Bay Area Theatre Lovers -

Hi there - and Welcome to our Meetup group!

LIVE Theatre is our passion!

Join us and meetup with other FUN people in the South Bay and the greater SF Bay Area who enjoy LIVE theatre and highly theatrical cultural events! 

(Plays, Opera, Ballet, Circus, Ice Shows and some select music, dance, magic, media and street events with a focus on theatricality and audience interaction and engagement.

Let's share some great shows and experiences, enjoy carpools, group discounts, backstage tours, talk-backs, dinners, drinks, conversations, intermissions, lively discussions and meeting new friends. 

Our goal is to  help promote, support and SHARE quality, live theatre - and experience those unique, exciting, moving, and inspirational moments that provide unforgettable memories.

We Meetup for Broadway Touring Shows,  SJ Stage Company, City Lights, Theatreworks, Palo Alto Players, ACT, Berkeley Rep, SF Shakes, 42nd Street Moon, and various professional, amateur & school performances... 

From Group Organizer: Rick Haffner - MFA

My Assistant Organizers (AO) and I,  seek out the best and the brightest wherever we can find them! -  We all love the ELECTRICITY. anticipation, community, magic and excitement that only a LIVE experience can provide. 

Over the years, members of Bay Area Theatre Lovers (BATL) have enjoyed diverse shows from a Sci-fi Bollywood Musical (KRONOS) at The Mexican Heritage Theatre to Peter Pan 360 in SF, to so many Great Opening Nights at Palo Alto Players, CTC, Best of Broadway etc.. Don't hesitate to SUGGEST a Meetup... all it takes is a few other members to say YES, and you've already got a Meetup! Simple! Let me know if you'd like to be an AO and you can schedule as you wish.

As an avid LIVE theatre aficionado myself, (and a former Marketing Dept. for non-profit theatre,) I wanted to create a special forum to help other fans, and their favorite theatres, to promote quality shows and experiences, performed all over the greater Bay Area. 

Shows that I have already seen and loved - or can't wait to see - or everyone says "you HAVE to see!" (like Hamilton! - IT WAS!) as well as a forum for BATL members to become Assistant Organizers and promote their shows! If you are cast in a show, nothings better than a lot of supportive friends in the audience...

I am also interested in sharing unusual events and  "happenings" - visual and digital interactive and immersive art experiences...

About Rick:

... I'm a long-time South Bay professional actor, director, tutor, producer, theatre consultant, visual artist, vocalist and clown. 

Laughing - and making others laugh are one of life's most precious gifts and I've literally devoted my life to it! (I'm actually a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader - Google or YouTube it!) - It's incredibly therapeutic for all ages, physical abilities and mental disposition. A half hour of robust laughing is surprisingly aerobic!

I'm a proud SAG/AFTRA and IATSE  union member and am Founder/ Organizer for the WEST VALLEY MOVIEGOERS Meetup Group. If you'd like to share movies, check us out!

I earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting & Directing many years ago and enjoy sharing my knowledge of theatre history, literature, culture and any "insider information" I may know, with others. I love coaching and helping others to realize their dreams through more effective communication.

Hope to see YOU at a theatre soon!

Carpe Diem & Namaste...

:0) Rick

FYI - After 35 years as a performer here, I have a lot of talented friends. I can provide quality entertainment for you or your company and/or refer you to amazing actors, entertainers, magicians, jugglers, stilt-walkers, clowns, fire-eaters, teachers/ coaches, directors, workshop leaders, shows and performances for just about any kind of event and venue. I have a vast network of friends who perform and entertain, decorate and cater... if I can't do it, I probably know someone who can! 

I am a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader - and a private Coach for business people and executives in ESL/ Accent Reduction as well as  Tutoring for performers of all ages in Auditioning, Public Speaking, Acting, Improv and singing. Please feel free to contact me directly at haffrick@gmail.com

Here's a little about the theatre company whom I worked with for over 20 years - California Theatre Center (CTC) in Sunnyvale: Sadly, CTC closed its doors in 2017 after 41 years of service to the community.

I served as a company member and Marketing Director at CTC for over 17 years and routed tours, House Managed, Stage Managed, acted and toured in some of its final shows. I am honored to have enjoyed such a rich and wonderful relationship with CTC for nearly 25 years. 

CTC was a professional, not-for-profit, repertory theatre based at The Sunnyvale Theatre... the company employed a plethora of talented and versatile artists, and featured full-time acting company which performed a rich repertory of hour-long plays for Young Audiences, during the traditional school year, (all over the West Coast!) - and full-length plays for adults and families (CTC Summer Rep) at the The Sunnyvale Community Center Theatre on Remington Drive during June and July. CTC's award winning Education and Conservatory Programs enriched my life, and scores of young people over the decades, with amazing experiences from teaching and directing young students and years later, working with them as fellow professionals. CTC exemplified mentoring on a very impressive scale.

CTC toured all over the world and  won numerous awards and honors. I got to travel and perform in Fiji, New Zealand and The Cook Islands with CTC! The company also offered an outstanding Education/ Conservatory program for children of all ages in several South Bay locations taught by the professional actors in the company. www.ctcinc.org