Willows Theater Reassures City Council Subcommittee

Representatives of the Willows Theater assured city officials and members of the public Jan. 18 that they are not leaving Martinez, but rather stregthening their production company by producing shows in Concord as well as Martinez.

"We are poised to return as one of the strongest theater groups in the county," said Willows Managing Director David Faustino. "We will not change our obligation to Martinez. We believe we will make it stronger."

The meeting of the City Council Downtown Revitalization Subcommittee was called by Mayor Rob Schroder, one half of the subcommittee, in response to concerns from the public that the theater company was abandoning the city by annoucing its return to Concord for larger shows, just days after the Martinez City Council forgave a $40,000 Willows loan last month.

Faustino said that 1,900 subscribers failed to renew their subscription last year as a result of relocating the production company to the smaller Campbell Theater on Ward St. The Willows lost the lease at its Concord location in 2008.

"We reached out to our subscribers, and we were met with decreasing subscriptions," Faustino said. "The number one reason was that people missed the large scale productions" that the company cannot do at the smaller Campbell Theater.

He said the company will stage three shows in Martinez this year, including a production of "Showboat" at the John Muir Amphitheater in August. The company will offer subscribers to the Concord shows a discount to the Martinez productions.

Faustino also said that the Campbell Theater will focus more on cabaret shows, and less on traditional theater productions that require a larger stage. He said experiments with cabaret shows earlier this year went very well.

However, he added that allowing other organziations to put on shows and productions was a problem, because of the $4 million insurance requirement the Willows must carry.

"I don't think any of this was handled very well," said Vice Mayor Janet Kennedy, who added that she wanted to see the facility used all the time. "I want it to be a destination," she said.

The announcement that the company was moving back to Concord just days after the $40,000 loan forgiveness by the City Council "left a sour taste in our mouths," said Noralea Gipner. "Talk is great, but you're going to have to show action."

In response to a question from Dick Duncan as to how the city could help improve business for the theater, Faustino said improved street lighting would help.

"There's a major homeless problem," he added. "Our manager is cleaning up bodily fluids she should not have to clean up."

He said that some matinee-goers have complained about getting parking tickets.

"We're not country bumpkins, and we feel used," said Carolyn Boone Duncan. "People are mad out there. You need to get people excited."