Coach House Theatre is closing after a 90-year run.
The theater’s board members and artistic directors said they are leaving because of an ongoing financial dispute between the theater and the Akron Woman’s City Club, its parent organization.
Theater representatives said the club’s board never responded to a request for a guarantee that the club would remain open for the theater’s full 2017-2018 season. That made it impossible for Coach House to sell subscriptions, said Artistic Director Nancy Cates, who has run the theater with husband/Artistic Director Terry Burgler for nine years.
The program for this season’s final production, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, contains references to the 93-seat theater closing.
“I didn’t feel it was ethical to sell season tickets if I didn’t feel the money was there to fund next season,” Cates said.
Woman’s Club President Betty Spencer hopes the situation only is temporary.
“I’m hoping that either we can find a new board and new artistic directors or, if we can’t do that, possibly a group would like to rent the theater,” Spencer said.
“Of course, we’re saddened because the theater has been a part of the club for a good many years and Nancy and Terry, they’re wonderful artistic directors and we are very saddened to lose them and, of course, to close Coach House,” she said.
The club itself, however, is challenged:
• Membership was down to an all-time low of 145 in March, said Carol Landis, club member and president of the Coach House board.
• A fire in December 2015 closed the club’s kitchen for 11 months.
• The club is on a plan to pay $119,660.49 in delinquent Summit County property taxes.
A year ago, the women’s club guaranteed that the doors would stay open for the theater’s 2016-17 season. But that hasn’t happened this year, according to Cates.
Cates said income from ticket sales in the past has been held by the club and budgeted back to the theater on a per-production basis. The theater’s annual budget is $122,595.
But Cates said the club has been late giving Coach House its production advances for each show. Over the last nine years, Cates and Burgler have used personal funds a handful of times to cover expenses and been paid back later by the club.
Cates said the theater was told in January that funds to produce Baskerville were not available, even though it was part of the subscription series patrons had already paid for. Cates said she told Spencer if the show didn’t go on, it would cost $8,000 to refund subscribers, and single-ticket sales would be lost.
The theater ended up receiving the $10,600 advance for Baskerville’s costs, but it was the final straw for the Coach House artistic directors.
“I have no desire to leave, but if I cannot control the funds, then I cannot produce theater,’’ Cates said.
Both sides said they tried to work out a different financial arrangement.
“Their finances are handled exactly the way every other part of Akron Woman’s City Club is handled,” Spencer said. “Over and above their operating expenses, the monies come back to the club.”
Asked if production advances were often given out late to Coach House because of club cash-flow issues, Spencer said, “I really don’t think I want to comment anymore.”
Landis said a new financial arrangement was not reached in time for the theater to prepare for next season and start selling subscriptions.
After several months of communication between the boards, Spencer sent an email April 26 to Cates and Landis acknowledging “the need [Coach House] has for more control over their finances. It is my understanding that the [board of trustees] will entertain that but wants an agreement in writing.”
The women’s club asked for a two-year agreement for the theater to maintain the venue and pay utilities and operating costs. The women’s club also wanted the theater’s profits.
Landis said the Coach House board was not comfortable agreeing to a two-year commitment to continue managing the theater. She also said that the theater did not want to give its profits to the club.
“There is no agreement regarding what will happen to the theatre in the event they [the club] would have to close,” Landis said in an April 26 email to the theater board and Cates. “There is no memorandum of understanding assuring the [club] will have the funds it needs to complete another year.”
Landis informed Spencer in a letter dated May 10 that the club’s conditions were not acceptable, so Coach House board and artistic directors would step down June 5, the day after Baskerville closes, and vacate the theater.
Arts writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com. Like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kclawsonabj or follow her on Twitter @KerryClawsonABJ .