To the editor:
Two weeks ago a friend of mine mentioned that she had read in The Democrat that the Playhouse would be closing. She had read Bob Kirlin’s statement made to the Brown County Commissioners that the Playhouse was in need of operational funds. Bob is the current president of the Playhouse Management Board. While stating the facts about the need for more financial support, Bob did not suggest that the Playhouse would need to close. I assured my friend that she was not interpreting Bob’s report correctly and that continuing to tell people that the Playhouse will close would be completely false.
That encounter with my friend prompted me to think more intentionally about the future of the Playhouse. What had I done in the last year to be helpful financially? Why should I continue to expect that others would provide financial support?
As I continued to reflect upon the situation, other questions came to mind. Why did the Brown County Commissioners, in concert with the Brown County Convention and Visitors Commission and the Brown County Convention & Visitors Bureau, decide and approve that 100 percent of the 5 percent innkeepers tax be allocated to the new Maple Leaf center? Why not 80 percent, with 20 percent supporting the Playhouse? With such a rich history, why not support the Playhouse along with the Maple Leaf center? Was this decision by the commissioners a way of eventually forcing the closure of the Playhouse to eliminate any competition for the “new” venue? Unintended consequences or intentional, your guess is as good as mine.
May I suggest that we board the Playhouse train and supply the necessary “fuel” to keep it viable, in spite of increased competition? Let’s join together and support the Playhouse; every donation is important, regardless of size.
Delbert Crocker, Nashville
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