The East Bay Municipal Utility District Board of Directors this week approved a 15-year lease of an amphitheater property near Orinda formerly used by the California Shakespeare Theater.
The EBMUD board leased the 9-acre property at 100 Gateway Blvd. to the nonprofit Siesta Valley Foundation, which plans to reopen the amphitheater and performing arts campus in April 2026.
Under the agreement, the venue will be known as the Siesta Valley Bowl and will host 40 to 50 events annually, according to EBMUD. The campus will also include an EBMUD native plant and bird garden and a community center.
The theater company better known as Cal Shakes operated the venue as the Bruns Amphitheater for years, hosting live performances of Shakespeare plays among other events, but dissolved last year amid financial difficulties.
EBMUD officials in a press release said the district will collect rent from the lease as well as a portion of ticket revenue.
“EBMUD looks forward to seeing this agreement preserve the watershed, revive a regional arts landmark, and generate sustained community and financial value,” district board president Marguerite Young said in a statement on Wednesday. “This unique site will once again be a vibrant East Bay destination.”
The Siesta Valley Foundation on its website says it will expand programming at the amphitheater to include music, film, dance, and education, including concerts “from folk, jazz, and classical to indie rock and global sounds.”
The foundation’s founder and chair is Tom Romary, a tech executive who on his LinkedIn profile also describes himself as a songwriter/musician.
“Siesta Valley Bowl is being revitalized for all East Bay communities,” Romary said in EBMUD’s press release. “Our team’s experience in entertainment, hospitality and technology is focused on building a sustainable venue operation that serves local audiences and artists while contributing lasting cultural and economic value to the region.”