Thieves Steal $30K Of Equipment From Sacramento Shakespeare Festival

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The show will not go on Thursday night for the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival after thieves stole thousands of dollars worth of equipment from the theater group.

Thursday evening's performance of "Comedy of Errors" has been cancelled as organizers scramble to recover from the theft of $30,000 worth of equipment used to produce the festival.

"I really wanted to sit on the floor and cry," festival manager Lori Ann DeLappe-Grondin. "It's pretty devastating. To cancel a performance is a big deal and a very big decision that was weighed."

It's the first time in 27 years that the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival has been targeted by thieves to such a degree. And whoever did it left a note saying "We got it all."

"I think that's the most infuriating thing, it's somebody who we feel has some sort of vendetta against us, we're not really sure," DeLappe-Grondin said. "We did have two speakers stolen last weekend. It very well may be the same people who came back and found where all the big equipment was taken."

Organizers say they will produce the remainder of their season with some changes and are hoping for support from the community. The remaining lights were being taken down Thursday and the rest of the performances will take place in daylight.

"Tonight we're going to be out here from 5 to 8 turning away audience members and that's something I have never had to do, and to explain to them that somebody would do something to my home like this," performer Julianna Hess said. "To put our actors in a position like this, it's going to effect our performance."

The festival is produced by the City Theatre at Sacramento City College. The performances take place in William Land Park at the William A. Carroll Amphitheater.

For more information and tickets, go to their website at www.sacramentoshakespeare.net.