Napa's Lucky Penny theater troupe brings information, laughter, tears, music to audiences

Founded in the spring of 2009 as a for-profit business, it later became a 501c3 nonprofit, the pair said.

The most accurate description of Lucky Penny is a “semi-professional theater group, with volunteer management and front-of-the-house,” Martin said. “But stipends go to artists, including actors, musicians, directors, choreographers, designers and others.”

The actors come from about a 60-mile radius — from as far away as Sacramento and Oakland, but mostly from Sonoma, Marin, Solano and Napa counties, he said.

A 1986 transplant from the southwest Missouri Ozarks and a longtime talk radio personality, Martin, 63, said he and Bartolucci, 40, a Napa native from a prominent vineyard family since 1922, met when they were both in a play at the now-defunct Dreamweavers Theatre. They learned they had both been theater majors and that the greasepaint had gotten into their blood, so to speak. They were each in search of “an outlet for our creative side as theater people,” Martin said.

“We were in a show together, and during the rehearsal process we were chatting and it came up in conversation how we each had a desire to direct and how it had always been a dream of both of us to have our own theater company,” Bartolucci said. “I work for my family winery during the day and Barry worked for the city, and at a mixer in 2009, I was pouring wine for the family and he was there mixing, and a Wine Train woman came up and asked if we knew of any theater company who could produce a show in the depot. And we looked at each other, and said, ‘Yes! Us!’ And we formed Lucky Penny and away we went.”

Between 2009 and 2014, the pair were involved in many shows in other communities as actors and directors before they took the leap in Napa, said Martin, a single father of two and grandfather of four.

“In 2015 we opened our own facility,” he said. “We realized there are other places with a more robust theater community, and we wanted to do that for Napa. We had both done a lot of musical theater, but there were limited opportunities at that time. We wanted to produce the best possible theater we could do for the enjoyment of audiences.”

There is more significance than just entertainment to be gained by involvement in community theater, though — from either side of the curtain, Martin said.

“Theater is a medium to convey ideas and emotions and for the same reason we watch reality TV or go to the movies,” he said. “You’re seeking some kind of feeling from it. Entertaining people is the primary goal, being informative is a secondary goal. Occasionally, there are intense themes for example, morality, ethics, that we’ve done. Bullying, for instance. But, there’s also pure entertainment. Some is a mix. A perfect storm of theater. Every community needs live theater. Nothing compares to it. It’s part of the fabric of the arts.”

The name Lucky Penny came from backstage conversations, the pair said.

“At the time, Dreamweavers was the only theater company besides Napa (Valley) College and they were only producing dramas. We are musical aficionados and we thought someone needed to produce more types of theater,” Martin said. “Shows that make you think. But, when we started we couldn’t have imagined us where we are now, with our own theater. It’s magical.”

But the two still need their day jobs to pay their bills, he said.

“Space is expensive in Napa,” plus there are lots of other expenses involved in producing a play.

“Most people don’t realize how expensive it is to put on a production,” said Bartolucci, a married mother of two. “Not just costumes and sets and overhead, but also you have to pay for rights — up to $8,000 — just to say the words and sing the songs on stage.”

While Lucky Penny is doing well, it’s still a work in progress and there are big plans for the future.

As someone whose mother was supportive enough to ferry her all over for various types of lessons when she was a child, Bartolucci said she hopes to one day incorporate an arts center and youth academy component to Lucky Penny, something Martin also said he feels is a perfect fit.

Lucky Penny has little local direct competition, the pair said.

“There are a few Napa Valley College productions annually. Another (company), Valley Players, started Upstage Napa Valley, Upvalley, that operates in the nonprofit theater space with them. I don’t think either of them do musical theater. Plus, we also have a more ambitious season — with up to 10 shows per year and a season that runs from September to June,” she said.

Most of Lucky Penny’s revenue is earned through ticket and concessions sales at its 97-seat theater, from its typical 11 performances for each show. Some 10% to 20% comes from donations, Martin said.

Through Lucky Penny, Martin and Bartolucci have found their creative outlet in acting, directing and even writing some of the plays they produce.

“Directing was my first real passion, and now I’ve written a few things we’ve produced, and I find writing is extra satisfying,” Martin said.

“The Tasting Room is a farcical comedy and the first thing I wrote with a lot of inside Napa jokes 2018-19,” he said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic caused the entire live theater industry to grind to a screeching halt. The ensuing couple of years have been difficult on everyone, he said.

“Right now the feeling is wanting so much to get back to normal after nearly three years of disruption (we completely shut down for about 18 months). It was a very difficult time. We made it through and started up again in September of ‘21, and only had to shut down one show since,” he said.

“But, there’s been a lingering effect. Crowds still bother some people. Some people have moved away. We hope the community values what we do enough to help us get back to normal. We feel we have fantastic support — lots of season ticket holders — which is money but also confidence that people want to jump in the water with us. So now, going on 14 years, we’ve had fantastic support.”

Theater life has its challenges — like having three hours to learn the part of an actor who came down with COVID-19 just before opening night, Bartolucci said — but it’s all worth it in the end.

“The best part for me is feeling like we’re making people happy,” she said. “There are long days and long nights and some stressful situations, but the audience is appreciative, and to hear them talking as they’re leaving is probably the best part. We have these incredible actors, technicians, musicians that work with us so you don’t have to go to San Francisco to experience great local theater.”