A.S.K. Theater Projects to bow out in the fall

A.S.K. Theater Projects, L.A.’s most prestigious theater-funding organization, will close its operations Sept. 30.

The decision to pull the plug was supported by two of the group’s three board members: Andrea Shapiro and her father, Charles Kenis, who founded A.S.K. in 1989 with his late wife, Audrey Skirball-Kenis. They informed the board’s third member, Kym Eisner, who is also the organization’s executive director, 11 days ago, Eisner said.

A.S.K. has recently concentrated on giving grants, shedding its programming wings. Its $2-million budget is channeled through the larger, New York-based Skirball Foundation.

Kenis said that grant-giving should be handled by the Skirball Foundation itself. Whether the foundation will continue all of the A.S.K. grants was an open question Friday. Foundation officials could not be reached. Kenis -- who is not on the foundation board -- said “my guess is that they’ll continue the major things we did.” Recently announced grants to local theaters will be honored, as will a program that will award $45,000 grants to six artists next month.

Kenis said the death of his wife a year ago was unrelated to this decision. “I’ll give you 9-to-5” she would have agreed, he said.