Courtesy TheatreSquared

Two major gifts this year have pushed TheatreSquared closer to its goal of raising money for its new permanent home in downtown Fayetteville.

A $1.5 million gift from the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable foundation was announced in mid-March, and a $1 million commitment was made last week by Lynn and Joel Carver. Lynn Carver is chair of the board for TheatreSquared.

The donations put TheatreSquared at $27 million toward the $31.5 million needed to fund the design, construction and equipping of the new buildings, and $2.5 million sought to establish a trust to provide for the company’s future.

Construction of the new facility is wrapping up at the southeast corner of West Avenue and Spring Street. The new buildings include two performance stages, rehearsal areas, costume and prop shops, dressing rooms, a green room, administrative offices, and eight apartments for guest artists. Public common areas with educational and gathering spaces were also included in the design.

The Fayetteville City Council in March 2017 contributed $3.1 million toward the project. A $3 million grant from the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission followed shortly after that.

The Walton Family Foundation donated $12.5 million in April 2017, and another $1.8 million in September of that year.

The Carvers designated that $500,000 of their gift be used as a matching challenge in honor of former TheatreSquared board president and founding board member Bob Kohler. Once the match is completed, the public meeting and education space will be named the Robert C. Kohler Community Room. The new facility’s box office will be named after the Carvers.

TheatreSquared will host the first performances of Shakespeare in Love in the new theatre in August.

For more information about the company’s capital campaign, visit ournextstage.org.