SEATTLE — The Taproot Theatre in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood will be able to move forward with its summer programming thanks to a boost from the community.
Last month, copper wire thieves stripped and badly damaged three rooftop HVAC units.
The vandalism and theft set the theatre back $400,000, and staff said they were afraid they wouldn’t be able to pull off the summer shows.
As of Monday, June 1, Taproot Theatre confirmed that they had exceeded their $400,000 fundraising goal thanks to the community’s contributions to the Together with Taproot campaign.
Thanks to community efforts, the show can — and will — go on as the theatre celebrates its 50th season.
Check out the full statement from Taproot Theatre below:
Taproot Theatre exceeds its $400,000 fundraising goal by June 1 deadline and nearly completes HVAC construction. After two of the theatre’s three air-conditioning units were destroyed and stripped for their copper, the theatre launched its “Together With Taproot” campaign on April 27 to raise funding for a comprehensive overhaul of its Jewell Mainstage HVAC system. Now, five weeks later, community support has saved Taproot from interruptions to summer programming.
As of last night, the “Together With Taproot” campaign received <b>$422,200.57</b> from <b>1,280</b> individual donors, 624 of whom were first-time donors. In addition to financial support, Representative Liz Berry, Councilmember Dan Strauss, and others connected Taproot with the City of Seattle Office of Construction and Permitting to move the HVAC project forward weeks faster than originally anticipated.
Construction began May 14, and a crane delivered new HVAC units to Taproot’s roof on May 18. With <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/e.wordfly.com/click?sid=MjQxNV80NjI0XzM5OTQ0XzcwMDQ&l=629aef89-d15d-f111-a83f-0050569d9d1d&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20260601TogetherwithTaprootcompletion-pressrelease&utm_content=version_A__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!fuNYD-nsHhBmlqDbs7MnWy91DvGJp2q_zxhOCZSa2LXjML_JkgPGCs4T2LDiy9JMGxsoZuLMdMCOoRXP9QO6$" rel=""><i><b>Barefoot in the Park</b></i></a> running in the Jewell Mainstage Theatre, Emerald Aire was able to work around performance schedules and get the HVAC system functioning by May 21. No performances were canceled due to construction.
The theatre is now able to confidently proceed with its summer programming, including a production of <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/e.wordfly.com/click?sid=MjQxNV80NjI0XzM5OTQ0XzcwMDQ&l=639aef89-d15d-f111-a83f-0050569d9d1d&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20260601TogetherwithTaprootcompletion-pressrelease&utm_content=version_A__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!fuNYD-nsHhBmlqDbs7MnWy91DvGJp2q_zxhOCZSa2LXjML_JkgPGCs4T2LDiy9JMGxsoZuLMdMCOoRWp5LXR$" rel=""><i><b>Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat</b></i></a> opening July 10 and summer camps for over 350 students starting June 22.
After recovering from many other hardships in its history, including a ruinous fire in 2009, this tragic incident came at a time of celebration for the theatre—Taproot’s 50th Anniversary Season—but has become a heartwarming experience full of community support and unwavering generosity.
“We have been so deeply moved by the outpouring of support from our community, friends, and neighbors in response to this unexpected and costly need,” Producing Artistic Director Karen Lund said. “Thanks to this incredible generosity, we won’t miss a beat—the funds were raised, the HVAC is repaired, and we are profoundly grateful for the love and care that carried us through this moment.”
To prevent future vandalism and theft, Taproot has installed cages around its rooftop AC units. The theatre will also partake in the City of Seattle’s <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/e.wordfly.com/click?sid=MjQxNV80NjI0XzM5OTQ0XzcwMDQ&l=649aef89-d15d-f111-a83f-0050569d9d1d&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20260601TogetherwithTaprootcompletion-pressrelease&utm_content=version_A__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!fuNYD-nsHhBmlqDbs7MnWy91DvGJp2q_zxhOCZSa2LXjML_JkgPGCs4T2LDiy9JMGxsoZuLMdMCOoedih5qN$" rel=""><b>Back to Business</b></a> program, improving building security measures that prevent property damage.
— Taaproot Theatre
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