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The Curtain Goes Down on the Pasadena Playhouse
""I believe with all my heart, with all my passion, with the fire and lust of my very artistic being that this is only an 'intermission,'" Artistic Director Sheldon Epps told the crowd
Stephen Eich, Executive Director of the Pasadena Playhouse, addresses the audience on Feb. 7, 2010. "We are absolutely optimistic that [the Playhouse] will in fact reopen" he said. [Photo: James Macpherson]
By JAMES MACPHERSON
Published: Sunday, February 7, 2010 | 11:47 PM
The debt-ridden 93-year-old Playhouse went dark Sunday night, facing an uncertain future.
“Tonight we are closing this theater,” Executive Director Stephen Eich told the crowd of over 600 audience, board members and well-wishers from the stage on a night that also saw the closing of the Playhouse production of “Camelot.”
“We know not for how long,” Eich continued, “but we are absolutely optimistic that it will in fact reopen.”
Saddled with $3 million in bills and needing an estimated $8 to $10 million to “regroup,” Eich had earlier said that the Playhouse Board made the correct decision in pulling the plug.
Eich was joined onstage by Sheldon Epps, the Playhouse’s longtime Artistic Director.
Epps told the crowd that although sadness was involved in the evening’s events, he prefers to view the Playhouse closing as an intermission with a great second act to come.
At the end of their remarks, Epps and Eich were joined onstage by “Camelot” cast members, Playhouse staff, and Board members who together took a final bow.
Few final decision apparently have been made about the Playhouse’s future. 37 staff members were laid off in late January, but no actions in connection with refunding season ticket holder payments or filing bankruptcy have been announced.
2 Responses to “The Curtain Goes Down on the Pasadena Playhouse”
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February 10th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Truly a sad moment for theatre arts in California. One can only hope that this is indeed only an intermission; however, one in which the artistic leadership doesn’t return for the second act. While Mr. Epps had a clear and admirable vision for the Playhouse, it simple wasn’t one that the Pasadena are could support for long. There is are many places suited for such decidedly afro-centric seasons and long-term goals as demonstrated from Mr. Epps first season at the Playhouse to present day. Simply a case of right intentions, wrong place. The palate presented was simply too narrow, even for a pseudo “arts community” like Pasadena. Ironically, and to his credit, if Mr. Epps had spread out his vision… the frequency of productions to that end, he may well have succeeded in something really extraordinary. Instead, while he did produce shows that held to his core vision, he produced them too often, and in many cases not only did the Pasadena area suffer from overexposure to the “mission”, but the ultimate quality of the productions themselves suffered as well. This is often the downside of such passion, especially in theatre. It’s not only a question of knowing your audience, but also knowing people. You can repaint the house, but not all at once. This is simply how we work.
February 10th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
It is truly a sad moment for theatre arts in California and truly a sad moment that Mr. Epps vision was so misinterpreted. To say that his programming was “simply too narrow” makes me wonder who was sitting in that theatre year after year. Mr. Epps programmed to theatrical diversity….and frankly each season contained more than “afro-centric” shows unless you believe that one black show a year is ONE TOO MANY! That itself makes me cry for the state of the arts in California. The Pasadena Playhouse produced musicals, classics, new work, white work, latino work, asian work and yes black works and if that doesn’t represent Pasadena or that is simply too narrow then we as Californians need to reexamine who we really are and how we want to be viewed. I hope with all my heart that the Pasadena Playhouse reopens soon, that this is just an intermission and that Artistic Director Sheldon Epps returns to the helm. For those of us that love diverse programming, we will be back to support his mission.