By Rylie Friesen-–
Theatre in the Heights, a small venue for local theatrical performances in Citrus Heights, has been closed since March 17 when coronavirus mitigation efforts led to the statewide closure of businesses deemed non-essential.
With no source of income from ticket sales, the 47-seat theater has struggled to pay rent at its location at 8215 Auburn Blvd., behind Baskin Robbins. But in a newsletter update last week, the theater said rent has been paid the last two months due to donations and residual box office receipts.
“We want to thank those of you who so generously gave donations to help us pay rent for April,” the theater posted on its Facebook page.
Under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-stage plan to reopen the state, the theatre should be allowed to reopen in the third or fourth stage. However, dates for when the state will enter those stages have not been announced, leaving the theater and other businesses still in limbo.
“Currently, we are working on several contingency plans, depending on the various possibilities of re-opening dates and restrictions that might be in place,” the theatre said in its May 7 newsletter.
Phone and email messages left with the theater on Friday were not returned by press time Saturday afternoon.
The theater opened in 2017 when its founders, Blake Flores and Vanessa Voetsch, saw an opportunity to open a community venue where attendees could “see the art of the theater come alive.”
In 2019, the theater performed productions such as Neil Simon’s “God’s Favorite,” and “The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery” by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin, Jr.
Additional information about the theater is available at www.theatreintheheights.com, where donations can also be made.
Theatre in the Heights, a small venue for local theatrical performances in Citrus Heights, has been closed since March 17 when coronavirus mitigation efforts led to the statewide closure of businesses deemed non-essential.
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