Fredericton Playhouse should face final curtain, staff say

The fresh paint and technology the audience sees is all an act, saidexecutive director Tim Yerxa.

Behind the scenes, the 51-year-old building's leaks, rust and aging equipment are stealing the show, he said.

Renovating the aging building would also meanrestructuring to make it accessible to everyone, said Yerxa.

"If we did that$12.5-million renovation, the balcony wouldn't be in play any longer and our seating capacity would actually go down to about to 463," he said.

Saving the seats would require addingan elevator, which Yerxa says would lead to rebuilding the entire front of the facility for about $19 million.

Needs of community have changed

"And when you start talking about those kind of numbersreally, you have to start taking a step back and say, 'Why would the community spend that kind of money to maintain just what we have when in fact the needs of the community are quite different than when the building was built?'"

A consultant's report, released last week,recommends demolishing the current Playhouse and buildinga $40-million facility with two performance venues. The main hall would have 850 seats and the second venue would be a 300-seat flexible performance space.

The report identifies two possible locations for a new facility a privately owned parking lot near King and Regentstreets or a riverfront property behind city hall and the courthouse.

Walter Learning, the former general manager of the Playhouse and founder of Theatre New Brunswick, contends abandoning the landmark building is not an option.

"Some people say it's a non-fixer-upper. There's is no such thing as a non-fixer upper. As long as you have a foundation and few walls you can fix up anything. It just takes the will and the money," he said.

If the city does end up abandoning the facility, Learning says it should be offered to Theatre New Brunswick for $1.

Citizens will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the future of the Playhouse in the months to come, but the city has made replacement of the Playhouse its top priorityfor infrastructure.

Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodsidehas said, however, that the city will need help from the other levels of government and private sectorif the project is to proceed.