Sudbury Theatre Centre 'working hard' at regaining fiscal stability

Two years after it needed a bailout from the city, the Sudbury Theatre Centre is getting closer to financial stability.

In 2017, the professional theatre in Sudbury had been deep in debt and needed money to complete its season. That's when the City of Greater Sudbury granted the STC a one time $200,000 bailout.

Since then the theatre has been working hard to get back in the black, according to Della Kreiger, president of the board of governors.

"We are in a much better position than we were two years ago, that is for sure," she said.

"We've been working hard at redefining who we are and restructuring some things. We still have a long way to go, but we are feeling more positive in our financial stability."

She says the STC is working on a strategic plan to renew the direction of the theatre and hammer out its priorities and goals.

"Fiscal stability is one of our goals."

Kreiger says the STC has made some changes to help improve its financial outlook, including scaling back productions and incorporating local artists into the programming.

She adds that the STC's artistic director John McHenry has worked well to keep within budget, without compromising artistic integrity.

"We're really excited about next year, even though we are rebuilding and redefining ourselves."

STC to join the Junction?

Earlier this week, the city announced that its library-art gallery project called the Junction, would be moved to Shaunnessey Street, to the parking lot beside the STC.

Kreiger says that is very promising news.

"There's lots of conversations to be had, and we're looking forward to those conversations with the city," she said.

"Part of our strategic planning was to look at partnerships in the city of Sudbury so that we could all work together to maintain that goal of artistic integrity."

Kreiger says it's still early in those talks with the city so it's hard to say whether the STC would be integrated into the Junction project or would simply be a neighbour.

"I think the idea of a library, an art gallery and a theatre just works very well. There's a synergy there that really, I think works well."

The Sudbury Theatre Centre will mark its 50th anniversary in 2021/2022.

It is the only English-language, professional theatre between Barrie and Thunder Bay and is the only professional theatre in Sudbury. It also provides education and programming for young people with its STC Academy.