What’s on the horizon for the Playhouse?

TOM TITUS

The Huntington Beach Playhouse has logged 42 years of community

theater performances in a number of different locations and, since

1993, has called the theater at the city’s Central Library home.

Well, sort of “home.”

It’s been an expensive proposition. At the rental rate of more

than $90,000 a year, the playhouse has poured more than $330,000 into

Huntington Beach’s city coffers over the past dozen years -- and

expenses keep mounting as privileges keep dissolving.

“We are a nonprofit, self-supported community theater and do not

receive funds or financial aid from the city or any other

governmental agency,” explained Catherine Stip, president of the

playhouse’s board of directors.

“Since our inception, we have been driven by an active, working

board of directors who have an incessant love for the theater,” she

added. “During our 42-year history, we have operated from many

different venues, always hoping for a permanent home.”

Playhouse members thought they had found the end of their rainbow

in 1993 when they worked out an agreement with the Huntington Beach

Central Library to build a theater and use their location for

performances.

“Our initial negotiations with the city were to give them back

time to rent the theater out to other groups, or to pay a city

surcharge,” Stip said. “It was not our intention to give them both,

but in the end, the council voted for both, and that is why we now

have double-indemnity ‘losses.’

“That is also why we doubled up on our shows Saturday and Sundays

-- which in itself has a boomerang effect on us. Many actors do not

want to try out for ‘double run shows.’ This is very trying on the

physical conditions and health of actors. Auditions are getting

sparser and sparser.”

Stip said the playhouse’s ability to use the theater has been cut

back over the years.

“As part of our lease agreement, we also willingly accepted that

our use of the theater would be on a non-exclusive basis,” Stip

noted. “Unfortunately, our use of the theater has been significantly

reduced and scheduling has become a nightmare fraught with many, many

errors and challenges that have, for the past three years,

consistently delayed our ability to confirm our next year’s season.”

Push is, quite clearly, coming to shove. The playhouse’s lease

agreement with the library expires at the end of next year. Stip said

it was doubtful they would be able to renew that lease, so the

playhouse is looking for another venue.

“Although we all wish our ship would come in, or that money would

grow on trees, it is up to the community and our patrons to support

our theater,” Stip said. “As you can tell by the latest mistakes of

our fine city’s business ethics, we all know that the local business

community is not patrons of the arts, but patrons of their pocket.”

“I really cannot blame them. There are so many nonprofits in

Huntington Beach, it’s hard to tell where they begin and end. We are

by far, the oldest-running, the hardest-working, and politically

battle-fatigued group I know of to date.”

Stip said that the playhouse’s board of directors all work and

have little or no time to devote to fundraising or the forming of a

supporting foundation.

“Not one business, not one political figure, not one person has

stepped forward to help us in any manner so that we could someday

have our own theater,” she said.

“Every penny we earn goes back into our overhead and show

productions. Even with our fundraisers, we are required to pay the

so-called city surcharge, or extra rent for the theater or other

spaces to perform. Not much of a fundraiser when you are required to

pay for each person sitting in a seat.”

Nearly two more seasons remain under the present conditions, but

after 2006, the playhouse will be looking at an uncertain future.

Catherine Stip put it bluntly in her appeal to the community.

“We need your help finding a new location so that we do not have

to close our doors,” she declared. “If you can help us, please

contact any board member as soon as possible.”

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Independent.