Jewel Theatre to close after 2023-24 season

SANTA CRUZ >> Jewel Theatre Company, possibly the largest, most prestigious theatre company in the Santa Cruz area, announced Tuesday night it will shutter its doors at the end of its 20232024 season.

Artistic director Julie James, who, along with Mary James, president of Jewel Theatre's board of directors, reluctantly made this decision after presenting professional-quality theater productions for nearly 20 years.

James attributes the closing to “the ongoing impacts from the COVID-19 shutdown. We survived the closure and when we opened again in September 2021, an amazing 80% of subscribers renewed for the 2021-22 season.”

“But for the 2022/23 season, only 70% of the pre-COVID subscribers returned,” she continued.

Other added costs contributed to the decision, according to James.

“We're seeing 50% to 400% increases in the price of paper and lumber, as well as increases in wages, which are needed to attract scarce technical workers.”

Several other theater companies in the Bay Area have recently shuttered, including Tabard in San Jose and Exit Theatre in San Francisco.

Jewel has two more productions in its current year: “A Doll's House, Part 2,” which opens March 29, and “Over the River and Through the Woods” opening May 24.

“We'll announce our final 2023-24 season lineup in the coming weeks, and we hope our patrons will continue to purchase subscriptions to celebrate our 20-year run,” James added.

The decision to close Jewel Theatre is being attributed to “the ongoing impacts from the COVID-19 shutdown.”

COURTESY STEVE DIBARTOLOMEO Noel Anthony as Jinx (foreground) sings his heart out as the other three members of his singing quartet join him in “Forever Plaid,” which played at Jewel Theatre in Santa Cruz in late 2022.