Click to view as PDF | Click to view Annual Report Archive
Dear Friends,
For the past 26 years, New York Classical Theatre has lived by one simple promise: Free Theatre for All. We believe that great theatre should be a public good—a shared civic experience that brings people together, not something that divides us by what we can afford. Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we’ve transformed New York City’s parks, plazas, and public spaces into living stages where people from every background can gather, connect, and experience world-class performances side by side.
That belief has never felt more urgent. At a time when one in four New Yorkers struggles to afford basic necessities, access to the arts is shrinking for millions of people. This year, the federal government cancelled our National Endowment for the Arts grant and our NY State funding was slashed by 75%, deepening a nationwide withdrawal from funding the arts. Yet NY Classical has remained steadfast in its commitment to providing free professional theatre to all—and you made it possible. Your support keeps theatre accessible to those who need it most.
Over the past decade, donors like you have made a collective investment of more than $4 million—with no ticket revenue—to uphold the principle that great theatre should be free for everyone. This community-powered investment paid living wages to artists, built our productions from the ground up, and allowed over 100,000 New Yorkers to experience Shakespeare and new work without barriers. Thank you.
2025 has been a year of tremendous transformation and growth for NY Classical. With expanded leadership we began to implement our new ten-year strategic plan. We have strengthened our administrative foundation, expanded partnerships, and broadened the scope of our programs. Because of your generosity, our audiences are larger, younger, and more diverse than ever—and the impact of free, professional theatre has never been more vivid or more necessary.
We are profoundly grateful for the artists, staff, audiences, and especially donors like you who make this mission not only possible but powerful.
We invite you to continue reading to learn more about this extraordinary year—and to see the lasting impact your generosity creates every single day.
With heartfelt thanks,
Steven, Stephen & Colin
Steven Perlstein, Board Chair
Stephen Burdman, Artistic Director
Colin Knapp, Director of Development & Communications
26th Season Highlights: All’s Well That Ends Well
A Summer of Growth & Community
8,675 Attendees | 300% Increase in Reservations | 70% First-Time Visitors | 2 New Matinees | 40% BIPOC Attendees | 1 in 5 Households under $50K | 6 Themed Nights
The 2025 summer season marked a milestone for NY Classical, combining artistic excellence with unprecedented public engagement. Our production of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well performed across Central Park, Carl Schurz Park, and The Battery. Over ten weeks, the show drew more than 8,675 attendees—and 300% increase in reservations over 2024—despite nine cancellations due to rain and excessive heat. Open rehearsals welcomed several hundred additional spectators, something we aim to increase in 2026. Audiences described their experience as “intimate, magical, and alive with New York energy,” a testament to the enduring power of free theatre to unite communities under the stars.
Last summer also introduced a range of new programs designed to broaden access and deepen connection. A Student Matinee welcomed over 300 students from six public and private schools, while a Senior Matinee—planned with seven senior centers and over 200 confirmed attendees—was unfortunately cancelled due to extreme heat. Four Family Nights brought together hundreds of families for crafts, games, and outdoor fun, featuring Playday’s crown-making station, juggling lessons from New York Circus Academy, and interactive games from Brooklyn Game Lab. Pride Night drew a joyful, LGBTQIA+ rainbow-clad audience in celebration our artists, while Dog Night—complete with photo ops with Elizabethan ruffs, and donated treats from local businesses—welcomed nearly 100 canines and their human friends!
“One of the best Shakespeare productions in recent memory.”
“Sharing this production with my family under the summer sky felt magical. It’s a memory we’ll hold onto for a long time.”
New Visions Program
Reimagining The Classics
This past year marked the third year of Cycle One of New Visions, our play-development program led by Literary Director Matthieu Chapman. This unique initiative supports playwrights who reimagine classical works for today’s world through a completely blind submission process—ensuring that artistic merit, not identity or résumé, drives selection—and whose adaptations feature underrepresented characters and casts.
In November 2024, we held a workshop and public presentation of Lemuria by Bonnie Antosh, which was met with enthusiasm from audiences and artists alike. In May 2025, we presented a reading of Hecuba and Polyxena by Amanda L. Andrei, a powerful continuation of her work from Cycle One. That reading confirmed our commitment to the play’s ongoing development, resulting in an Equity Workshop in November. All events were made possible by Cultural Immigrant Initiative funding allocated by NYC Council member Julie Menin.
We launched Cycle Two of New Visions in June which attracted extraordinary interest, with nearly 400 submissions—a 20% increase from Cycle One—demonstrating the program’s growing reputation and resonance in the national playwriting community.
“I’m especially inspired by your call to reimagine the canon on our own terms.”
“I find this program both exciting and timely. Thank you for the opportunity to submit!”
Organizational Growth
Building Capacity for
The Future
The 26th season was a year of transformation for NY Classical. We welcomed Colin Knapp as Director of Development & Communications, whose leadership—honed through prior roles at the Metropolitan Opera, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Detroit Opera—has strengthened fundraising, communications, and board engagement. We also moved into a new, larger office that provides space for table readings, costume building, and future staff expansion—an important step toward long-term sustainability.
With support from the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Board of Directors adopted a 10-year strategic plan that charts a course for thoughtful growth and expanded access, ensuring continuity of vision and excellence into the future. The Board grew from nine to sixteen members, expanding diversity across gender, race, age, and professional fields, and positioning NY Classical for its next phase of impact.
Gala Spotlight
A Night To Remember
On March 26, 2025, more than 120 guests gathered at the Manhattan Penthouse for a joyful celebration honoring longtime Artistic Associates—and Board Member since 2011—Nick Salamone & Clay Storseth. The evening featured scenes from their favorite NY Classical productions, performed by fellow Artistic Associates, and raised nearly 20% over our fundraising goal. We are so grateful to everyone who made this wonderful evening possible.
Nick and Clay have appeared in 33 productions and 56 roles since joining the company in the late 2000s, embodying the artistry and community spirit that defines NY Classical. The gala’s warmth and laughter set the tone for our summer season and reflected the shared love that sustains our mission. We hope you’ll join us for our next gala in March 2026!
Meeting The Challenges Head-On
Defending The Arts
The arts are under direct threat. The National Endowment for the Arts—a cornerstone of cultural funding in America—is being drastically cut due to a shift in priorities under the current administration. This policy has already led to the cancellation of numerous programs and to the proposed elimination of the entire NEA by 2026.
These sweeping cuts have hit arts organizations in NYC particularly hard, stripping away vital support from the very communities that make our city a global cultural center. At the same time, the National Park Service—one of NY Classical’s closest partners and a gala honoree in 2018—continues to operate under significant federal strain, which significantly raises the cost of our Battery Park performances and threatens the possibility of free, outdoor theatre in Lower Manhattan.
Yet NY Classical stands firm. Guided by our 10-year strategic plan, we are diversifying funding streams, building local partnerships, and amplifying our advocacy for public investment in the arts. Theatre is not a luxury; it is a civic necessity. In the face of political and financial pressures, we remain unwavering in our mission to ensure that free, professional theatre remains a right—not a privilege—for YOU!
NY Classical in Prague
Panoramic Theatre Goes International
This summer, NY Classical brought its signature Panoramic Theatre style abroad for the very first time, restaging our acclaimed 2018 production of Romeo & Juliet, directed by Founding Artistic Director Stephen Burdman, with the Prague Shakespeare Company. Performed in the beautiful Kampa Park, the production marked NY Classical’s first international collaboration. Artistic Associates Ian Gould and Clay Storseth reprised their original roles, joined by Board Member and Artistic Associate Nick Salamone and a cast of emerging actors from across the United States.
We’re deeply grateful to Prague Shakespeare Company for the invitation and partnership. Stephen, Clay, Ian, and Nick each taught their own masterclasses, covering topics such as directing, comedy in Shakespeare, playwriting, queering the canon, and building a career in the U.S. theatre scene.
Financial Overview
A Year of Resilience and Surplus
Despite the loss of NEA funding and mounting external challenges, our 26th season concluded on a high note—with NY Classical ending the year with a surplus. The dedication of our Board, staff, and wonderful community of donors made this achievement possible.
More than 60% of our revenue came from individual supporters whose generosity funded living wages for artists and free performances for thousands of New Yorkers. Careful fiscal management and broad local support allowed us to maintain stability, expand programming, and position the company for continued growth in upcoming 27th season.
More Photos from All’s Well That Ends Well in NYC
