A popular theater company is canceling a summer festival in northern Michigan.
Parallel 45 Theater says it’s taking a short hiatus to rebuild its operations for a more sustainable future.
It comes amid rising production costs and financial stress from the pandemic.
The 10-week festival is a series of plays and musicals featuring artists from around the world.
Board chair Erin Anderson Whiting said everything was skyrocketing in terms of costs, and that’s hurting nonprofits.
“Summer festivals cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to run, and no one wants to cancel the festival, but we want to be here for our community, so we think long-term,” she said. rice field.
The company typically hires about 60 people in the summer, according to Anderson Whiting.
They pay production staff and actors, provide housing for travelers to the area, and pay for stage materials.
The company will use the temporary hiatus to restructure its business and focus on its long-term future.
“That will definitely include more partnerships, more collaborations with other venues and other organizations,” she said. We’re exploring the idea of doing something in the off-season, so all that stuff is on the table.
The company will continue its winter play reading series at Commongrounds Cooperative in Traverse City beginning February 9th.