing that we do, which is live, in-person, not on your phone… an artistic community event.”
Beilfuss is encouraged but also recognizes that successful shows do not always translate to a better financial ledger. As he explains, “If the artists are back and the numbers are up, the costs are also way up.”
There is also a limit to how deep the pockets are for the SIR company. “Our annual budget is about $400,000 a year… An SIR show costs about $150,000 to $200,000,” says Beilfuss.
The cost of putting on a show does not cover the actual running of the organization, nor does it account for paying staff and keeping the lights on during the off-season. It takes months of planning to ensure that the summer is a success, and the company knows it must raise funds. “We have a vast, diversified portfolio of funding and fundraising that we have to access and renew every year… We do that in the off-season to make sure we have money to pay the artists and freelancers.”
On Sunday, SIR will hold their Cocktails and Conversations fundraiser to engage with audience members and donors. As Beilfuss describes the event, “It’s a very limited, exclusive donor appreciation and fundraising event… We offer a bit of art, a bit of music, and some readings, and then we talk about it... There will be a glimpse into the past with these musical offerings, as well as the news of what’s to come in the near future. The point is that you come in, have delicious food and drinks, and get access to the creative process… It’s about recreating what we do in the ruins, a full sensory experience.”
One of the exciting aspects of the Cocktails and Conversations event is that attendees will have a chance to get a sneak peek at SIR’s upcoming season. “We will not announce our season to the public until mid- to end of March… But if they want an exclusive, VIP sneak peek, they have to come to this,” says Beilfuss.
The Cocktails and Conversations fundraiser, presented by Shakespeare in the Ruins, will be an enjoyable event and a great way to support a true gem in the Winnipeg theatre community.
Tickets are $60, and they can be purchased online at shakespeareintheruins.com
"If money goes before, all ways do lie open"
― William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor
