Local theater company waiting for help

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) - The Actors Theater of Indiana sent out an appeal for help Wednesday. The company said it has been counting on a $75,000 grant from Carmel and it has yet to be received.

Don Farrell, a co-founder of ATI, told 24-Hour News 8 the delay has created “a significant cash flow crisis.”

Farrell's theater troupe is presenting “Gypsy.” The troupe moved around a lot before settling in Carmel at the Center for the Performing Arts.

The company is working on building an audience.

The Actors Theater depends on a grant from the City of Carmel to help pay bills.

"We were hoping to receive support from the city by July at the latest. And that would be the end of our fiscal year,” Farrell said. “Unfortunately we haven't."

The situation is happening in the shadow of Carmel’s dispute over the bills on the Palladium nearby. Farrell says he doesn’t blame that for his money worries.

"I can't speak to what the politics involved. I just know what the hard facts are. And the hard facts are, the disbursement of the funds has affected our cash flow. Significantly,” Farrell said.

While the theater awaits assistance, it may have to cut back a bit.

"We know what we offer to the community is valuable. We just want to continue to do what we do and support our mission,” Farrell added.

Eric Seidensticker, a member of Carmel’s City Council, objected to the ATI complaint. He said Actors Theatre of Indiana did not present a funding request until this year. So, he said money could not be included in this year’s spending on the arts.

Seidensticker said he does not want it to appear that the council is neglecting any responsibility. He said the council disbursed all of the money that was budgeted. The issue now involves unspent money in other city departments. That, he said, is now up to the Mayor.

Seidensticker said Mayor Jim Brainard needs to review the City of Carmel’s departmental budgets.

The president of Carmel’s City Council, Rick Sharp, said the council is waiting for a review of departmental budgets. He said when that is done, the mayor will tell them what has not been spent, and from there they can shift money to the arts grant.

The Actors Theater of Indiana grant could be part of an allotment of over a million dollars from Carmel to its art organizations.

The Actors Theater of Indiana founders, Cindy Collins, Don Farrell, and Judy Fitzgerald, released the following letter to its members:

Dear ATI Family,

By now you are all aware that there is a lot of conversation about finances in Carmel. Likewise, there is news every day of arts organizations struggling to stay alive. Well, Actors Theatre of Indiana is no different!

ATI came to Carmel and The Center for the Performing Arts with the understanding that there would be support from the City...and that support has been there until this year. We submitted a proposal for $75,000 to the Mayor in June, with the understanding that grants would be awarded in early July. Now, three months later, ATI is experiencing a significant cash flow issues due to the delay in funding the arts by the Carmel City Council.

We are doing everything we can to cut expenses, but now in the middle of our production of our critically acclaimed production of Gypsy, payroll must be met and plans are also underway for our next production of Route 66, which begins October 26. Our move to the Center increased our budget significantly, primarily due to the increased rent. We are being forced to cut some performances to reduce that expense, but that won't solve our immediate problem.

We truly appreciate your support as a donor, season subscriber, or single ticket holder, but today we need to ask you for something more. If you can make a contribution of any size to support the wonderful performances you have come to admire at ATI, do it today! And we mean that literally. Click on the "CONTRIBUTE" button and make your gift or, better yet, write out that check and drive it over to the ATI office. We will be here to welcome you and thank you personally for what might make the difference between business as usual and significant changes in our schedule.

In our eight years as a theatre group in Central Indiana, we have never been at this juncture. We have faith that the City will continue to support the arts, but our need is immediate! You can make the difference.