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Raymond Theatre in search of help
posted by
Michael Zoldessy
on
February 15, 2007 at 4:45 am
RAYMOND, WA — With a planned closure in the near future, residents are banding together to save the Raymond Theatre.
About 5,000 residents in North Pacific County can expect a letter soon asking them to open their wallets to help save the Raymond Theater from closure.
A movie house and performing arts venue, the theater is owned by the city. It has been losing $50,000 to $60,000 a year for the last few years due to declining attendance and the expense of renting movies.
The city had planned to shut down the theater on March 31, but is allowing some wiggle room to see what develops. The letter writing campaign is being launched as a first step by community groups to keep it open.
For more, go to the Daily World.
Comments (4)
My friend Daryl Lund, owner of the historic Chehalis Theater (just 30 miles or so from the Raymond Theater) has offered help and suggestions. Apparently his offers keep falling on deaf ears at the Raymond. He has over 20 years experience operating historic single screen (and multiplex) theaters yet no one at the Raymond Theater even bothers to talk to him.
Ken, it seems to me they aren’t running it like a business if they are losing that much money a year. They need to talk to your friend. Someone in the know!
And another problem…its owned by the city
Your lovely theater needs to be operated by a professional cinema and theater operator. A person who KNOWS show business, not City Hall.
This manager will manage the place instead of renting it out to people to put on “an” event; like a convention center. This is too flighty. Locals NEED to know that movies (not first run) are always shown with the occasional live stage show.
Checkout the CASTRO THEATRE in San Francisco -fabulously successful with this type of programming. I know, I loved working there but had to move away due to family commitments.