Cherry Creek Theatre Calls for Community Support Amid Financial Woes

Cherry Creek Theatre appeared to be a success story for how to flourish as a small professional theater company in Denver, with the opening of its critically acclaimed world premiere The Headliners in May and the announcement of a record-breaking ten Henry Award nominations in June. So when Meghan Dougherty, interim board chair, announced on July 12 that the company was at a "financial crossroads" and needed $50,000 to finish the final production of its 2023 season and make plans for the future, it was a shocking reminder that no theater is secure.

"Despite attendance beyond our projected goals, Cherry Creek Theatre has found itself in a compromising financial situation, and the future of Cherry Creek Theatre is currently hanging in the balance," Dougherty wrote in the announcement. "Unlike other arts organizations that shuttered during and just after the pandemic, Cherry Creek Theatre managed to forge ahead thanks to the support of patrons like you with a passion for the cultural escape. ... We are fundraising to produce our final show of the thirteenth season, Sondheim on Sondheim, and to begin planning for our February show. Our immediate challenge is simply getting to opening night in October. With ticket sales not kicking in until early fall, we need assistance to cover the salaries of our production staff charged with keeping this production on track up until opening night."

Dougherty went on to cite the pandemic and subsequent decisions made in order to survive as the causes of the organization's current situation. "To bring you these award-winning productions as soon as we began to emerge from COVID-19, we tapped heavily into our financial reserves," she continued. "But full productions with empty seats was not a math equation that landed in our favor. And we never caught up."

Cherry Creek, which is the resident theater company of the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, is urgently requesting funds through a donation portal on its website that will help replenish its reserves and allow it stay ahead of its financial obligations. Artistic producer Susie Snodgrass notes that the money isn't just for producing Sondheim on Sondheim, which is currently slated to open on October 27. "It will also allow us to confidently say that we can produce our 2024 season," she says. "We are not a community theater; we are a professional theater. That requires a significant investment."

The company joins the growing list of mid- to small-sized regional theaters across the country that are fighting to survive. And those are the lucky ones — the theaters that live to fight another day.

But not all theaters are that lucky, as any resident of Boulder County can tell you. BDT Stage is closing its doors after 45 seasons as a crowd-pleasing dinner theater following the completion of its encore production of Fiddler on the Roof, which will run from September 9, 2023, to January 13, 2024. After the pandemic lockdowns, BDT also found it difficult to regain its footing.

"There were definitely a lot of people who didn't even realize that we had reopened after COVID, and that was a problem," says Seamus McDonough, BDT's producing artistic director. Faced with a slew of challenges, including re-engaging audiences, rising costs due to inflation, donor fatigue and increased competition for people's attention, theaters are finding it increasingly difficult to keep the lights on.

"COVID-19 happened, but the results are still happening," says Snodgrass. "Live theater has taken a hit. I was just reading a piece in the New York Times and [other outlets] about the worrying state of theaters across the country. I wish I could stick these articles in front of every theater lover's eyes, because this is a really serious problem, and we need the community to help us."

Like many performing arts venues around the country, Cherry Creek Theatre lost one of its main sources of revenue: admission from shows. "For eighteen months, we had to find other ways to stay in front of patrons," Snodgrass says. "Then we came back to our audiences with a full-scale production. While audiences have been good, it hasn't been enough. At the end of the day, theater still takes quite a bit of money.

"People say you should have six months' salary in reserve so you have something to live on in case you lose your job," she continues. "If you lose your job, you might be trying to make smart financial decisions, but until another job comes along, you have to live and eat into your savings. We spent eighteen months shut down, eating into our savings, and then had to pay for several shows back to back. Even though we are back, we are living paycheck to paycheck, and we don’t want to do that. I would rather not produce a show if I cannot pay the contract, so we are asking for donations to help us finish this season and get started on the next one."

"The fact is that it is not sustainable or financially responsible for an organization to be constantly dipping into our reserves to pay for our expenses," Dougherty adds. "Paying our actors and staff is the most important thing, so when we are having conversations about what's coming in next to pay something that might be a month late, you have to have these real conversations about whether you're going to be able to do it. Is it feasible for the board? For our patrons and people who fund the arts? To make sure we have funds in the bank, we have to address these issues head-on. Operating in a manner that we do not deem responsible is unfair to anyone who works with our organization. That is why we must examine Cherry Creek Theatre and make difficult decisions about what we want and what it means to continue."

All of the money earned from this fundraiser will allow the organization to pay back its previous debts and pay for its upcoming show. "We got into a position where we would be spending grant funds that were meant for a future production on our current production," Dougherty says. "The $50,000 gets us out of the position of spending on things in the past and puts us in a solid position for our first show. And then we can continue to fundraise from there."

The response to the theater's request has been overwhelmingly positive, with many members of the theater community sharing the fundraiser and offering words of encouragement online. Lars Preece, a Colorado actor, took to Facebook, writing, "Cherry Creek Theatre needs our help, y’all. Producing a show is no easy task and this theatre company is top-notch. I had the pleasure of performing with them last year in Peter and the Starcatcher and will perform once again with them this fall in the beautiful show Sondheim on Sondheim. Please take a moment and donate if you can."

Cherry Creek reports that it has received more than $12,000 since the fundraiser began. Although organizers are still a long way from their goal, they are encouraged by the outpouring of support. "We are feeling good about this fundraising letter and our next season," Dougherty says. "All the money we receive will help us pull ourselves to a place where we are operating from a position of strength. Rather than wait until we are going out of business to ask for help, we want to be transparent about our situation and let people know that this is our chance to get ahead of a disaster."

The fundraiser is still ongoing, and Snodgrass says that "every little bit helps." In addition to its current drive, both Dougherty and Snodgrass affirm the theater's commitment to expanding the board's connections and finding more opportunities for sponsorships with local small businesses. Cherry Creek Theatre is also working to persuade local officials, business executives and community members that supporting the arts is essential to the social and economic well-being of their communities.

"I want to speak to every town that has a theater," Dougherty says. "The arts don't always get the attention that they deserve, but I think that having small businesses and the arts in a community is really important. Now more than ever, it's really important to take your friends and family to support the arts. Go support a local art gallery or small theater company. Cherry Creek Theatre offers people an intimate environment, where you feel like you are on stage with the performers. Spaces like ours are the places that are struggling. I believe everyone needs to be thinking about theater when they're thinking about supporting communities near where they live."

Donate and learn more at cherrycreektheatre.org.