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Colony Theatre in Burbank says it is financially stable, for now

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Leaders of the financially troubled Colony Theatre in Burbank said that they have achieved a measure of stability and that they are moving forward with a new season, scheduled to begin in September.

In the fall, the 38-year-old Colony was on the brink of shutting down and was looking to raise $500,000 by the end of 2012. While the company missed that deadline, leaders said they eventually raised the money with significant help from an individual donor and a grant from the Marilyn P. & Wayne H. Kohl Memorial Fund.

The Colony declined to name the individual donor, except to say that he is a longtime subscriber who wishes to remain anonymous. They also declined to say how much they have received from the Kohl fund.

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“We are stabilized but you never know what the future holds,” artistic director Barbara Beckley said in a phone interview.

The company hopes to raise a total of $1 million for the new season with the help of subscription renewals.

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Despite nearly closing last season, the Colony managed to mount productions of “Falling for Make Believe” in April and “I’ll be Back before Midnight” in February. A production in November of “The Morini Strad” was saved at the last minute by donations.

The Colony operates a 268-seat theater in the Burbank Town Center mall. The company was founded in 1975 and was based for many years in a 99-seat space in Silver Lake. It moved to its current location in Burbank in 2000.

The new season will include Daniel Beaty’s “Breath and Imagination” (Sept. 14 to Oct. 13); Tom Dudzick’s “Miracle on South Division Street” (Nov. 9 to Dec. 15); Lissa Levin’s “Sex and Education” (Feb. 15 to March 16); and a revival of James Goldman’s “The Lion in Winter” (April 19 to May 7).

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