Sarah and Roger Chrisman

Since The Granada Theatre’s restoration, Sarah and Roger Chrisman have tirelessly devoted their time to help make the theatre the premier performing arts destination on the Central Coast. Their shared commitment and philanthropic efforts were celebrated on June 30, 2025, during an intimate reception at board member Leslie Bain’s home. At the event, Sarah was also named The Granada’s first-ever Lifetime Trustee in recognition of her tireless dedication and lasting support to the theater’s long-term sustainability. This honor celebrates her profound and enduring impact on The Granada’s future.

“The Granada has had our energy for a long time. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s been so rewarding,” said Sarah Chrisman. “We have the blessing to have the resources to give, but it’s nice also to be recognized for our volunteer work in addition to our philanthropy.”

During the al fresco cocktail party, community leaders, Granada staff, board members, supporters, and leaders of The Granada’s resident companies honored the couple for their years of service.

“Sarah and Roger’s passion, vision, and philanthropy to help restore and transform The Granada Theater into the professional, world-class performing arts center that it has become today has been impressive and inspiring,” said Caren K. Rager, Chrisman Executive Director and President of The Granada Theatre.

 

Leading by Example

For over 20 years, the Chrismans have supported The Granada in countless ways. According to Sarah, it’s been a wonderful way for them to get to know the community.

For others looking to follow in The Chrismans’ footsteps, Sarah suggested getting involved as a volunteer usher or donating.

“The Granada is a nonprofit theater, and ticket sales only cover a third of its expenses,” she explained. “A great way to bring the theater you want to see to town is to offer to sponsor the performance.”

 

History with The Granada

The Granada has timing and circumstance to thank for bringing the Chrismans to The Granada.

When the couple first moved to Santa Barbara, Sarah got involved with Civic Light Opera as chairman of its board. Due to this role, she was asked to sit on a new board dedicated to restoring the Granada Theatre. When the Civic Light Opera folded due to bankruptcy, Sarah turned her full attention to The Granada.

As one of the younger members of the Granada board then, it was the first time Sarah had been surrounded by many philanthropists and fellow art lovers.

“It was an honor and a learning experience,” she said. “I realized more than ever that a business background coupled with a passion for the arts was a really good combination.”

While many naysayers believed restoring The Granada was an impossible dream, Sarah and her fellow board members proved them wrong.

“One of the most rewarding things I’ve done with The Granada was my work with this board,’ she said. “It was such a compelling group of passionate people determined to make The Granada [restoration] happen that we were unstoppable. It made me realize what you can do with a collective mindset to get it done.”

 

Upgrading The Granada

While Sarah’s work on the board helped bring The Granada to life, Roger’s most rewarding project was honoring the theater’s movie palace history by revolutionizing its projection system.

With his engineering background, he recognized an opportunity to leverage The Granada’s unique design, featuring 50 feet of space behind the stage. He knew that with that extra space, The Granada could upgrade its sound capabilities with a state-of-the-art 4K rear projection cinema.

“This hadn’t been done at a large theater on the West Coast at that time,” explained Roger. “We had a custom screen created and adapted a digital projector to make it a rear projector.”

According to Roger, the cinema experience with a rear-projected film is unparalleled and completely different than viewing a movie shown on a standard front projection system.

 

Leaving a Legacy

For over two decades, the Chrismans’ contributions as donors, volunteers, and to the board have helped steer and grow The Granada into a true Santa Barbara institution.

“The performing arts remind us of our humanity,” they both shared. “Hopefully, our contributions to The Granada are a legacy that will be here long after we’re gone.”