Final curtains? Maricopa Community Theatre struggles after losing city pact

The artistic director and founder of Maricopa Community Theatre fears the company is one last performance away from the final curtains.

“We’re two weeks away from our next musical, but we’re not sure how we’re going to do it and we’re not sure when we’re going to rehearse,” Carrie Vargas told InMaricopa.

Vargas said the theater company is already in the hole as much as $5,000 because the city of Maricopa axed a memorandum of understanding, upping rent from $1,000 to more than $80,000 a year.

MCT cannot secure affordable rehearsal space at the city’s community center and Vargas said city officials curtailed the MOU with little discussion and no reason why.

If the company cannot produce the musical, “Heathers,” as planned, Vargas said that would about double MCT’s losses.

“And that’s a nail in the coffin,” Vargas said.

Closet drama

The group has made do by rehearsing at Heritage Academy Maricopa, where Vargas teaches theater, and at Leading Edge Academy, but MCT still needs a larger performance venue.

Addressing the city council in February, Vargas and about 50 theater company members showed up in the chambers to present a petition with 450 signatures. The performers pleaded their case for the city to subsidize local theater and how it benefits the community and its businesses.

Vargas called the city’s $31,000 in annual fees needed to rent the desired space “astronomical and outrageous. No one can pay that.”

She said during eight weeks of performance and production, MCT used the city facility two hours a night, with the city wanting to charge between $65 and $75 a night to use the community center.

Vargas contends city officials used larger cities to compare Maricopa in population, which led to high room-rental rates that made city officials look “greedy.”

Vargas called on council members to help the community theater find new rehearsal space.
“When our MOU was removed, you took away our rehearsal space,” Vargas told the council. “I can’t put on shows if I don’t have a place to rehearse.

“Our MOU was recently rescinded from us only after…eight months of being ignored and not having the MOU followed,” Vargas said. “This was very disheartening to us.”

Catfight

Mayor Nancy Smith, answering some of the points made, said the city has a passion for the arts.

She and Vice Mayor Amber Liermann started Maricopa Friends of the Arts, which raises money for the arts.

“I have a passion for the arts,” the mayor said.

She agreed art “does bring a value, it does bring education.”

Vargas said she just wants “an adult conversation” with city leaders.

Smith said the city was gathering data on city-owned space used by nonprofit groups and will come back with recommendations at year’s end.

“The majority of the council wants these rooms to be used,” the mayor said.
If the council learns the rooms aren’t used because they are too expensive, she said the city would consider modifying rates.

“And this is for all nonprofits, not just arts. There are groups out there that need the room as well, so dominating a space may not be an option because there are so many nonprofits.”

MCT member Matt Ortega took an angrier tone with the council last month. He complained about what he perceives as a lack of support from the city for the theater group. He said there was more support for the Wild West Festival, which cost the city $370,000.

Ortega told council members: “Do better, or we will remember in November, and we have big mouths for projecting.”

Mayor Smith commented on Facebook, calling for additional talks with Vargas about the theater’s future.

Smith suggested the theater group set up a crowd-funding page to raise money.

“Here’s an idea: If each of the people that signed the petition (457), pledged to donate $10/month for just one year, MCT would have $54,240 in total with $4,570 collected per month. I’d be happy to do that to save MCT. I’m certain there are others who would be willing to do that as well. Is someone for the group willing to lead this effort?”
After some not-so-friendly responses, the mayor later deleted her Facebook remarks.

No special treatment

In November 2021, the Community Services Department entered a facility use agreement with Maricopa Community Theatre, according to records provided by the city.

The facility use agreement ended Jan. 16.

MCT has told city staff it no longer wishes to use the Community Center for performances but would like to continue to use the facility for three hours every night, four nights a week, 40 weeks a year. The total charge for this at the nonprofit rate would be $31,200. Staff time would cost an additional $12,000, according to Assistant City Manager Jennifer Brown.

 

With the intent to provide equal access to all entities and ensure a room isn’t monopolized by one group, the facility rental policy states recurring reservations of facilities of this type can only be made one month in advance, Brown said.

She gave other city of Maricopa rental agreements as examples, such as Maricopa Little League, which is allowed 50% off the nonprofit rental rate and the league pays full price for lights and staff time. Its costs are estimated to be about $20,000 annually. The league has about 500 children signed up with 39 teams this spring season.

Desert Tigers Martial Arts has an agreement that allows it to book up to 12 classes per week for up to one year in advance, instead of one month, while paying the local business rate. There is no fee discount in this agreement, Brown said.