WEEKLY RENTAL

I would like to correct some misinformation about the Tiffany Theater: In his review of “Fatty” (“Thin Dialogue, Gaunt Plot,” Aug. 23), Dan Sullivan wrote that “given (the theater’s) Sunset Strip address, the rental will be very high.”

Our rental costs to producers are completely competitive with other 99-seat Waiver houses in Los Angeles and are, in fact, lower than many when you take into account the services included: box office, extensive sound and lighting equipment, utilities, maintenance, etc.

The waiver rule means that Equity waives rules in theaters of 99 seats or less, recognizing that such showcases have value to their membership but that such theaters are not economically viable.

There is nothing “backward “ about providing those actors who choose to work in Waiver shows a comfortable and well-designed environment. If the actors are willing to contribute their time and talent, as a theater owner I am willing to contribute what I can to upgrade the space in which they work.

Had I renovated the Tiffany with the hope of making a normal return on investment, I would have converted it into office space.

PAULA HOLT

Executive Director

Tiffany Theaters

Holt says the weekly rental rate for the Tiffany is $1,600 plus $200 for box-office services. According to Lucy Pollak, the Odyssey I Theater on Ohio Avenue rents for $1,650 a week, which includes box-office personnel and a reservation line. Holt points out that the Tiffany’s lighting and sound equipment are more elaborate than the Odyssey’s and says she prefers to compare her theater with the Callboard or the Matrix, which she says rents for around $2,000 a week.