For over 40 years, SARTA has been serving theatres and theatre goers of all ages in the greater Sacramento area including Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, San Joaquin and El Dorado counties. We continue to support our theatre community with a newly created website, free to all community calendar, increased social media presence and local event promotion, and our twice weekly newsletter. SARTA continues to focus on outreach to our communities with youth scholarships (YES), low-cost workshops, Microgrants for individuals and small theatres and Tonight Starring! - a one-night only stage-reading where the actor chooses their role! Additionally, SARTA offers Memberships that provide additional benefits to artists and producing community theaters, such as: Discounts on local productions, advanced notice and special pricing on SARTA events, and additional promotional opportunities.
For the past three years, SARTA has seen the successful execution of three new programs - the Youth Education Scholarship (YES), our Micro-Grants program, and Tonight Starring! All three programs are underwritten by SARTA and supported in part by our members and donors! The YES program allows SARTA to offer monetary scholarships ranging from $100-$300 to underserved youth who wish to attend theatre workshops, be it acting, singing, dancing or all three. To date, the YES scholarship program has provided funds for 10 youth to attend theatre classes/camps! In 2024, SARTA launched it's Micro-Grants for emerging artists program. This program is designed to provide funding and support to local community theatres and performing groups with limited financial flexibility. Offering a max of $500, our microgrants are designed to help fund costume rentals, royalty payments, costs associated with hosting an event or workshop, and minor improvements to physical spaces. This March, SARTA awarded four Microgrants to qualified theatres - Empire Arts Collective - dba Spectrum Stage, Golden State Performing Arts, Placer Theatre Company and Rise Up Theatre. Tonight Starring! gives actors a chance to perform, via staged reading, in a role that they might not otherwise have been cast, or in a show that might not have otherwise been produced. Some examples include "God of Carnage" by Yasmina Reza, Bryna Turner’s Bull in a China Shop, Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, and most recently Bo William's "Farragut North." These staged readings focus on non-traditional casting opportunities to open different interpretations of the material to the public, as well as to promote diversity and inclusivity within the theater community.
SARTA Cabaret fundraisers are a fun way for singing actors to perform without weeks long rehearsals. Using virtual auditions to create a cast and then utilizing pre-recorded music tracks, the singers have a chance to practice on their own time, then come together for final polishing prior to opening night! Our SARTA Cabarets are well-attended and include special desserts at intermission!!
SARTA is focused on bringing low-cost education workshops to the community, including Headshot Day and Marketing your Resume and Mock Auditions. SARTA remains committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility as we work to strengthen our programs and find new and better ways to support our vibrant theatre community.