“Save a Seat, Save An Icon” Campaign Enables Community to be a Permanent Part of the Plaza Theatre
The Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation announced that it has launched a seat naming program called “Save a Seat, Save an Icon” in which donors may purchase the rights to have a name permanently inscribed on the back of a seat when the theatre is refurbished. Each purchased seat will have a plaque on its back with the donor’s name of choice on it. Families or groups may purchase a block of seats and have each one named for a specific person. There are two categories of seat naming options: $2,000 for the seats in the Lower Orchestra and $1,000 for all other seats. These donations are fully tax-deductible. More information may be found at SaveThePlazaTheatrePS.org.
“Many people have expressed an interest in donating to the Plaza Theatre restoration fund but were not able to commit to the larger naming sponsorship opportunities,” said Foundation President J.R. Roberts. “This seat naming campaign provides an affordable and permanent way in which the community can show their support for our historic theatre and participate in its restoration. Seat naming opportunities make excellent gift options, so we hope that our supporters will join us and help us raise the final amount in our long-term fundraising campaign.”
The Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation recently launched a capital campaign to fully restore the Plaza Theatre, one of the most iconic venues in Palm Springs. The Foundation board formed in 2021 in conjunction with a $5 million challenge grant from David Lee to support the restoration effort. Along with other smaller donations, an anonymous donor then pledged $2 million. Recently, the foundation board secured an additional $2 million from the City of Palm Springs and $2.5 million from the State of California bringing the overall total to date to approximately $12 million. The Foundation is still fundraising toward its overall goal of $16 million.
There will be a plaque on each seat with the name(s) of choice. Seats may be named for a person or business. Each seat plaque can accommodate two lines of twenty characters each for seat name. Although there is no discount for multiple seats, donors may request to have named seats groped together. Naming a seat does not guarantee the availability of that seat for personal use when purchasing tickets to events. Names on seats must be approved by the city of Palm Springs for appropriateness.
“Naming individual seats is a fun way to involve a great number or people in the capital campaign,” Roberts continued. “We are currently redesigning the seating chart to accommodate the needs of our future audiences, so we are not yet able to assign specific seats today, but once the updated floor plan is approved by the city, we will let donors know the location of the seats named in their honor.”
About the Plaza Theatre
Originally built in 1936, the Plaza Theatre was used for film premieres and screenings, nationally broadcast radio theatre programs, and other performances. In its later years, the theater was home to the long running “The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies.” Over the decades, the building has deteriorated, so the City of Palm Springs has initiated a capital campaign to return the beloved structure to its former glory.
When restored, the Plaza Theatre will once again be a place for the entire community to come together and utilize it as an affordable community venue showcasing diverse programming for all people, local youth organizations, promoting multicultural programming in film, music, live theater, education, comedy, and entertainment for all. It will also support and serve nonprofit organizations such as the Palm Springs International Film Festival, ONE-PS, Modernism Week, and many others.
There are many ways in which the public may play a significant role in the Plaza Theatre restoration, including becoming a Founder, securing a Naming Opportunity for seats or other areas of the building, or making a general donation. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information or to make a donation, contact Foundation President J.R. Roberts at 415-297-9309 or visit SaveThePlazaTheatrePS.org..
