When iconic Bay Area theater group California Shakespeare Theatre, or Cal Shakes, closed after 50 years last October, it was unclear what would happen to the six-acre Bruns Amphitheater in Orinda that had been the group’s home for decades.

But on Wednesday, the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which owns the land, approved a 15-year lease to East Bay nonprofit Siesta Valley Foundation to operate there.

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The Siesta Valley Bowl, the new name for the venue, will preserve the history of theatrics and expand its offering of live performances, which Siesta Valley Bowl Inc. founder, Tom Romary, said he is excited to explore upon the venue’s reopening in spring of 2026 — whether that means ballet, opera. or punk bands.

“It’s really about bringing arts and culture and buildi

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