Tag: pasadena-playhouse

I haven’t done a Pasadena Playhouse update in a bit, but an item in today’s news caught my eye and made me realize an update is appropriate. For a change, it is all good news.

• The Playhouse has begun to communicate better with subscribers. We’ve received a letter from them about the situation, and they’ve actually updated their blog. However, their main site appears to have disappeared over the weekend. [ETA: Their web site is back, albeit with a new look… they must have just been updating.] About the only comment I have is that the material they’ve sent has failed to address how tickets for their new show will be handled for those who donated their season—are there special past subscriber rates? [ETA: On the upside, they now have a page for subscriber questions]
• They’ve sent out the donation letters. The amount is for a bit less than I had hoped for, but I’m not surprised they forgot they originally promised 7, not 6, shows.
• Yet another Playhouse show is going to Broadway. “Baby, It’s You”, their penultimate musical, now appears to be headed to Broadway… directed by Floyd Mutrix (the author) and Sheldon Epps (of the Playhouse). Sheldon’s looking to be a busy boy on Broadway, as he is also directing “Unchain My Heart” on Broadway (this was “Ray Charles Live” at the Playhouse). “Sister Act”, which was also tested at the Playhouse, is also coming to Broadway, and “Vanities”, another Playhouse musical, was recently off-Broadway (as well as the non-musical “Looped”). Of course, they don’t seem to be bringing my favorite recent Playhouse musical, “Mask” to Broadway, but I can hope that it makes it someday.

By now, you’ve probably read how the Pasadena Playhouse is out of bankruptcy. There have been articles in Playbill, the Los Angeles Times, Pasadena Now, Pasadena Star News, Broadway World, and other locations. The gist of the articles is that the Playhouse is emerging from bankruptcy clear from all debts, save those to their subscribers, that there is a matching gift from two anonymous donors of $1 million, and that they are going to start back slow, with a single show in the fall.

Note the little line about their subscribers. The LA Times article mentioned the subscribers twice. The first reference was when it referred to the reorganization plan: “The plan of reorganization that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Thomas Donovan approved Wednesday erases all the Playhouse’s debts except the obligation eventually to provide its 2010 subscribers with seats for the number of shows they had bought.” There was also a mention at the end of the article: “Documents in the bankruptcy showed that season subscribers — about 2,600 couples or individuals — were owed about $1.2 million. Walper [the pro-bono attorney] said many of them have agreed to return their tickets as a donation, or claim just two of the plays they are owed instead of all five.”

What have the subscribers been told about this? What about the promise I received from the Executive Director’s Administrative Assistant that “There was a great deal of acknowledgment that within the past couple of years, communication with the subscribers had not been well maintained. One of our prime goals in this reorganization is to mend that…”, and that these ways would include getting “all the online media back up and running properly” and that when the large announcements would be made “both to the general public and subscribers”.

Obviously, things didn’t change.

The press release went to major media outlets… but was not emailed to subscribers. It was not posted to the Pasadena Playhouse blog nor to their Facebook page. The Pasadena Playhouse web site was not updated in parallel with the press release. I dropped a note to the aforementioned Administrative Assistant about this… but there was no response.

This morning, long after the press release went out, their main web site was updated with large font text that is difficult to read, and their news site (which doesn’t have an RSS feed) was updated with a number of links. [ETA, 2hr later: The large print text is gone, replaced by a readable copy of the press release]. There has still been no email to subscribers.

I’m trying to give the Playhouse the benefit of the doubt. However, this seems to show the priority of the Playhouse is the general media newshounds, and not their relationship with their subscribers. It will be interesting to contrast the subscriber relationship this weekend, when we go to the first show of our new subscription at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, where we’ll be seeing “Grace & Glorie”.

P.S.: I’ll note that the Los Angeles Times appears to have a bug up its arse about the Playhouse. Yesterday, whilst doing my normal news reading, I discovered a piece of how the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura (a similar theatre in reputation to the Pasadena Playhouse) is having serious financial difficulties, and their main theatre space was about to be sold to the highest bidder on the Courthouse steps. Luckily, a deal was reached, but they aren’t out of the woods yet. I forwarded this article to the LA Times… so far I haven’t seen them pick up on it.

I’m pleased to report some positive news regarding the Pasadena Playhouse. I heard back from the Operations person today. She reported that the Playhouse Board had a long meeting addressing many of the issues that I have pointed out (although I don’t know if they included the suggestions from my last post). She indicated that there was a great deal of acknowledgment that within the past couple of years, communication with the subscribers had not been well maintained. She indicated that one of their prime goals in this reorganization is to mend that.

I am very pleased to hear that. The first step in fixing relations with the subscribers is to recognize the problem exists.

She indicated that she will personally do her best to get the online media back up and running properly, that they are bringing in a new ticketing and email system, and that (in my case) she has confirmed our information is in the database. She also hinted that, pending approval, they will have some big announcements in mid-July.

Again, I’m please to hear this. I do want the Playhouse to survive and thrive.

She also indicated that both the Executive Director and Artistic Director were willing to sit down and discuss the issues with me. I’ve deferred that for now—I want to see what they do in July, plus I want to have concrete suggestions to give her. I did suggest that she read my favorite producing blogs (The Producers Perspective, Live 2.0 (from the fellow behind Goldstar Events), and Confessions of an LA Theatre Producer). I also suggested that the Artistic Director should work his way onto Downstage Center the next time he’s in New York.

So, the big question: Will we resubscribe? I can’t answer that yet, which I guess is a good answer (and certainly a better answer than my earlier ones). I want to see what their recovery plan is; I want to see what productions they program; and most importantly, I want to see how the subscriptions are priced and how the payment plans (if they have one) work. I also want to see how things change for returning subscribers—what are they going to do to repair relations with the subscriber base. I don’t want to give up our good seats, but they were getting a bit pricey, and I might want to do single tickets for specific productions until I see how things stabilize.

Today, while reading the Monster Mash at the LA Times, I got the urge to look at the Pasadena Playhouse website. Imagine my surprise when I saw a note about subscriber meetings, indicating that they were going to be held:

• Monday, June 14th 7:00 – 8:30 pm
• Tuesday, June 15th 2:30 – 4:00 pm
• Wednesday, June 16th 11:00 am – 12:30

I should note that (as a subscriber) they never provided me with an announcement of these meetings: there was no mail (although they knew where to mail the bankruptcy paperwork); there was no phone call (even though they have my phone number); there was no email; and there wasn’t even a posting on their blog (to which I subscribe via RSS). Thus, although I would have been interested in attending, I found out too late, only by happenchance.

Given there was an email address for the Operations person, I dropped her a note as soon as I saw the page. Interestingly enough, she had called me at work early last week to talk, but I was in a meeting. I told her to call me back the next day… but she never did. I didn’t receive a response to my email, nor a call today. I’m writing this off as yet another example of the Playhouse’s problems with the care and nurturing of subscribers.

So, as she didn’t call, here are my suggestions about what the Playhouse should have done, subscriber-wise:

• As soon as the closing was announced, created a mailing list for subscribers (this would be free at someplace like Yahoo). In their letter, provide an address for people to confirm they are on the mailing list.
• They should also have created a special announcement blog just for subscribers. Again, easy to do.
• They should have kept both lists updated regularly. Transparency of information is the best approach.
• I understand that they could not provide confirmation of the bankruptcy filing before it was made public. But they could have indicated they were contemplating filing, and if they filed, what forms people would get and how to fill them out.
• They should have passed on good-will offers from other organizations. Those wouldn’t have cost the Playhouse anything, and would have kept subscribers happy. More importantly, it would have created positive impressions and benefitted the entire theatre community.

Simple ideas. Ideas that would not cost the Playhouse anything, but would have indicated that the subscribers were part of the family. As for us, right now, I’ll keep watching what is happening. I want them to succeed and return, but I’m hesitant about resubscribing until I see a change in attitude. What I was buying there with my subscription dollar has bought an equivalent subscription elsewhere, plus left enought to fund attending a large number of productions around the Los Angeles area.

Now it’s time for another entry in the continuing saga of the Pasadena Playhouse. When last we spoke, I had received a love note from the Bankruptcy Court, as was informed I was a creditor. Since then, I dutifully filed the creditor paperwork.

Today, I received a letter from the Playhouse (evidently, they had also sent out another letter, which I never received). This letter indicates that they have finalized their recovery plan, and are waiting for court approval. The letter indicates that “If the play is confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court, the Playhouse will honor your outstanding 2010 season subscriptions by providing performances at the Playhouse over time.” However, they are offering is two additional treatment options: (1) to exchange the balance of our subscirption for tickets to the next two performances at the Playhouse, or to (2) donate the balance of the subscription to the Playhouse in return for a donation letter.

I’m torn on what to do. Originally, we were willing to go with the donation route. That’s a bird in the hand—a guaranteed sizable charitible deduction (some fixed percentage of almost $700). I think that roughly 40% of the would be the eventual tax credit, effectively paying for most of the Colony Theatre subscription that replaced the Playhouse subscription. I’m less sure about the “two performances” route, as there is no guarantee what they will be or what their quality will be (especially as the recovery plan indicates that they expect they would be joint performances with third parties). As for doing nothing, meaning they would fulfill our subscription if and when they recover, that’s rolling craps.

I guess I’m just really disappointed by how the Playhouse has treated their subscription base during all of this. They’ve just spent their goodwill with me, and I have no trust with them regarding future productions.

Still, I’d like your opinon. Facebook readers: just leave your opinion as a comment.

I’ll note that technically we have two subscriptions, but received only one letter. It is unclear how we fill out the letter if we go for Class 4(a).

Today, in the mail, I received a love note from the United States Bankruptcy Court. Forms B9E and B10, informing me that I may be a creditor of the debtor, “The Pasadena Playhouse State Theatre of California”, and that I need to file a Proof of Claim. It also informed me (in 8-point legalese) that there will be a meeting of creditors on June 21, 2010 in downtown Los Angeles at 2:15pm. There was no explanation of how to fill out the forms, or what was even happening.

Now, I’m aware of what was happening because I read the Los Angeles Times. I knew the Playhouse was filing for bankruptcy (Chapter 11). But I’ve had no communication from the Playhouse. No letter from them indicating “here’s what we’re doing, here’s why, and here’s what you need to do”. Nope. Just an 8-pt legal form. This continues their record of poor communication.

If the Pasadena Playhouse is to succeed in its new post-bankruptcy incarnation, it can’t do it on single ticket income alone. It needs season subscribers… and the most likely base of those are were the current subscribers. I say “were”, because the Playhouse is rapidly alienating them and showing they won’t even make the effort to pretend to care. I know the good-will we had towards the organization has been lost, and we’re sending our subscription dollars to theatres that care about their subscribers.

Presuming I can figure it out :-), I’ll send in their proof of claim, with a reworded version of the letter I sent to the Playhouse, the charge date, and proof that they originally promised seven (7) plays [not six (6) as they later claimed] but only delivered one (1), “Camelot”.

Yet again the Pasadena Playhouse demonstrates their commitment to their subscribers by informing them of major news before it hits the paper. Oh, right they didn’t.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Pasadena Playhouse is filing Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. They are reorganizing, which leaves us subscribers as creditors. Will we get something for our subscription dollars? Will we even get a donation letter? Stay tuned to this station to find out.

(One wonders how much of their subscriber base will stay with them after this. We won’t. We’ve already moved our subscription dollars to the Colony Theatre in Burbank!)