Church to rent part of Playhouse

By Guy D’Astolfo

The theater has slashed its operating costs by more than $200,000.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Playhouse and a local church have reached an agreement that makes the church a tenant in the theater building.

A five-year lease was signed Wednesday by the Playhouse and Christian Revival and Discipleship Center, said Rand Becker, president of the Playhouse board of directors.

The deal calls for the church to use the 650-seat auditorium for services every Sunday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., and on several Wednesday evenings each month. The first service will be July 5.

The lease goes a long way in helping the financially struggling Playhouse get back on its feet, said Becker.

The Playhouse closed its theater off Glenwood Avenue in October, canceling its season. It is now in the process of paying off its debts as well as back taxes owed to the IRS. The building also is in need of plumbing and roofing repairs.

Becker would not divulge financial terms of the lease because he didn’t want to publicize the church’s business. He did say it calls for the church to help with some general maintenance of the building as well as pay a percentage of the utility bills.

The high cost of heating the poorly insulated building in the winter is one of the reasons the theater shut down last fall. Having help with the utilities is a major step to making operation of the building tenable.

“We had two major cost problems: staff, which we’ve eliminated, and utilities, and we’re now getting considerable help there [because of the lease],” said Becker.

Before Becker and the board assumed control of day-to-day operations, the theater company’s annual operating costs topped $400,000. After laying off the eight full-time staff members and reducing utility costs with the help of the church, the Playhouse operating budget is now between $100,000 and $150,000, Becker said.

Directors, musicians and other personnel needed for productions are being hired on as temporary jobbers, said Becker.

“Plans call for hiring an executive secretary and a fundraising person, but for now, we are as bare bones as can be until our bills are paid off,” he said.

Christian Revival and Discipleship Center is a rapidly growing church founded by the Rev. Kenneth W. Paramore, a Youngstown native who now lives near Akron.

In about five years, it has gone from a handful of members to at least 500, overcrowding its Hudson Avenue building.

The church also has churches in Akron and Canton.

Officials from the church could not be reached to comment.

In addition to cutting costs, the Playhouse is taking steps to raise funds, including holding a casino-style fundraiser event June 20. It also will sell old military uniforms from its props collection, as well as a back-up generator. For more information, go to byceauction.com.

An auction sale of the contents of the theater’s commercial kitchen was held Tuesday. It grossed $12,000, said Becker.

The Playhouse will hold two productions this summer at Boardman Center Middle School: “Barefoot in the Park,” which opens July 10, and “Blues in the Night,” which opens July 31.

Auditions for “Blues in the Night” will be at 7 p.m. June 15 and 6 p.m. June 16 at the Playhouse. One male and three females, age 18 and older, are required. Those who audition should bring sheet music and be prepared to sing.