Still temporarily homeless. Planning to move into its permanent digs in … spring, maybe, for the fifth show of the 2016-17 season. In need of extra cash caused by moving expenses nobody foresaw.
That’s the situation at Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, which has been quiet since concluding its holiday musical. The next show, “Bootycandy,” now has a firm run date – March 2-19, plus a “pay what you can” preview Feb. 28 – and a landing zone: The Mint Museum at 2730 Randolph Rd. (A small plus: The museum’s open during Wednesday night and Sunday matinee shows, so theater patrons can enjoy the art.)
And though the future holds question marks, it also holds the promise of occupying 2219 Freedom Drive, the spot ATC rented last fall.
“We were under the impression the building was rated for assembly. It wasn’t,” says Chip Decker, ATC’s producing artistic director and interim executive director. (Yes, that’s a mouthful. The board has yet to finalize titles after the departure of executive director Dan Shoemaker.)
“Going from business use to ‘A-1 assembly’ involves a whole process … Electrical and structural engineers sign off on the plans, we pull construction permits, we hire a contractor, the city inspects us, and the audience can come in. With luck, we’ll have our certificate of occupancy around May, given the small amount of work that needs to be done.”
One unforeseen headache involves parking. The city ruled that ATC needed to offer 66 spaces, rather then the 55 it has. The hard way to solve this problem would be to seek a variance from the parking authority. “The easy way,” says Decker, “would be to get our neighbors to let us use 11 spaces at night or on weekends, and we have excellent neighbors. I believe we will work out an agreement.”
The company has been wanderers so far this season. One of those neighbors, Center City Church, let ATC open “The Toxic Avenger” in its auditorium last October. “The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical” ran in December at McBride-Bonnefoux Center for Dance. (The sales pitch for the use of Charlotte Ballet’s home: “Class meets crass.”)
After “Bootycandy” ends at the Mint, “Stupid F—— Bird” moves into Hadley Theater of Queens University of Charlotte sometime in early April. After that, Decker hopes to be at 2219 Freedom for the rest of the season. He laughingly refers to this as the “New Faces, New Spaces Tour.”
Constant movement comes with a cost, of course: ATC must be in the construction business and the production business at once. It’s paying rent on both its unused home and its borrowed properties.
The season budget was based on immediate earned revenue at 2219 Freedom; now the company has to scramble to meet the shortfall, and it’s deciding how to do that. However, says Decker, each of the temporary landlords has been welcoming.
“It’s a challenge for them to be our hosts – they have to make sacrifices, too, in programming or staffing – so it’s been heartwarming to hear, ‘We want you to do this.’ We’ve started to think about collaborations more as a result of these partnerships, so good things may come out of that.”
Toppman: 704-358-5232
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