Re: “Big rent hikes at Royal Theatre leave arts groups scrambling,” Dec. 7.
The Royal McPherson Theatres Society, the manager but not owner of the Royal Theatre and McPherson Playhouse, recently announced changes to its rental policies that will result in substantial increases in rent for three key users, as well as severely restricted access.
These changes are being trumpeted as necessary to, in the words of management, “make the venue more accessible to a wider range of audiences.” Don’t be fooled: This is all about money and inverted priorities.
To understand how we got here, a brief history lesson is in order. Before 1990, there was only one rental rate at the Royal Theatre or the McPherson Playhouse. In response to a financial crisis at the time (some things never change), then-CEO Bill Penner convinced the board to introduce a “commercial rate,” for touring groups and for-profit users. This rate was higher and allowed the society to benefit from successful shows.
About a decade later, a change was introduced in the rental structure. The commercial rental now became the base rate. While community groups were offered a “discount” on their rentals, in exchange, the RMTS demanded sponsorship recognition for this “support.”
While this change might seem a small one, it was in fact a seismic shift in attitude. No longer were community-based groups such as the Victoria Symphony and Pacific Opera Victoria a priority for the society, but they were relegated to charity cases needing a helping hand from their kindly, paternalistic landlord. And they were reminded of this with each contract signed for the use of the theatre.
As the years have gone by, and as the society has struggled to get by on the meagre financial aid provided by those municipalities that contribute through the Capital Regional District, the focus has continued to shift away from the importance of community-based performing-arts organizations, and on to the one-off touring shows that bring in more money.
The most recent declaration from the society signals an escalation in the campaign against our local arts groups.
The management and board of the society clearly think their prime objective is to make more money, rather than support the community arts groups and the broader community that they serve.
The financial challenges facing the RMTS are significant and should not be underestimated. While the Royal Theatre nominally makes money, the McPherson is deep in the red, and there are capital-cost considerations.
However, there are many ways to meet those challenges without sacrificing the very groups that the facilities were intended to showcase. Perhaps it is time for new management and new board members at the RMTS — and a real plan for the future.
Marcus Handman is the former executive director of Pacific Opera Victoria, the Victoria Symphony and Kaleidoscope Theatre.
