The Intiman, a beloved theater in the heart of the Seattle Center and a longtime fixture of the local drama scene, may be a victim of a poor economy and questionable management decisions.
The theatre is in desperate need of money. To avoid having to close its doors for good, Intiman must raise $500,000 by the end of March, an additional $250,000 by the end of June, and an additional $250,000 by the end of September, bringing the total to $1 million.
That figure is in addition to the theatre’s planned annual goal of $1.75 million. The money received during its campaign will go towards continuing to produce seasons of plays as well as its anniversary celebration. If the fundraising is successful, Intiman will celebrate its 40th season in 2012.
Becky Lathrop, Director of Institutional Advancement, who oversees Marketing, Communications, and Fundraising, explained the financial deadlines were spread out to make fundraising easier.
Lathrop said the campaign is focusing on the Intiman’s Board of Trustees, and its current donor base as well as the general public.
“The majority of the support is going to come from those who know and love Intiman already,” Lathrop said. “We have a very healthy database of subscribers and single ticket buyers and people who have been engaged for many years.”
The "Seattle Times" reported that the Intiman is developing a pared-down 2011 budget (the annual budget is usually $5 million), has laid off one employee, reduced its staff time to a four-day workweek, caught up on tax payments, started a new audit, and created a rent-repayment plan with the Seattle Center.
Just how the Intiman got into this financial mess is a complex issue. Kim Anderson, president of the Board of Trustees, declined to comment directly, but in an open letter to the community on the Intiman’s website, she stated, “Since the departure of our former managing director last fall, the board of trustees has unearthed a series of missteps and management failings. Inflated budget projections, unpaid bills and a complete lack of financial and accounting oversight have left the theater dangerously low on cash.”
Brian Colburn, the former managing director referred to by Anderson, resigned November of 2010. Anderson continued, “Seattle is a unique community; we are intellectually curious; progressively open minded; and willing to openly reflect and debate who we are as a community. I’m continually reminded by friends from the national theater community that only a city like Seattle could create a theater like Intiman. I also believe that only a city like Seattle can help preserve a gem like Intiman.”
Lathrop didn’t go into detail, but said that there were activities planned in the 2010 season that the former management team didn’t present in a financially realistic way.
“When the former manager resigned, the board and staff found that a number of activities took place that put the organization in a compromising position. If these financial difficulties had been raised at the beginning of the year, we would not have been in this situation and we would have been able to remedy these problems,” she said.
The weekly update listed on the theater’s website says that the Intiman has raised almost $120,000 in gifts and pledges in the first six days of the Impact Intiman Campaign. There are six weeks left to reach their goal of another $400,000 by the end of March. No word yet on the theatre's 40th Anniversary plans next year. “The board and staff regret that this has happened to Intiman,” Lathrop said. “We have learned our lesson the hard way about trusting management and [a realistic] financial budget. Controls are being put into place so that this doesn’t happen again. We will continue to produce plays in a fiscally responsible way. We are moving forward.”
To make a donation and help save the Intiman Theater, visit http://www.intiman.org .
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