Community theater survives in Cleveland

Cleveland-area theaters have kept the attitude of "the show must go on" despite the loss of a major institution last year.

The Carousel Dinner Theatre in Akron went out of business in early 2009 after 36 years. It served 200,000 patrons a year and presented Broadway shows and musical performances.

Smaller theaters can pick up part of that audience while watching their own bottom lines.

The Beachwood Community Theater stays afloat by keeping its ticket prices "ridiculously low," according to theater director Jill Koslen-Freireich.

"We charge $6 for children and $7 for adults," she said. "That's less than seeing a movie."

Another way to attract customers is to focus on a specific audience.

"Our program is unique in that all of our shows are family-oriented," Koslen-Freireich said. "We have families acting together on stage, and that attracts other families."

The Beachwood Theater's productions have included "Oliver!," "The Sound of Music" and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

The current musical, "The Princess Snow White," will run on the weekends from April 9-25 at Beachwood Middle School.

Financial challenges

According to an Ohio Arts Council survey conducted in December 2008, 77 percent of Council members had a downturn in contributions, while 69 percent suffered a drop in ticket sales.

"However, when you isolate the theater organizations who responded to the survey, only 65 percent saw downturns in their revenue," said Stephanie Dawson, the Council's legislative affairs assistant.

A second survey in the spring of 2009 saw the number of theaters reporting lower revenue rise to 94 percent.

"The future of many arts organizations is uncertain, but even with that bleak picture, it's important to remember the tremendous power of the arts to uplift the human condition and spirit, especially for those who are most vulnerable during these challenging times," Dawson added.

Dinner is on

Montrose Zion United Methodist Church in Akron will present "Jesus Christ Superstar" as its annual dinner theater from April 30 through May 8 on the weekends.

Associate pastor Matt Darrin has performed in theater ministry for 15 years and is staging the production along with his wife, Janel. She has performed professionally in "The Sound of Music" in Pennsylvania.

"Making it a dinner theater makes it more invitational," he said. "We would have made it a dinner theater whether or not the Carousel closed."

The cast is a mix of church members and local actors. Some made their stage debuts at last year's dinner theater in "Cotton Patch Gospel," which drew 850 fans on three nights.

"Community theater is about giving everyone a chance to perform," Darrin said. "We are even double-casting some of the roles on different nights so everyone gets a chance."

Book your own show

Random Acts presents individual dinner theater shows across the country, including venues in Cleveland. While the troupe has seen a downturn in its public shows, its corporate and private bookings have returned to pre-recession levels.

Co-director Lynda Whiting said actors who may have looked down on a company like Random Acts as "guerrilla theater" are now more likely to get on stage with her.

"It seems to be picking up steam," she said. "We are kind of like vaudeville. You can't sit in one spot. You have to be willing to go anywhere."

For Random Acts, "anywhere" means a train in Vermont, a winery in Kansas, an army base in Alabama and a riverboat in Michigan.

"The most unusual place that we've put on a show is on a bus going to the Trump Casino in Atlantic City," Whiting said. "I had to back my costumes in a duffel bag. I jumped off the bus and ducked into a restaurant to change characters.

"It's also a challenge to do a show on a boat," she added, "because characters show up and it's like 'How did they get there?'"