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Sucker Shakespeare says booking delays, rental fees threaten easy access to Game Farm Park amphitheater
Summary
Sucker Shakespeare organizers told the Auburn On Main podcast they encountered unresponsive booking contacts and face roughly $80 per show in rental fees; organizers urged sponsors or in‑person help at the community event center to secure a venue for performances starting July 30.
On the City of Auburn’s Auburn On Main podcast, student leaders running Sucker Shakespeare described difficulties securing the Game Farm Park amphitheater for their upcoming shows and appealed for sponsorships to cover rental costs.
"At the beginning of June, we started trying to find the amphitheater," a company leader said. They described phone numbers that didn’t work and emails that went unanswered; by late June the company still had not confirmed the venue for an opening two weeks away. The host suggested the students contact city staff to help with booking.
Organizers told the show the amphitheater carries a rental fee they estimate at $80 per showing. With five planned showings, they calculated roughly $400 in venue costs. Kennedy said prior grassroots fundraising efforts — including a dollar‑donation drive that raised about $200 in one day and auctions of set pieces — helped cover costs in the past but that additional support would help this year.
Separately, the students explained why the amphitheater mattered beyond convenience: they said the venue provides a curtain and backstage area for costume changes and an accessible path for elderly or mobility‑impaired audience members that would be difficult to duplicate with an ad‑hoc outdoor stage.
The students asked listeners and local organizations to consider sponsoring a show or volunteering to help the troupe secure the venue before the July 30 opening.
