Friday, March 18, 2011
Pasadena Playhouse: Five plays in store for Pasadena Playhouse's 2011-12 season
latimes.com: "The Pasadena Playhouse took another step in its recovery from bankruptcy Tuesday, announcing a 2011-12 season of five plays and courting subscribers again after operating on a show-by-show basis since its October return.
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There's a detail in this piece I found to be very interesting. This company claimed bankruptcy, closed, and then reopened. I was a bit surprised to see the show selection for their comeback season (new musicals, obscure plays, and subscriber risks.) But they didn't let their financial problems burden their artistic decisions. We'll see how well they do in the future but it looks like their strategy has paid off: let's embrace the obvious failure, rexamine ourselves, and find a way to do what we love to do cheaper. I'm not saying the solution to regional theater's financial troubles is to throw in the towel and then try to make a comeback on a smaller circuit. But I wonder if there's light at the end of the tunnel after financial collapse. Hey, it worked for GM.
This is a bizarre season for a company that is rebounding from bankruptcy. I don't think any of these shows are going to bring in audiences based simply on their name. It makes sense that the theatre is going for subscribers at this point (which will make the company appear viable), but they need the 1 or 2 surefire moneymakers that will help bring in a good deal of revenue for the company. The musicals will certainly help because they tend to attract audiences, and Angela Bassett is a big name, but I would think one big name play would really help strengthen the overall season.
I remember hearing about the woes of the playhouse when it filed for bankruptcy last year. Pasadena is a big name theatre, and it's always disheartening to hear about another theatre closing its doors. To say I am impressed with their comeback is an understatement. There must have been a lot of work happening behind closed doors to be able to churn out this year's season, and I imagine that it was exciting for everyone involved to be able to announce a [nearly] full season of shows for next year. My concern as a manager-type is about what corners (if any) they will be cutting to make ends meet and stay within their operating budget. If this means conveniently overlooking health and safety hazards and faulty scenery and equipment, then there is certainly cause for concern. I don't mean to point fingers, in fact, I have no idea what sort of safety record the Playhouse has, but as always, safety should be a top priority.
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