week of 1/14/04
 
 
 
  Playhouse lease renewed
By Sarah Kucharski

After last month’s town council meeting spurred heated debate regarding the Highlands Playhouse’s lease, local residents crowded into town council chambers last week for a final decision about whether the theater group would receive a lease renewal.

The lease came up for renewal in December, but the group did not request renewal until that point. During its last meeting of 2003, council members said the group should have come earlier.

Council members wanted to look over the lease and possibly redraw it, ultimately placing the Playhouse in the situation of temporarily being without a lease and unsure of its future in the town-owned building.

This month, council members cited letters from both the Highlands Playhouse company and the Instant Theater company and again questioned Playhouse representatives about their willingness to share the facility.

Previously, Instant Theater representatives had said that their request to use the building was ignored, so the company was forced to turn to the Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center for production space.

However, an attorney speaking on the Playhouse’s behalf said that the group had never turned down a reasonable usage request and that lease renewal was only logical due to the group’s significant financial investment in the building. So far, the company has put about $75,000 into repair costs, the attorney said.

While the Playhouse company has not barred other theater companies from using the facility, the 175 per day rental fee is too much for many groups.

“One hundred and seventy-five dollars a day for use of the playhouse stage is a little outlandish for any group. I could rent a space in New York City for less,” said Instant Theater artistic director Adam Heffernan in an interview after the meeting.

When the Instant Theater company requested use of the Playhouse facility representatives offered to help pay for renovations and repairs in exchange for facility usage. However, Playhouse representatives said that it was unreasonable to expect two theater companies to share a stage. The Instant Theater company and another Highlands group, the Community Players, share the performing arts center.

“The set up at PAC is really wonderful in that they have an independent director who books groups in the space, with very clear and affordable rates and a well-established usage policy,” Heffernan said. “Highlands Playhouse, if they are serious about opening up the building year-round, would do well to higher a full-time managing director and model themselves after the PAC.”

Newly elected council member Dennis DeWolfe called for a vote on the issue, making a motion for a five-year renewal for the Playhouse with the stipulation that the company would continue to open the facility’s doors to outside groups.

“I really think the Playhouse needs to continue as an institution,” DeWolfe said.

DeWolfe’s motion passed unanimously and audience members quickly began to shuffle about, some exchanging congratulatory words as they put on their coats. It was then that a voice called out from the hallway and a woman, Instant Theater company Board of Director’s member Renee DeHoll, pushed forward to ask council members if the lease was exclusive to the Playhouse and what if anything would be done to ensure that other groups could use the facility.

Council members and town attorney Bill Coward attempted to answer DeHoll’s questions over the low-din of the crowd, saying that the lease would be exclusive and that any “reasonable” request for use should be honored.