For this blog post I wanted to take a step back and address
an issue that is currently happening in the theatre world. Arizona Theatre Company,
the state of Arizona’s official theatre, announced on Monday June 27th,
that they may have to suspend their 2016-2017 season and the company might have
to shut down temporarily or even permanently. This is due to the over two
million dollar debt that the theatre has accumulated over the past several
years. This is saddening to several theatregoers because this season would have
completed the theatre’s 50th anniversary of show runs. However,
there may be some light at the end of this company’s tunnel.
The theatre announced
early this morning (June 30, 2016) that there might be a sizable donation made
by board member Mike Kasser. Kasser guarantees that he will be putting down a
$1 million donation towards the company’s fundraiser, cutting their debt in
half. This guarantee brings some hope towards the 2016-2017 season, since the
company has made a statement that if the debt can be erased, the season will
not be suspended. On top of that, a private donor has committed $100,000 to
assure that the company’s day-to-day activities still continue. The main
question on many thespians’ minds is how did their debt become this large?
According to David Goldstein, artistic director of the
Arizona Theatre Company, the debt has been an accumulation of the Great
Recession. It started in 2008, and built all the way up to $1 million by 2013.
In an interview with AZ Central,
Goldstein stated that the company “can’t contain it any longer” (Goldstein,
2016). This fundraiser, if they can manage to complete it, will put the company
at break even. They would be starting from the ground up, and it will allow
them to build a fresh start.
The Fundraising deadline has been extended from July 1st
to July 15th, for more information or if anyone would like to make a contribution please
visit the company’s website, or
email at support@arizonatheatre.org.
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ReplyDeleteIt seems that as we move into a more digital world that simple things like theatres are becoming a thing of the past. Although this specifically has to do with debt, I'm sure it has to do with the fact that many of these theatres are having to do what they can to stay afloat but it ends up hurting their pockets. As someone that use to part of musicals and plays, it was something I found enjoyment in but people now would rather watch movies or watch plays on television instead of going to see these shows live. I believe that raising an awareness that these theatres are slowly going away is important. I hope the theatre is able to raise the necessary funds to function and sustain itself for a little bit longer.
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