Library fee increases face communitywide opposition
Some people wish Signature Productions, a community theater group, was still planning its performances at the Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center. At least one person is taking action to see that it stays.
Betty Weltman is putting together a petition.
Weltman, a Sun City Summerlin resident, was a regular patron of Signature Productions’ quarterly shows at the Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center. She said many Sun City Summerlin residents are fans of the productions, which brought a bit of Broadway to the suburbs.
But a big jump in usage fees charged by the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District has Signature seeking a new venue. It has not booked the theater for its 2012 season. The Performing Arts Center has been the nonprofit’s home for 17 years.
“Many Sun City residents take family members and their grandchildren to those shows … If they raise the ticket prices to $30 or $40, nobody can afford to pay that,” Weltman said.
Her petition will ask the library district to reinstate the old fees.
Signature’s last production at the Performing Arts Center, “Hairspray,” will end its 2011 season, slated for March 26 through April 28. Tickets are $20.
Weltman is part of the aquacize club, about 200 members strong. She is circulating the petition among them and hopes to involve other Sun City Summerlin clubs.
Ted Miller, president of the Jewish Friendship Club, is supporting the petition effort by notifying his members.
“For the last seven or eight years, we’ve bought blocks of tickets (to Signature shows),” he said. “With a small increase (in prices), it wouldn’t be a problem. But not a big one.”
Weltman learned of Signature’s refusal to sign a new contract with the library district at the community theater’s website, signatureproductions.net, where a letter of explanation from Karl Larsen, Signature president, was posted. It suggests ticket prices that would increase $35 to $40 if Signature shows remained at the Performing Arts Center.
The library district’s new terms dictate that the theater group put up about $27,000 when it books a show, Larsen said. Before, it had been paying $6,000 to $7,000 in up-front money. How much will facility rental and other needs, such as security, cost?
Larsen ran the numbers. In 2010, the library charged Signature $19,104 for “The Sound of Music.” To repeat that production at the 2012 rates, he said, would cost $73,810.
He said he understands that the library is hurting due to property taxes, which funds the library district, being down, but said exorbitant costs should not be put on the shoulders of those who rent the space.
“We’d be happy to pay twice as much,” he said. “But to go from zero to 300 percent, that’s a lot.”
Although Signature plans to do a one-week Christmas show, Larsen said, it is holding off booking it at the Performing Arts Center and is approaching various casinos to see what their facilities offer. Starbright, located within Sun City Summerlin, has enough seats, he said, but its backstage would not support a full company and its sets.
Larsen said he had heard of the petition and appreciated the gesture.
“They’re the people that come, the real fans it’s nice people think enough of us to do that,” Larsen said.
Signature is not the only group being scared off by the price hikes. Broadway Bound, a theater school for youngsters 5 to 18, put on “The Wizard of Oz” Jan. 27 through Feb. 4. Marci Riedy helped publicize the show, which was booked under the old rates. The school paid $3,700 to use the theater. To do the same show now, Riedy said, would cost $26,000.
“It makes it impossible for us to book any future event with the library district,” she said.
The group is handing out notices to patrons in hope they’ll call the library district and complain.
Local singer Ashton Zyer said the center had always been difficult to book because its calendar was nearly always full. But this winter, there were plenty of dates open.
“When I was told about the new rates, I was blown away,” she said, “mostly because it wasn’t like a $20 or $50 increase. It jumped from around $30-plus to $175 an hour. Wow. How a local artist makes a show affordable for the community is pretty impossible on this rate.”
A spokesperson said the library district would not comment on the petition as it has not been presented with it. In the past, it has defended its stance as necessary due to the economy and that it has not raised usage fees since 1994.
Weltman estimated she might get as many as 300 signatures. Readers who wish to participate can call her at 233-5763 to learn how.
“This is an educational thing for everybody,” Weltman said of Signature’s shows. “A library is not just about reading books.”
Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.