Given a 10-day deadline in which to raise $300,000 or close its doors, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, the nationally renowned professional theatre company in residence at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has met its goal.

While the final count may not be available until all gifts are processed, the UCSC gift administration office has confirmed a preliminary total of $416,417 from more than 2,050 individual donors. This means the nonprofit company, with its core staff of seven, can now begin the hard work of producing its 2009 summer season in the outdoor redwood Festival Glen and the indoor Mainstage theatres.

Artistic Director Marco Barricelli sees this extraordinary outpouring of support as a validation for the arts.

“We have been sent a very clear message, and that message is: Theatre matters," he said.  "The arts are an important and integral part of our lives, and though times may be difficult, we refuse to live without the inspiration and grace afforded us by great writers, actors, directors and artists. Through their efforts, we are able to relish this precious gift of life in ways otherwise impossible.”

Managing Director Marcus Cato acknowledges the thousands of supporters who responded to the challenge.

“We at SSC are so grateful to the many, many people and organizations who have stepped up to say that we are important, especially in these difficult economic times," Cato said. "We now have the opportunity, and obligation, to respond in kind to our supporters with a commitment to both artistic integrity and fiscal responsibility. The next steps will be equally challenging as we set out to produce an exciting season, launch our annual fund campaign and get ticket sales off the ground. We are ever grateful to be able to do so.”

While the festival has proposed a reduced 2009 budget of $1.45 million (down from $2 million in 2008), the budget preserves the level of artistic excellence that is its hallmark. The newly minted season includes one of the most endearing of Shakespeare’s comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the edgy, political tragedy, Julius Caesar, both performing in the outdoor Festival Glen. Rounding out the Shakespeare offerings, Artistic Director Barricelli continues to showcase contemporary American works with the Bay Area premier of the family-friendly Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) by Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Donald Margulies, to be performed on the indoor Mainstage Theatre. The season will run from mid-July through August 2009.