Since 1989, Actor’s Theatre of Charlottehas been the home of campy, off-the-beaten-path, and at times raunchy — yet cultured — contemporary theater. And it weathered several storms. In 2016, the company lost its uptown location, which was sold to make way for apartments. It eventually found a new home at Queens University’s Hadley Theatre.
But then the coronavirus pandemic hit. And patrons stopped buying as many season tickets. Executive Director Laura Rice says the theater relied on those advance sales to jump-start every season.
"There is a hesitation for people to buy tickets well in advance, or buy flex passes or season tickets," Rice said. "People just don’t know what the world is going to be like three, six, or nine months from now."
Rice says when the theater found out it would have to find another home in 2023, it felt like an uphill battle that Actors Theatre couldn’t beat this time.
"That kind of sent us into a spiral of what do we do now because there is a real lack of venue spaces in the Charlotte area," Rice said. "With Spirit Square being closed for renovations, all the development is focusing on more businesses and less of nonprofit venue space."
Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte is committed to putting on one last show before it closes its curtains. Tickets for "Evil Dead The Musical." which runs from September 29 to October 30, are currently on sale.
