[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9958]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WILLOWS THEATRE COMPANY

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                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 25, 2006

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize the 30th anniversary of the Willows Theatre Company in 
Concord (Contra Costa County), California and the major, positive 
impact it has had--and continues to have--in the cultural life of the 
San Francisco Bay Area.
  For three decades, the Willows has developed and produced dramas, 
comedies and musicals--more than 210 in all--drawn from contemporary 
American playwrights, composers and lyricists for a mix of world or 
area premieres and revivals of classic American shows. Six productions 
a year, for a total of 244 performances, attract thousands of loyal 
patrons each year. The current patron base has grown to more than 4,500 
subscribers, with renewals at an enviable 87 percent. The company is 
training theater artists, and creating viable relationships with 
playwrights, designers, actors and students whose work will impact 
current and future audiences and artists.
  Over the past 4 years alone, the Willows has earned 17 awards from 
the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. The Arts and Culture Commission of 
Contra Costa County honored Richard Elliott, artistic director, in 2000 
and Andrew Holtz, managing director, in 2004 with Arts Recognition 
Awards. In 2002, the San Francisco Business Arts Council presented its 
Cyril Award for Non-Profit Arts Excellence to the Willows.
  Aside from its renowned artistic successes, the Willows also is an 
economic force in the community. With an annual budget approaching $2 
million, the company maintains facilities, employs administrative 
support staff, and affords the first opportunity for professional 
employment for many developing theater artists. The company was the 
first theater in Contra Costa County to operate under a seasonal 
contract with Actors Equity Association, with as many as 200 or more 
professional and non-union Bay Area artists employed during a season.
  In support of other non-profit arts organizations throughout the 
region, the Willows operates a Community Box Office service that has 
returned more than $400,000 in earned income revenue to dozens of 
groups.
  As part of its mission, the Willows engages youths in a variety of 
programs, including a conservatory, a round theater arts and student 
internship training program. In addition, it offers greatly reduced 
student ticket rates to encourage family and school attendance at live 
theater.
  With a remarkable record of achievement in the past 30 years, the 
Willows is now focused on the future. Later this year, the company will 
expand its operations by opening a 220-seat cabaret-style theater in 
Martinez, the seat of government for Contra Costa County. Earlier this 
year, the company completed a 9,000 square-foot production facility in 
Waterfront Park in Martinez, in close proximity to the 1,000-seat John 
Muir Amphitheater. The facility was constructed to accommodate multiple 
performances of ``John Muir's Mountain Days,'' a musical, commissioned 
by the Willows, based on the life of the famed preservationist John 
Muir, whose residence in Martinez is a National Historic Site.
  These activities are part of the John Muir Festival Center, an 
educational, cultural heritage and economic development project in 
which the Willows has taken a leadership role along with its partners--
the city of Martinez, the John Muir Association, the National Park 
Service, and the Martinez Historical Society.
  On July 3, 2006, the Willows will celebrate its 30th anniversary with 
a gala that includes a dinner and a show in the John Muir Amphitheater 
featuring the Diablo Symphony and performers from past Willows Theatre 
productions.
  I am proud to join in the celebration.

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