City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Community Services
Meeting Date: August 18, 2025
Report #:2507-4977
TITLE
Approval to Dedicate a Seat at Lucie Stern Community Theatre to Eugenie Watson; CEQA status – not a project.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the dedication of seat J101 at the Lucie Stern Community Theater in honor of Eugenie Watson.
BACKGROUND
Eugenie Watson, a devoted arts advocate to the Palo Alto community, passed away on May 11, 2025, shortly after celebrating her 87th birthday. For more than five decades, Eugenie played a pivotal role in the success of Palo Alto Players, serving on the Board of Directors, many years as Board President, and championing the organization with passion, vision, and unwavering belief in its mission. Originally from Fresno, California, Eugenie moved to the Bay Area and was introduced to Palo Alto Players when she attended a production where she met her future husband, Richard, who was starring in the show. This experience marked the beginning of her 50-year tenure with the company. In addition to her service to Palo Alto Players, Eugenie also managed the Peninsula Volunteers’ Turnabout Shop in Palo Alto for over 30 years, helping support the Little House Activity Center. Her leadership and deep commitment to the arts and local community leave a lasting legacy.
ANALYSIS
Palo Alto Players, a local resident theater company and one of three resident companies at Lucie Stern Community Theatre, would like to commemorate Ms. Eugenie Watson by dedicating seat J 101 with a plaque with her name on the arm of the chair.
For over 50 years, Eugenie Watson attended every opening night performance at Palo Alto Players, always sitting in seat J101, her favorite in the house. Her name is truly synonymous with the organization. For generations of local artists, audiences, and volunteers, Eugenie
embodied the heart and soul of the company. Palo Alto Players believes naming seat J101 in her memory would be a fitting tribute to her legacy, her decades of leadership, and a meaningful gesture for the community. Since 1933, Palo Alto Players has called the Lucie Stern Theater its artistic home, presenting a season of plays and musicals featuring exclusively local talent. Eugenie dedicated more than five decades to the organization, including over 40 years on the Board, many as Board President. Her leadership, advocacy, and generosity helped shape the heart and future of Palo Alto Players, now the longest-running theatre company in Silicon Valley. Other than Lucie Stern herself, no name is more closely tied to the organization.
Eugenie’s presence at the Lucie Stern Theatre was constant and beloved, she was even in the audience for the first opening night of the 2024–25 season, celebrating the debut of the theater’s new seats.
Staff supports the request by Palo Alto Players, and in accordance with Section 1-15(F) of the Naming Policy—Naming Places Within City-Owned Facilities, recommends approval to dedicate the seat.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
There is no anticipated resource impact to the City from the actions recommended in this report. Palo Alto Players would be responsible for the cost of purchasing and engraving the plaque, which is expected to cost approximately $50.00.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The appropriate stakeholders were consulted, including relevant City staff and the three resident theater companies that use the Lucie Stern Theatre: Palo Alto Players, West Bay Opera, and TheatreWorks.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Dedicating a seat in the Lucie Stern Community Theatre is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Section 1-15 Naming City-Owned Land and Facilities APPROVED BY:
Kristen O'Kane, Community Services Director