City Theaters’ Bottom Line Performance Proves a Hit

Even without the annual $250,000 donation that was intended to keep the performing arts center in the black, the Civic Arts Plaza theaters had an operating surplus of $94,000 heading into the final quarter of the fiscal year, according to a city report.

Attendance at the 1,800-seat Charles E. Probst Center for the Performing Arts and the 400-seat Forum Theatre has been almost double what was expected as musicals such as “Evita” and celebrity acts such as magicians Penn & Teller have drawn huge crowds, said city Theatres Director Tom Mitze.

Because of the overwhelming ticket sales, the theaters have been able to make a profit in their second season over and above the $250,000 the Alliance for the Arts, the center’s fund-raising arm, kicks in to help every year, he said.

“I’m surprised that we’re doing as well as we are,” Mitze said. “I really thought we would have a sophomore slump. Our attendance is just soaring, and that’s why we’re doing so well. There was just a huge market out there in Ventura County hungry for plays, musicals and concerts.”

Because Thousand Oaks leaders have pledged not to spend a penny of taxpayer money on theater operations, the performing arts center’s finances have been the subject of close scrutiny since the Civic Arts Plaza opened in October 1994.

Since then, however, the performing arts center has exceeded even the rosiest prognoses. Attendance for the second year totaled 291,107 through May--more than the first-year total of 262,977. (The theaters were only open nine months during the first year.)

And with a strong month of June just finishing up, Mitze estimated that the theaters are ending their second year with an overall surplus of more than $700,000--a figure that includes this year’s profits, the annual $250,000 Alliance for the Arts contribution and surplus funds carried over from last year.

“It’s a good position to be in,” Mitze said with a grin. “This will help us get through any tough times we have in the future.”

If there are any, that is. For now, the Civic Arts Plaza board of governors, which oversees theater operations, is in the unexpected position of looking into ways to put their surprisingly large pot of money to good use.

“We’re not after making money,” said Chairwoman Virginia Davis. “As we accumulate a stockpile of cash, we’ll be looking to do more for the children. And maybe we’ll bring in some different kind of shows, things that the community is interested in but take subsidizing to happen.”

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To get to this comfortable point, the Civic Arts Plaza has taken an extremely conservative approach to programming that Mitze developed from 25 years of experience in the performing arts. It has booked big productions of well-known former Broadway plays and musicals; good--if past their prime--celebrity artists such as Julio Iglesias and Barry Manilow; and family shows such as the “Nutcracker.”

Moreover, Mitze and the board of governors made a calculated decision not to produce the majority of the shows that take place at the theaters, choosing instead to rent out the venues to different impresarios. That means less profit, because the theaters do not get a cut of the profits--but it also results in substantially less risk if a performer flops with the public.

Through its Civic Arts Plaza Foundation, the theater operators are slowly getting into the producer game, putting on and co-producing some safe-bet shows to gain experience.

Now that their finances are looking more secure--and the alliance has begun a programming endowment on top of their endowment fund for theater operations--Mitze said the theaters will soon be able to take more chances.

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“We’d love to put on an opera,” Mitze said. “But with opera, there is no way to make money. We will certainly be looking for riskier, more avant-garde productions. But we want the money in the bank before we do it.

“We’re in our infancy, and we’re going to walk before we run.”

Likewise, city Finance Director Bob Biery, who prepared the financial report on the theaters, said he believes the theaters need to remain on an ultraconservative path until at least their third year of operations, which in his opinion will be the true barometer of the Civic Arts Plaza’s success.

As soon as possible, however, money needs to be set aside to repair future wear and tear, Biery said. He will recommend that the board of governors begin placing some money every year--$62,500 is the figure he is proposing--in a maintenance fund for when things at the relatively new theaters start to break down.

“My philosophy is, we need to include this in the budget as soon as possible to avoid surprises later,” Biery said. “We did not do this right away because we wanted to wait until we had a better picture of what theater operations were going to be like.”

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Because the theater operators have not included maintenance costs in their budget figures, Councilwoman Elois Zeanah said the Civic Arts Plaza’s apparent financial success should be viewed with skepticism. She believes that if maintenance work is not done soon, it will cost much more down the line.

“That report does not give you the full picture,” Zeanah said. “The theaters are not properly staffed, and they are working with low morale. They are delaying any refurbishments of facilities, which is a significant cost. If they don’t perform this maintenance, it’s going to cost much more later.”

Ushers and other part-time and volunteer workers aside, the entire Theatres Department consists of only five people. Although one more is on the way--a publicist position that was approved as part of the city’s budget--Mitze said his staff will still be badly overworked.

But when they consider the uncertainty surrounding the opening of the theaters two years ago--and the less than remarkable financial performance of other fledgling performing arts centers in Southern California--Mitze and Davis are surprised at how bright the future looks for the Civic Arts Plaza.

“I couldn’t be happier with the way things are going,” Davis said. “You hear a lot of rumblings in the community about the Civic Arts Plaza. Some say it’s an ugly building. But let me tell you, there are just as many people, if not more, who love the building and the performances we are offering.

“This is proof of that.”