It’s official … the Bruns Memorial Amphitheater has a new tenant.
It was nearly 35 years ago when California Shakespeare Theater, also known as Cal Shakes, moved its productions from John Hinkel Park in Berkeley to the Bruns stage nestled in the Orinda hills.
But that stage has been quiet for the past year, since hosting Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” for Cal Shakes’ 50th anniversary.
That’s about to change, according to Campbell Foster, chairman and founder of the non-profit Siesta Valley Foundation, which will build off Cal Shakes’ history and run the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)-owned amphitheater with operating partner Siesta Valley Bowl.
The dual entity structure of non-profit landowners or leaseholders alongside a mission-aligned operating partner isn’t an uncommon one, said Foster, pointing to similar operational models, such as the New Orleans Jazz Festival and the Hollywood Bowl.
Foster said that Siesta Valley Bowl will contribute 10% of its profits, and $3 per ticket, to support the Foundation’s mission of protecting, preserving and enhancing the Siesta Valley.
Siesta Valley is a little-known geographic area of Lamorinda stretching roughly from Briones and El Toyonal in the north, Canyon in the south and just before the Caldecott Tunnel in the west. Both the amphitheater and the Wilder development sit squarely within Siesta Valley,a geographic feature seldom mentioned prior to this group’s collaboration with EBMUD.
“The model will cover many day-to-day operating expenses while we look for public support for conservation, community and culture, making it possible to expand and develop the 10-acre Siesta Valley property,” he said.
It’s a change that Foster said will offer more economic stability, as the new Siesta Valley Bowl gears up to broaden its offerings with live music spanning all kinds of genres, alongside a continuation of live theater.
Projected programming also includes film, dance and educational offerings, all adding up to 40 to 50 annual events in total.
“So we’re running it as a mixed-use performing arts center,” said Foster, adding that the goal is to have the Bowl up and running by April, with minor cosmetic improvements such as parking lot repairs, painting and some rearranging.
As for longer-term upgrades, Foster said that more seats in the amphitheater to double its capacity would be ideal, “so we can serve more East Bay residents and share the experience with more people.”
Currently, the venue’s capacity stands at around 540 sitting attendees, and approximately 750 standing.
The list of proposed improvements for the revival of the amphitheater also includes the addition of an indoor, multi-use facility.
“The benefit for us is we could do year-round performances, and the benefit for [EBMUD] is they get this watershed education center,” said Foster, calling the facility’s possible use as a bookable community center a win – not just for the Lamorinda area – but for other East Bay communities as well.
“EBMUD looks forward to seeing this agreement preserve the watershed, revive a regional arts landmark and generate sustained community and financial value,” EBMUD board President Marguerite Young said in a Nov. 12 press release.
Foster cited the support of local politicians, members of Lafayette’s Park Theater Trust and the Lafayette Chamber, a former Cal Shakes board member, and the Foundation’s engagement of a land use attorney in enabling a smoother planning process.
Meanwhile, EBMUD retains access to the existing site for meetings or other events, with Siesta Valley programming set to take scheduling precedence. EBMUD will also establish a native plant and bird garden as part of the agreement.
EBMUD’s Director of Water and Natural Resources Alice Towey expressed the agency’s excitement at the entertainment, cultural programming and educational opportunities presented by the new lease signing with Siesta Valley Bowl.
“The venue’s new operators are beginning to put their plans into motion, and we are encouraged by their vision for the long-term future of this community asset,” she said.
Siesta Valley has the option for an additional 10 years to be added to the current 15-year lease with EBMUD, should the Foundation make capital improvements, such as connecting the site to sewer and water – a move that Foster said would cut operating costs, provide consistent water quality and help the environment, all at once.
“Siesta Valley Bowl is being revitalized for all East Bay communities,” said Siesta Valley Bowl Inc. Founder and Chairman Tom Romary in the EBMUD press release.
Foster said the project’s aim is to increase outreach into the local community, an aspect that he feels could be strengthened this time around. He also echoed Romary’s sentiment.
“It is open to anyone who wants to book it in California,” he said. “So we encourage non-profits from Oakland, we encourage non-profits from Richmond and from Hayward, from wherever, to come and book it. We want it to be for all the East Bay, not just for Lamorinda.”
