Pending environmental report has Transcendence Theatre Company in limbo over return to Jack London park

The Transcendence Theatre Company is no stranger to fundraising.

The nonprofit organization, which has staged a popular summer theater series in Sonoma County for more than a decade, has always relied, in part, on the generosity of donors. But the challenges are amplified this year.

Transcendence is trying to lock in money for future productions even as the months ahead look murky. And the company must make up an extra gap of $400,000 because of increased 2023 expenditures, according to executive director and co-founder Brad Surosky.

Those complications stem from a yearslong dispute between an association of park rangers and Jack London Park Partners, the nonprofit that manages the Glen Ellen state historic park, which has served as home base for Transcendence performances since 2012.

The California State Park Rangers Association challenged the use of park facilities for theater productions in a 2019 lawsuit. The judge in that case stipulated that the California Department of Parks and Recreation — more commonly known as State Parks — would have to perform an environmental review before any future shows could be staged at Jack London.

The ruling has so far produced a state of limbo for Transcendence, which has been forced to find other venues for its summer shows. The latest of those sites, historic Beltane Ranch, is hosting the troupe’s season-ending Broadway Under the Stars series this weekend.

Months after Transcendence was notified the environmental review was underway, no report has been published. State Parks confirmed it has contracted with Berkeley-based Grassetti Environmental Consulting to produce a mitigated negative declaration for the shows, a pathway associated with a lower level of environmental impact.

The kickoff meeting for the initial study was held Oct. 27, 2022, and involved Grassetti, Jack London Park Partners and State Parks.

Less detailed than a full environmental impact report, the declaration would acknowledge that the project has potentially significant effects, while imposing certain conditions that might reduce or avoid any harm.

State Parks indicated the evaluations include archaeological surveys, in consultation with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

Consulting local tribes on cultural resource surveys, a common practice in state environmental reviews, can make the process take longer. And several sources who work in land use said State Parks has a reputation for being very deliberate in their reviews.

None of that is consolation to Brad Surosky, the Transcendence executive director and co-founder with his wife Amy Miller.

“I was told it would be done in March,” Surosky said. “Therefore we had tickets on sale to go back to the park. Then I was told it would be done in May. Then it got to the point where we realized it was impossible for 2023. We had to scramble, quickly find a place and get a permit.”

That scramble was ultimately successful. Transcendence worked out a deal to stage productions at Belos Cavalos, an equine center in Kenwood, then another with Beltane Ranch in Glen Ellen. Surosky said he’s grateful for the use of those venues. But putting on performances at an unfamiliar site added to expenditures.

“It’s just a field (at Beltane),” Surosky said. “There are humongous labor costs just to take down an event and put it back up. And then everything from supplies to permitting fees. Things we normally do not have to incur. For instance, I had to make sure everything was accessible (to people with disabilities) at this new venue. If the ground was not even, we’d bring in dirt. We’re talking maybe $10,000 just for that.”

At the same time, Transcendence took a hit to its revenue. Saturday nights usually sell out at Jack London, Surosky said. But Beltane Ranch hosts wedding receptions on Saturday nights, so Transcendence had to move those shows to Thursday. Some longtime patrons told Surosky they would buy tickets again when the performances returned to the state park.

David Carle, president of the Rangers Association, said he understands the theater company’s impatience.

“Of course, we will be pleased whenever that process is completed, and we see what the outcome is of their analysis,” Carle said. “At that point, we’ll all react and comment. Until then, we just have to wait.”

Right after the Rangers Association filed its lawsuit, Surosky said, the head of the association apologized to him, calling Transcendence “collateral damage” in the legal dispute, which is grounded in a more fundamental debate about who manages California’s state park sites and what types of commercial activities are allowed there.

The irony, Surosky added, is that State Parks rangers helped bring the theater company to Jack London in 2011, before a budget crisis led the state system to give up management of several parks, also including Sugarloaf Ridge and Armstrong Redwoods.

Carle said that if someone indeed referred to Transcendence as collateral damage, it wasn’t he. But he did put the onus on the Department of Parks and Recreation, saying, “The process that is underway is the responsibility of the State Parks system. And the court order is to them to do the environmental study necessary to preserve the resources there.”

August and September are always fundraising season for Transcendence, Surosky said. But unlike most years, the company can’t use their final shows of the season — An Enchanted Evening, this Thursday, Friday and Sunday at Beltane — to pitch ticket sales for 2024, because they don’t know where those future performances will be staged.

And the goal posts have moved. Last year, Surosky said, Transcendence set a goal of raising $1 million. This year it’s $1.4 million, to make up for the added expenses.

They will have some help.

Vickie Soulier, a Sonoma resident whose family foundation has previously given generously to Transcendence — and other performance groups, including the Polly Klaas Community Theater in Petaluma — is offering a dollar-to-dollar donation up to the full goal of $1.4 million. In addition, RBC Wealth Management has offered to match donations up to $35,000 this weekend, meaning smaller gifts can effectively be tripled.

Meanwhile, everyone awaits the Jack London environmental review. Once Grassetti publishes it, the report will open for a 30-day public comment period, which seems almost certain to trigger another round of wrangling.

A State Parks spokesperson said, “While an exact completion date cannot be provided at this time, it is anticipated that a public draft will be published for review in fall 2023.”

Surosky remains hopeful the venue issue will be sorted out soon. He also acknowledges the local support Transcendence has received. Many people have been calling and emailing to offer support, the director said. And Transcendence has a loyal corps of volunteers who work every show.

“This community is amazing,” Surosky said. “They very much want us, as we’ve been saying, to get ‘back to Jack.’ If this takes a lot longer, they’ll be very upset.”

You can reach Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Skinny_Post.