Performing arts center dark through 2020





EMPTY FOR NOW—Bank of America Performing Arts Center’s two theaters aren’t expected to reopen until early 2012. Acorn file photo

EMPTY FOR NOW—Bank of America Performing Arts Center’s two theaters aren’t expected to reopen until early 2012. Acorn file photo

The show will go on—but not until next year.

The Bank of America Performing Arts Center will remain closed to live events through the end of 2020, the City of Thousand Oaks announced recently.

With no sign from the state that large indoor entertainment venues will be allowed to reopen in the near future, the city has decided to cut its losses, canceling all scheduled live shows and rentals and declining any new lease agreements through December.

The two theaters that comprise the PAC have been closed since March 13, a day after the governor announced a statewide stay-home order.

In all, over 250 performances have been affected by the extended closure, said Jonathan Serret, PAC general manager, who shared the news with the affected parties, including the center’s three resident arts companies: 5-Star Theatricals, Pacific Festival Ballet and New West Symphony.

The closure also means 14 employees in the cultural affairs department, or TOArts, will be furloughed: seven full-time workers and seven designated part-time employees.

In addition, 65 hourly employees who work event by event— including stagehands, usher captains and ticket agents—have been without work since March, as have those with whom the city contracts for services, such as parking attendants, bartenders and security personnel.

The city is projecting a $750,000 shortfall in this fiscal year’s theaters fund and a figure even larger in the next fiscal year.

Fallout

Patrons who have already bought tickets for events scheduled between now and December will be informed as soon as new dates are confirmed, the city said. Current tickets will be valid for the new date. If a show must be canceled, they will be notified of refund options.

Home to the 1,800-seat Kavli Theater and 400-seat Scherr Forum, the center was dark for most of August and September 2019 to allow renovations before its 25th anniversary celebration in October and November.

City Councilmember Claudia Bill-de la Peña has long been one of the theaters’ supporters. She said the extended shutdown would have a serious impact on the arts community, especially the artists themselves; she encouraged residents to find ways to support them.

“We’ve been talking about restaurants and helping restaurants, but now that they’re open, we really need to focus on arts organizations,” she said. “Sign up for Zoom classes, and if you can afford it, donate.”

The council member said the January 2021 reopening date is not a foregone conclusion.

“Should he (Gov. Gavin Newsom) allow us to open theaters, we will be the first to do so,” she said.

Live concerts with large audiences are in Stage 4 of the governor’s four-stage reopening road map. The state just entered Stage 3.

Asked why such a long closure was necessary with so many sectors having already reopened, Serret said the city doesn’t know when the state may move to Stage 4. Bill-de la Peña said it could be months based on the governor’s comments last week.

“We’re going into Stage 3 now, but we’re also seeing an uptick in (COVID) numbers,” Serret said. “This will give us time to put in new protocols we’re going to have to have.”

Plus, he said, even if performances are allowed, depending on safety guidelines, the productions might not be financially feasible.

“If you can only have 15% of your capacity, there’s no way you can make that work,” Serret said.