East Central non-development

Tonight on the way to pick up stuff for my closet-reorg project, I passed by my former workplace, the Hiland Theatre on East Central. Always causes a pang of loss.



Back in the mid-90s, we (www.musicaltheatresw.com) were all hot to buy our own theatre. We got a 'deal' from the about-to-die owner of the Hiland, and closed on it in early 1996. The theatre hadn't been vacant that long. Their last show was "Waterworld" in 1995. We were cash flush, and thought that we would just continue growing. The other venues we had looked at weren't quite as workable and we wanted to save a part of Route 66 history.

We thought this would be not only a revitalization of our community theatre, but also a kick in the butt for the area. We were excited about the move, and put our all into it.

We had problems from the very beginning with trying to renovate it enough to make side businesses want to make it a destination. Didn't happen. We spent nearly all the profits from selling our warehouse in the Heights on the bare essentials to move in. It was sucking the cash out 10 times faster than any of the board members (hah!) projected. The couple of businesses that tried to survive with us in the building folded so quickly you'd hardly know they were there, except that we had to fork out the moolah for renovating their space.

We moved into the offices in September 1997, and carried forth with the switch from shows at Popejoy Hall to the Hiland. Subscribers weren't happy. The neighborhood wasn't helping.

The market changed. The Standard Brands hardware store two blocks down almost immediately closed and a sex paraphernalia store moved in. The cash flow was negative...seriously negative. Our season subscribers started dropping like flies. We never were able to build a proper stage in the theatre with flys and such, so it was all crunched up in the front where the old screen was.

So by mid 2000, I knew that I'd have to be looking for another job. Amazingly I found a similar one, at of all places Popejoy Hall, where MTS used to perform for over 30 years. The former director (not my current boss) had created such a negative relationship between us and the venue that I blame her for being the impetus for the search for our own venue.

After I left, the crunch got even more serious, quite quickly. The ED was fired. The Costume Manager was fired. Board members started filling in to keep it going. Shows got tighter budgets and the audience continued to shrink.

By 2005, it was over. They lost the building, unable to make payroll or mortgage, even after several renegotiations. I watched from afar, losing touch with most everyone there. Never filing bankruptcy, they continue on just barely subsisting. They had one show this year, out at a casino 30 minutes east of town, West Side Story. Oh, my.

So from proudly being the largest community-based producer of musical theater in the country to falling back to an all-volunteer, barely-there ragtage group that people are quickly forgetting in 10 years is quite a blow to the city history. The founders in the early 1960s would be scandalized.

So, every time I pass the Hiland, where I used to change the marquee, weed the parking lot, made lots of friends, and of course functioned as the financial accountant for a dozen years in all, I sigh.

East Central non-development

Tonight on the way to pick up stuff for my closet-reorg project, I passed by my former workplace, the Hiland Theatre on East Central. Always causes a pang of loss.



Back in the mid-90s, we (www.musicaltheatresw.com) were all hot to buy our own theatre. We got a 'deal' from the about-to-die owner of the Hiland, and closed on it in early 1996. The theatre hadn't been vacant that long. Their last show was "Waterworld" in 1995. We were cash flush, and thought that we would just continue growing. The other venues we had looked at weren't quite as workable and we wanted to save a part of Route 66 history.

We thought this would be not only a revitalization of our community theatre, but also a kick in the butt for the area. We were excited about the move, and put our all into it.

We had problems from the very beginning with trying to renovate it enough to make side businesses want to make it a destination. Didn't happen. We spent nearly all the profits from selling our warehouse in the Heights on the bare essentials to move in. It was sucking the cash out 10 times faster than any of the board members (hah!) projected. The couple of businesses that tried to survive with us in the building folded so quickly you'd hardly know they were there, except that we had to fork out the moolah for renovating their space.

We moved into the offices in September 1997, and carried forth with the switch from shows at Popejoy Hall to the Hiland. Subscribers weren't happy. The neighborhood wasn't helping.

The market changed. The Standard Brands hardware store two blocks down almost immediately closed and a sex paraphernalia store moved in. The cash flow was negative...seriously negative. Our season subscribers started dropping like flies. We never were able to build a proper stage in the theatre with flys and such, so it was all crunched up in the front where the old screen was.

So by mid 2000, I knew that I'd have to be looking for another job. Amazingly I found a similar one, at of all places Popejoy Hall, where MTS used to perform for over 30 years. The former director (not my current boss) had created such a negative relationship between us and the venue that I blame her for being the impetus for the search for our own venue.

After I left, the crunch got even more serious, quite quickly. The ED was fired. The Costume Manager was fired. Board members started filling in to keep it going. Shows got tighter budgets and the audience continued to shrink.

By 2005, it was over. They lost the building, unable to make payroll or mortgage, even after several renegotiations. I watched from afar, losing touch with most everyone there. Never filing bankruptcy, they continue on just barely subsisting. They had one show this year, out at a casino 30 minutes east of town, West Side Story. Oh, my.

So from proudly being the largest community-based producer of musical theater in the country to falling back to an all-volunteer, barely-there ragtage group that people are quickly forgetting in 10 years is quite a blow to the city history. The founders in the early 1960s would be scandalized.

So, every time I pass the Hiland, where I used to change the marquee, weed the parking lot, made lots of friends, and of course functioned as the financial accountant for a dozen years in all, I sigh.