In December, Cutting Ball Theater's executive director Paige Rogers received something worse than a lump of coal: a 100 percent rent increase.

Cutting Ball has been staging experimental live theater in the neighborhood for nearly 20 years. They started out renting Exit Theater's black-box theater at 277 Taylor St. for regular performances and became the official theater-in-residence there in 2008.

Despite this longstanding relationship, the relatively affordable rent had to be adjusted. "They are experiencing what we are experiencing," Rogers says. "To stay [in San Francisco] and survive, they had to raise our rent."

Just before Christmas, Rogers broke the news to Cutting Ball supporters through the nonprofit's monthly newsletter, asking donors to help get them through the first year of the increase. "The community response to that email was astounding," Rogers says, noting that their supporters rallied harder than usual for a month filled with holiday distractions.

But what really saved the nonprofit from packings its bags: Just before the New Year, the Northern California Community Loan Fund awarded Cutting Ball a $100,000 grant to support physical improvements on their space, and a portion of the funds can go toward covering the higher rent.

Now, things are looking up. Rogers was able to negotiate a nine-year lease with Exit Theater, and with the help they received from their community and NCCLF, they're nearly $11,500 shy of getting their budget back on track for the next year.

However, the major site improvement they need to make this summer — installing air conditioning — will require an extra $50,000.

While air conditioning may sound a bit trivial, Rogers assures us that the need is dire. The stage lights actually heat the tiny theater up instantly. They've had faithful patrons abandon them over the unbearable heat and those who put up with it are often seen stripping down in their seats, even in the dead of winter, Rogers says. Even worse, they've had at least one scare where actors dressed to the nines in 1900s garb — corsets, petticoats, wool coats — nearly fainted on stage.

Cutting Ball's production of 'The Ghost Sonata,' as part of the company's 'Strindberg Cycle' in 2012.

So, fundraising and grant chasing will continue. But it won't keep Rogers from continuing her efforts to build a deeper connection between the theater and Tenderloin residents. By 2017, she hopes to launch a summer program that allows neighborhood children to play active roles in Cutting Ball Theater — whether that's on or behind the stage — and is working with schools and nonprofits in the neighborhood to make it happen.

In addition to attending an upcoming production ('Ondine' begins Feb. 5th), anyone interested in donating to Cutting Ball's pursuit of cool air can do so by visiting the "Donate" page on their website.

Another way to lend a hand, Rogers says, is though volunteering. With just three full-time staff members, they're always looking for a little extra help behind the scenes.