YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
2026 SEASON CANCELED
Q: "Is it fair for the theatre program at University HS to have to move their summer program to another location because SVST wanted certain dates?"
A: Of course not. SVST has always and will continue to be supportive of U-Drama students and programming. This sentiment is exactly why SVST strongly advocated to be at Central Valley HS for the 2026 season where there were no known conflicts. The district informed us this was "not an option," with no reason given. Therefore, SVST attempted to make a 2026 summer schedule work at UHS. Conflicts, however, made it impossible for us to successfully move ahead with a season.
Q: "The school district told The Spokesman Review that SVST was granted 66 out of its 77 requested days. Is this true? If so, why aren’t you moving ahead with the season?”
A: This statistic is misleading. When a Friday Conservatory camp performance is canceled, for example, it forces our organization to cancel the entire week of camp programming leading up to it. Therefore, each day canceled or altered has a ripple effect on the entire season.
Q: “How many performances were canceled in SVST’s 2026 season that prompted the cancellation?”
A: Since our 2026 calendar was originally submitted in August, 13 performances were canceled in total (which accounts for over one third of all summer performances). It is unrealistic for us to execute a successful season and meet budget with these restrictions.
Q: “The school district says SVST grew its programming substantially from 2023 (34 days reserved) to 2024 (74 days reserved). How so?”
A: This statistic is taken out of context and is misleading. Since its first season in 2016, SVST has always sought to program a full three-show musical season. Some seasons, however, that has proved impossible due to district HVAC outages, scheduling issues or the pandemic. SVST could produce only two MainStage productions in 2023 and returned to a full three-show season in 2024, explaining the jump in dates reserved. To be clear, SVST did not add more programming in 2024 than the historical norm.
Q: “Has SVST received an unprompted 50-60% rental discount through the school until this year as the newspaper article implies?”
A: We’re grateful SVST and the Central Valley School District have been long community partners since 2016. However, our fair and negotiated annual rental price was due to SVST providing substantial professional technical equipment (approx. $100k), large set pieces and professional expertise to the local high school theatre programs (UHS and CVHS). This was a mutually beneficial arrangement which the district was aware of and seemed happy to accommodate. The introduction of the district’s new online reservation system "Facilitron" this past year ended any negotiations/consideration of SVST’s impact, thus reflecting a 500% increase in rent.
Q: “What about another space for SVST to perform in like a college, church or high school?”
A: While thoughtful and appreciated, SVST has explored all viable options. At this time, no regional facilities other than our own performing arts center or the theatre spaces at CVHS/UHS would be sufficient for our needs as a professional theatre company. Any other space would be a major step backwards from the production expectations our artists and patrons have for our shows. The way forward is our own home facility, as has been our main focus.
Q: "The district told the newspaper that UHS could not accommodate the dates requested because of ‘previous wear and tear on the facilities.’ They contradict themselves later in the article by saying it couldn’t accommodate SVST due to prioritizing the ‘high school theatre student’s use.’ Which is it?"
A: SVST is aware of no ‘facility wear and tear’ during its entire ten year history. In fact, the organization often spent internal funds to replace burnt out lightbulbs and other non-operational facility items. Additionally, SVST staff spent several days deep cleaning facility spaces at the conclusion of each season to ensure all areas were left better than they were found. This is documented by end-of-season facility photos maintained by our staff. Moreover, SVST rent was said to cover “basic janitorial” including bathroom cleaning and garbage removal, which was often not the case due to understandable district scheduling challenges. SVST staff was happy to fill-in as necessary by restocking bathroom necessities on performance days and taking out backstage/dressing room garbages daily.
Q: “Did the school district cancel SVST’s contract for a summer season?”
A: No, the school district did not cancel any ‘contract’ for a summer season. SVST came to its own conclusion that it could not proceed with a 2026 season after significant scheduling conflicts with the district at University High School (totaling 13 MainStage musical performances canceled).
Q: "Is SVST simply canceling the season because it can’t afford the district’s rental increase?"
A: SVST remains a successful, financially sound organization. Additionally, a generous donor stepped forward to cover the rent increases/costs associated with the 2025 season. To be clear, SVST canceled the season simply due to significant schedule conflicts which made it impossible for us to move forward with a season.