The North Shore Music Theater has reopened, and many people in this part of Greater Boston are delighted. There's nothing like live musical theater, and the "in the round" stage at North Shore is especially appealing. (See this article from the Boston Globe.)
There's just one thing different - North Shore Music Theater was a non-profit organization. You may remember that last winter they went bankrupt and shut down. The property was taken back by the bank that held the mortgage, and that was the end of that. Until a Rhode Island theater owner, Willam Hanney, decided to buy the property from the bank, and re-open North Shore as a profit making venture.
This is good news for the community, but what does it say about non-profit theater? Why couldn't North Shore survive as a non-profit? They were saddled with debt due to a fire a number of years ago, and weren't positioned financially to weather the downturn. They tried raising the money they needed to survive, but with the economic disaster, and a late entry into fundraising, their efforts were doomed.
If they couldn't survive as a non-profit, how will Mr. Hanney make a profit? One way is staff size. The article noted above mentions that North Shore laid off 50 people when they closed down. Mr. Hanney plans to operate with a full-time staff of six. And I would guess that the education programs that were a big part of the theater's mission will no longer be offered.
So theater comes back to the North Shore of Boston, but a half-century old non-profit organization has disappeared. This can't be good for philanthropy.
Let me know if your philanthropic organization needs help building support. Let's keep non-profits non-profit.
