Local theaters looking forward to additional emergency funding
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – Live entertainment venues have had a whirlwind of the past 16 months, to say the least. Many venues have been forced to close their doors for extended amounts of time, and reopen with limited capacity. Some performances are being altered all together to conform with COVID-19 safety guidelines. The good news is that more help is on the way. But, theaters say they’re not completely out of the woods just yet. “We do have concern about if the Delta variant continues. We were hopeful to return to full seating in January 2022, and now we’re not so sure. So, SVOG gives us that ability to be flexible,” said Executive Director of Clear Space Theatre Wesley Paulson.
Venues now have their sights set on the upcoming round of Shuttered Venue Operators Grants. The grants are being administered by the Small Business Administration. Executive Director of the Rehoboth Beach Film Society Sue Early says the new round of applications could help them to break a leg, rather than break the bank. “Our main theater seats 104 people, and there were times when we only had two or three per screening until about April 2021,” said Early. “The SVOG has been a lifesaver. We couldn’t be in business without that. At the rate that we are operating, there’s not enough to cover our costs. So, yes, we are hoping for round two.”
And Paulson says it’s a similar script at Clear Space Theatre. He says the grants have allowed them to keep doing what they do best: providing entertainment for theatre-goers and paychecks for artists. “It’s been very helpful. Our productions cover most of the cost of the sets, the music, the actors, and musicians. It’s the rent in the overhead, my salary, the salary of staff, and the insurance that are not covered by that,” said Paulson. “For many of our actors, this summer is the first time they’ve worked in 16 months. They are very grateful to be on stage and sharing their talents with the audience.”
Early agrees, saying the grants do keep the spotlights on and the credits rolling. But it’s the connections they’re able to foster with the community that brings true meaning to when the curtains go up. “The people who are coming back have expressed to us just how happy they are to be able to come back and see great films again in a venue with other people,” said Early.
New applicants will have until August 20th to fill out their applications. Some previous SVOG applicants will be able to apply for supplemental grants as well. They could get up to 50% of their original award amounts. The largest award is capped at $10 million. Plus, venues that were denied the first time around will be able to reverse that prior decision by proving eligibility.
