CORNWALL, Ontario – There’s a danger Aultsville Theatre in Cornwall might close if a new funding model is not found.
The theatre is grappling with major infrastructure challenges like improving lighting and sound, and will soon find itself unable to cover rental costs at St. Lawrence College’s Cornwall campus.
While there is no danger of hanging a ‘closed’ sign on the theatre in the next couple of weeks, manager Janet Martel said in an interview shuttering the long-time Cornwall venue is possible in the months that follow.
“It will be if things don’t change,” she said.
Board president Felicity Svenson added next spring, when the college sets its budget, will determine much of the future viability of the theatre.
The theatre splits its rent and other costs among its governing board, the City of Cornwall and the college, with St. Lawrence essentially absorbing the rental charge set out for Aultsville.
But with costs, including rent, going up every year the theatre is reaching a breaking point.
“We’re reaching a threshold where we won’t be able to do that,” said Martel. “It’s under discussion right now with the partners – how do we do this?”
Those talks are hamstrung by the fact that all three entities have different fiscal calendars. The city’s ends on Dec. 31, while the college’s runs to March and the theatre’s wrapped up in August. City council won’t be discussing budget until well into January. City hall approved $97,000 in funding for Aultsville this year.
Svenson said the annual rent for the theatre is about $81,000, split between all three partners.
She added regardless of the amount of any increase, the theatre is out of financial options.
“We don’t know what it will be. But that’s the limit of what we can now pay,” she said, adding the college has been generous in the past and subsidized the theatre even more than the one-third it has agreed to. “It’s not a money grab on their part.”
The rental issue is compounded with the fact that Aultsville Theatre is no spring chicken in a lot of facets. Martel said while some $300,000 has been spent to upgrade things like lighting and sound boards, it could cost as much as another $700,000 to bring the lighting and sound infrastructure up to industry expectations.
Martel added performers who complete shows in nearby Kingston and Brockville often have to rent additional equipment to put on something similar at Aultsville.
“We’re struggling to meet some of the major shows coming through,” she said.
Talks are continuing between all three parties to come up with a solution that will stave off more talk about closure.
“You can see how it starts to look daunting. Our mandate is to keep the theatre accessible,” said Martel. “I’m very hopeful the partners at the table can come together to get a plan that is successful moving forward.”
