Funding Drama Intensifies at Theatre Center

Los Angeles Theatre Center’s struggle for survival keeps getting longer--while the patience of City Council members overseeing the struggle may be getting shorter.

So it seemed at a meeting of the council’s Community Redevelopment and Housing committee this week.

The 11-member study group appointed by Mayor Tom Bradley to examine the future of LATC has extended its deadline by 30 days, now aiming for consensus by the end of September, Community Redevelopment Agency Administrator John Tuite said.

In May, Tuite reported that the CRA, which has channeled more than $19 million into LATC, as part of the redevelopment of Spring Street, can’t afford the $32 million that LATC estimates will be needed over the next five years to maintain the LATC building, pay off its debts for moving into it and begin an endowment for continued support of the building. Bradley appointed the study group to figure out how to ensure the permanent survival of the building at 514 S. Spring St. as a theater facility, with or without the LATC.

While the group conducts its study, LATC costs continue, and the CRA asked the council committee to approve another $750,000 in immediate support for the LATC facility.

The committee voted 2-1 to recommend council approval of the $750,000. But this latest appropriation will keep the center open only through part of October, said Tuite, adding that it will take another $990,000 to keep the center running through the fall-winter season, which ends in late January. That amount includes $455,000 for a debt payment that he said was due in January.

“When does the city decide to go into a detox center and stop this nonsense?” asked Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who cast the lone vote against LATC and who has long maintained that LATC takes too much of the total city arts budget, at the expense of other arts groups.

Yaroslavsky said LATC’s recent estimate of $32 million needed over the next five years “finally shook the bejesus out of every arts group in this town. Now, I don’t have to do much convincing any more.” He didn’t specify which arts groups were upset by the request and could not be reached for later comment.

LATC Managing Director Robert Lear, separating the theater operation from the building in which it’s housed, said the theater had a $486,000 surplus of revenue over expenses during the last fiscal year. LATC isn’t “a theater that can’t get its act together,” said Lear, disputing one of Yaroslavsky’s charges. Lear said that for Yaroslavsky to compare programming subsidies for other groups with support of LATC’s building costs and debt service was like comparing “apples and pears.”

“We’re not a bunch of dense North Carolinians here,” responded Yaroslavsky, pointing out that LATC also receives programming subsidies from the L.A. Endowment for the Arts.

LATC has been recommended for a $68,000 grant in the next round of endowment awards, scheduled to be reviewed by the City Council Wednesday. Cultural Affairs Department General Manager Al Nodal, who oversees the city endowment, told the committee that LATC “got the highest rating” among theaters applying for the current round of grants.

Committee chairwoman Gloria Molina voted to approve the $750,000 request but told the theater’s spokesmen that “the council needs to understand what its commitment is going to be . . . your presentation is always weak.”

Richard Alatorre, the third committee member, who also voted to approve the request, observed that “the CRA made a commitment to (the redevelopment of) Spring Street, and it’s not fair to single out the Theatre Center” by withdrawing support.

STILL KICKING?: “A Chorus Line,” which was scheduled to close at the Las Palmas Theater Sunday, has extended one more week in response to ticket sales generated by a twofer coupon offer in recent ads. That offer ends Saturday, but beginning Sunday the producers promise half-price tickets to anyone who displays a program or ticket stub from any production of “A Chorus Line.” In other news from “A Chorus Line,” Bebe Neuwirth--a Tony winner for “Sweet Charity,” but best known as Lilith on “Cheers”--replaces Janet Eilber as Cassie beginning tonight.

TALKING ‘WILD’: A symposium on Ibsen’s “The Wild Duck” will be held at Los Angeles Theatre Center Saturday at 5 p.m. Participating will be the translators, Gerry Bamman and Irene B. Berman, and the director, Stein Winge, of LATC’s production of the play, which opens next week, as well as City University of New York professor Marvin A. Carlson. USC theater dean Richard Toscan will moderate. Tickets are free, but reservations are required; call (213) 627-6500 Ext. 238.

BENEFITS: A preview of “Bus Stop” tonight at the Pasadena Playhouse will benefit the playhouse and the California Lawyers for the Arts library fund. Information: (818) 356-PLAY . . . On July 14, at 8 p.m., is a benefit performance of “The Big Knife” for the new resident company at the Gene Dynarski Theatre in Hollywood. Information: (213) 466-1767.