As theater companies in the region open the curtains on their 2012-2013 seasons, the Lehigh Valley stage is cast in the deep shadow of bad news for some of the brethren.
Reports abound that at least two of these companies are facing severe cash shortfalls, to the extent that, in one instance, staff salaries have been slashed, and, in the other, an artistic director has been let go.
Traditionally, theater companies inside and outside the Lehigh Valley share the challenge that knows no season---
meeting their expenses and settling their debts.
They attempt to do that through ticket sales; through public and private donations; and through grants, sponsorships, memberships, and program ads.
However, in a region that has gone from the steady manufacturing economy that existed when many of these theater companies were founded to the lower-paying distribution/service-oriented economy that abounds today, the competition for those revenue sources has never been more heated.
What to do?