CenterStage board decides to keep going

CenterStage’s board of directors voted Monday night to keep the downtown dinner theater/supper club alive.

CenterStage and the affiliated Ella’s Supper Club, 1017 W. First, will remain open indefinitely under a streamlined business plan and a new interim executive director, Tina Luerssen, who was formerly the operations manager.

Tim Behrens, formerly the managing artistic director, is now the artistic director.

On Aug. 5, the nonprofit arts organization announced that it would be forced to close on Sunday barring a financial miracle. Since then, about $50,000 in donations has been pledged.

Connie Sagona, development director, said this should be more than sufficient to pay off outstanding bills, although she also said that they will ask vendors to forgo part of their bills as charitable contributions.

Under the new plan, the dinner theater portion of CenterStage will be contracted out to a production company connected to Behrens. CenterStage will no longer shoulder the risk of the dinner theater part of the operation, which has been a money-loser over the past two years.

The dinner theater show “Suds” has been extended through Sept. 9. Also, all weddings and receptions booked at CenterStage will go on as scheduled.

“We have a 15-year lease and it is our intention to stay here,” said Sagona.

However, she also said CenterStage will continue to rely on donations. She said “the struggle to remain open will always be fierce.”