S.D. Theaters Bracing for Worse Times : Recession: Already strapped companies may be facing the winter of their discontent.

SAN DIEGO — Theaters, already reeling under recession-shocked ticket sales and plummeting donations, could be rocked by yet another blow.

A city manager’s proposal is calling for a 15% cutback in funding for most arts organizations from recommendations tentatively approved by the City Council in June. The issue is scheduled to go before the council for consideration today.

But what’s hitting home even harder is the realization by arts groups that things are likely to get worse.

Part of the reason for these proposed cuts, announced Friday, is that the state has trimmed $12 million from its funding to the city. That’s in addition to the additional $6 million the city recently had to cut from its own overall budget because of a shortfall in revenues. Deputy City Manager Bruce Herring said it is possible that even more cuts may be needed in December to balance the budget by June 30.

“Frankly we don’t see it getting any better,” Herring said Tuesday. “Our big three revenue services are property tax, sales tax and motor-vehicle licenses. Sales tax is way off, property tax is going down rather than up as people are having property reappraised, and motor-vehicle license revenues are going down as fewer people are buying new cars.”

For arts organizations, the city cuts are exacerbated by the California Arts Council’s 15% slash and the recession’s effect on subscription sales, individual ticket sales and donations.

Even a company such as Lamb’s Players Theatre--which has never applied for nor received any city, state or federal aid--is in the red. Lamb’s, a spokeswoman said, actually had a rise in subscription sales. But that was not enough to offset a sizable drop in contributed income.

It’s not even that the numbers of donors is dropping, the spokeswoman said. But donors are giving less.

The size of the theaters will affect how those cutbacks will be absorbed. The city’s largest theater, the Old Globe, had been recommended for $676,430, down $21,405 from fiscal year 1992. If the latest proposed cuts go through they could lose an additional $100,000 in recommended funds. The company just announced its new winter season--and neither its length nor its ambition of it seems affected by the potential cuts. Instead, according to Managing Director Thomas Hall, the impact will be felt in some special programs or by the staff--through job losses, frozen salaries, reduced salaries or reduced health benefits.

A tiny company such as Southeast Community Theatre, was originally recommended for $32,450--up $2,285 from fiscal year 1992--with the cuts, it would receive $27,583, a net loss of $2,582 from 1992. The cuts may shrink the company’s two-play season to a one-play season, leaving them with the dilemma of whether to keep its annual Christmas show, “Black Nativity” or its annual spring production by a contemporary African American playwright. The company’s biggest cost is renting a space.

Southeast’s business manager, Bonnie Ward, explained that no matter how much they reduce the cost of the plays, they can’t reduce the cost of renting space: more than $12,000 for four weeks in the Lyceum and more than $8,000 for four weeks at the Educational Cultural Complex.

Southeast doesn’t have a subscription season. But for theaters that do, cutting a show isn’t an option that sits well with subscribers. The financially struggling Gaslamp Quarter Theatre Company whose original recommendation of $153,685 was down $6,813 from 1992, could lose an additional $23,053 from its fiscal year 1993 allocation. The San Diego Repertory Theatre, which also has been under financial siege, was already down $5,152 from last year. After the cuts, it would receive $119,155, an added loss of $21,027. Both companies had announced their seasons before the slashing was proposed. That doesn’t leave much room to maneuver.

“Obviously, all of us who are in the middle of our seasons can’t cut a show or cast two people instead of four,” Gaslamp Managing Director Mark Loigman said.

So the task for both the Gaslamp and the Rep is to raise the money they had figured into their budget--from somewhere.

Blackfriars Theatre, which is also struggling, anticipated the possible loss of $4,804 from last year, Managing Director Dan Halleck said. Blackfriars’ response to its ever-shrinking budget has been to restructure the company around a group of actors who will help produce the shows and to drop a subscription season.

Like The Theatre in Old Town, Blackfriars now intends to run a show as long as it sells well. Blackfriars, according to Halleck, also intends to increase its emphasis on box office by looking for more commercial properties. The season opens with the classic Oscar Wilde comedy, “The Importance of Being Earnest” on Oct. 18.

One irony of all this is that this year the Arts Commission had made efforts to even out some disparities in funding that had left some arts organizations way behind others, despite quality programming. The La Jolla Playhouse, for example, would have received an increase of $33,539 from last year’s allocation. If the cuts go through, it will get $195,258, down $918 from last year--almost a wash.

While every theater surveyed expressed confidence that it could weather the cuts, rumors have been flying about various companies being perilously close to the edge. It would indeed be miraculous if the shrinking resources continued to support so many.

People speaking for each of the theaters also seemed reluctant to protest too loudly about the cuts since services also are being cut in so many other areas of the city. There is a widespread concern that the arts not seem selfish in trying to protect its funding compounded by a fear that by drawing too much attention to themselves, other service organizations that are also losing money might demand that the cuts to the arts be increased.

At the same time, the theaters feel that at times of crisis, the arts are more important than ever.

As Southeast’s Ward put it, “It’s unfortunate that we’re faced with such a cutback in the arts when it serves such an important purpose in times like these. The calming effect of the arts and the soothing of the psyche of people through the arts is an invaluable tool.”

A play about the life of La Jolla Playhouse and UC San Diego benefactor Mandell Weiss will kick off UCSD’s 1992/1993 theater season at the Mandell Weiss Center for the Performing Arts.

“Love in the Shadow of the Umbrella Bamboo,” written by UCSD alumna Oana-Maria Hock, tells the story of a 100-year-old man who searches his memory for a perfect image from his past. Weiss, who attends all the shows at the Mandell Weiss Theatre and the Mandell Weiss Forum, is 101 now. He has given more than $1 million to the building of each theater. The play will be performed Nov. 4-8 at the Mandell Weiss Forum.

The season continues with Athol Fugard’s “Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act” Nov. 18-24 at the Forum Studio, Vaclav Havel’s “Largo Desolato” Dec. 2-6 at the Mandell Weiss Forum, “Romeo and Juliet Feb. 3-7 at the Mandell Weiss Forum, “Timon of Athens” Feb. 17-21 at the Mandell Weiss Theatre and a guest artist production March 10-14 at the Mandell Weiss Forum.

PROGRAM NOTES: The news that Magic Johnson will play this season could translate into box office magic for the La Jolla Playhouse. Thanks to Lakers owner/Playhouse board member Jerry Buss, 1,500 prime mid-court seats for the Lakers Oct. 23 exhibition game with the Sacramento Kings are being offered as a benefit for the Playhouse. Benefit tickets, selling for from $50-$200, are available through the Playhouse box office at 534-3960.

“Beehive,” the show that opened at The Theatre in Old Town in February, finally has a closing date: Oct. 31. But there will be a Nov. 1 benefit for the troupe’s next show that will include a sock-hop bash, food and dancing, backstage tours and mingling with the cast for $40 a ticket. The company has not yet announced its next show, but it will hold an audition for a December/January production to be named as well as for future shows Oct. 10 from 12-4 p.m. at the theater. Call 688-2494 for more information . . . .

Mystery Cafe is about to bump off “Killing Mr. Withers” and replace it with the premiere of “Without a Hitch,” a parody of Hitchcock films from the ‘60s by Steven Biggs and Michael Coleman. It opens Nov. 21 at the Imperial House Restaurant. Will Roberson, who has directed several plays at the Old Globe Theatre and the Gaslamp Quarter Theatre Company, will direct his third production for the Mystery Cafe . . . .

Annie Hinton, artistic director of Images: Theater for Young Hearts and Minds, has received a $2,000 grant to write a play from the Voluntary Fund for the Arts Grant Program of the Public Arts Advisory Council of San Diego County. The play, “Our Grandmother’s Voices,” will draw on the experiences of actresses from 16-80. . . .

Busy Robert Brill, who designed the sets for the La Jolla Playhouse’s “Marisol” and “The Swan” is now working on the sets for the Playhouse’s “Much Ado About Nothing” Oct. 25 at the Mandell Weiss Theatre and the Old Globe Theatre/University of San Diego Master of Fine Arts presentation of “The Taming of the Shrew,” directed by Craig Noel Nov. 17-Dec. 6 at Sacred Heart Hall on the USD campus in Alcala Park.

CRITIC’S CHOICE: MAGICAL GIFT FOR KIDS

Give a child a gift of something magical. The Fern Street Circus is a modest affair with its share of imperfections.

There are no seats and no fancy effects. But when you sit outside the red ring on the grass in a fenced off area of Grape Street Park, it doesn’t take long to get swept up in the old-fashioned charm of a simple story about two kids who want to join the circus and over the course of an hour “learn” to tumble and juggle with the best of the rest. Between the skill and vivacity of the performers and the enthusiasm of the young audience, it’s enough to make even an old Scrooge smile.

Performances are 5:30 p.m. Fridays and 1 and 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 11. Tickets are $4 for adults, $1 for children. At Grape Street Park, 28th and Grape streets, San Diego, 231-1484.