New Resource Features Five Case Studies on Cohort Members’ Pilot Projects
SEATTLE, WA, July 8, 2026 – The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation today released a new resource featuring case studies and learnings from the cohort members of its Change Capital Grant Program that supported U.S. theatres piloting new business models and navigating a changing sector. The new resource, “Staging New Models of Sustainability: Insights from The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation’s Change Capital Grant Program,” is available for download here.
“Organizations of every kind and in every sector have to adapt to a changing landscape and market. American theatres, regardless of size, are no exception,” said Sheri Biller, Co-Founder and President of The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation. “By shining a light on our partners’ work, we celebrate the teams in the field who have met this moment, knowing that this work can bring obstacles, but that the only path forward to serve their audiences and community is to pilot new approaches. We applaud their courage, and hope that their candor and openness inspire other theatres to embark on changes — big or small — and help build a vibrant and enduring future for America’s live theatre sector.”
“The innovative work these theatres are doing to show up for and serve their audiences and broader communities is inspiring. It is an honor to partner with them and to uplift their meaningful work — what they are learning, discovering, and celebrating at this moment in time,” said Geri Auriemma, Program Officer, Social Impact Theatre for The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation. “We hope that the learnings reflected in these case studies can help theatres across America navigating change in this evolving sector.”
The new resource features case studies on the program’s cohort members and their business model or operations change work, including:
- Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum: Quantifying theatre’s impacts through audience surveying
- Geffen Playhouse: Repurposing a black box theatre space
- Latino Theater Company: Succession planning
- Portland Playhouse: Piloting social prescriptions
- Seattle Children’s Theatre: Partnering with Seattle Rep on a resource sharing initiative
In 2024, the Foundation launched its Change Capital Grant Program to help theatres navigate the post-pandemic era and to support the broader live theatre sector. Designed as a cohort model, this grant program supported a small group of theatres along the West Cost that were in the process of piloting or implementing new business models. You can learn more about the program here and hear directly from cohort members on their projects here.
In addition to its Change Capital Grant Program, The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation supports the U.S. live theatre sector through its annual Social Impact Theatre Grant Program.
About The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026, The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation works to advance access to economic opportunity, the power of live theatre, and supportive cancer care. Founded in 2001 by Sheri and Les Biller, the Foundation drives equitable change through direct grantmaking, advocacy, catalyzing new research and data, and convening stakeholders across sectors and across the United States. For more information, please visit The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation’s website at billerfamilyfoundation.org, or follow it on LinkedIn.