COMMUNITY THEATER Playhouse moves toward recovery

The season ticket goal may be 'too ambitious,' the executive director says.
By DEBORA SHAULIS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- Nine hundred down, 600 to go.
Nine days after the official start of its season ticket sales campaign, Youngstown Playhouse has reached 60 percent of its goal. About 920 season subscriptions have been sold, executive director Bentley Lenhoff said today. The target is 1,500.
The campaign, as led by John Burgan and Keith Downard, will continue through Oct. 18.
Lenhoff said he's been told by past presidents of the Playhouse's board of directors that the 920 tickets is the most sold since 1996.
Asked about the Playhouse's chances of achieving its goal, "We won't hit it, because that was too ambitious," Lenhoff said. "Still, we're doing just fine."
Advertising sales
In other areas, Lenhoff's goals are being exceeded. He anticipated playbill advertising sales of about $15,000 in his budget for this season. "We're probably going to hit $20,000," he said.
A community support campaign won't begin until Oct. 25, but "some $20,000 is already in the bank," Lenhoff said. That campaign will run through Nov. 23, as led by co-chairmen William Cossler and Atty. Richard McLaughlin. The goal is $204,000."The key thing is, we've eliminated $50,000 in debt," Lenhoff said. The Playhouse's debt was estimated at $183,000 last summer, before Lenhoff returned to his old job after a 19-year absence.
Debt reduction
The debt reduction has occurred faster than Lenhoff had anticipated, and in various ways. Some royalty houses in New York were owed from $5,000 to $6,000 each for past Playhouse productions. They agreed to take a lesser amount and forgive the balance, Lenhoff said.
"Some local merchants have been good to us" by accepting show tickets and program advertisements in exchange for money they were owed, he said.
Catch-up continues with some former staff members who didn't receive pay checks. Lenhoff didn't know how much money they are still owed, but "it's not a big percentage of what's still out," he said.
The largest single debt -- about $80,000 -- is to contractor A.P. O'Horo, Lenhoff said. That was for recent renovation work that was financed with $1.9 million in federal funding.
The parking lot lights that were disconnected during the renovation are being reconnected, and a new street-side sign with changeable panels and vinyl lettering is being installed, Lenhoff said.
Progress
Lenhoff echoed the sentiments of board president Atty. Anthony Donofrio, who in a written statement enthused about the progress the Playhouse is making.
"It's been amazing what's happened here," Lenhoff said. "I'm delighted and surprised that we've moved as fast as we've moved."
shaulis@vindy.com