March 17, 2020
Dear Art Center Theatre patron,
I want to communicate directly with you about issues that are confronting our theater and the Art Center overall.
As you know, the coronavirus threat has led to widespread cancellations and closings, from amusement parks to professional theater and athletic events. Because this is a changing situation, guidance from health officials has also been changing.
The most recent change to our operations based on guidance from health officials was the decision to postpone the opening of the next season play in our schedule, “Will You Still Love Me in the Morning,” which was scheduled to open on Friday, March 20. It will now not go on stage until early May.
When we decided to postpone this play, we also decided to move the last play of our season to a slot in next season’s schedule. We are continuing to cast and rehearse the summer musical, “Once Upon a Mattress,” which is scheduled to be on stage in July.
While we believe we are allowing adequate time before we reopen the theater to the public, this schedule could change depending on guidance from public health officials. We will communicate future decisions as soon as they are made.
What the immediate decision means is that there will be one fewer plays this season. Anyone holding a ticket to the cancelled or delayed play will have the option of applying the value of that ticket to next year’s season ticket, receiving a ticket to a future play, receiving a cash refund, or donating the value of the ticket to the Art Center.
I want to thank you for your patronage and support of the theater. As a small, volunteer non-profit we do not receive any federal, state or local government operating funds. We fund the vast majority of what it costs to own and operate the Art Center with proceeds from ticket sales, so your purchase of theater tickets makes ongoing operating of the Art Center and theater possible.
Finally, I want to thank you for understanding that while we do not like to postpone or cancel events, our first obligation to you as a patron and to our volunteers is to provide a safe environment in which to enjoy the arts and live theater. We will continue to be guided by this principle going forward, and working together we can come through this crisis and resume putting on the stage quality productions that you as an audience member enjoy attending.
Mac Harris, president
On behalf of the Executive Board