The Balagan Theatre company has announced it is breaking up one year after it moved out of its Capitol Hill home. Balagan’s incoming executive director said the theater company’s board had apparently been blindsided after discovering a large amount of debt that the company had no chance of repaying.
“This is not a decision that the board took lightly,” said board president Jim Griffin in a statement. “When viewing the big picture of our overall financial health, this was a difficult conclusion, but ultimately a responsible fiscal action to take.”
From 2011-2013 the Balagan troupe had used the Seattle Central College owned Erickson Theater Off Broadway on E Harvard Ave. After moving off the Hill, Balagan relocated its office to Interbay but continued to put on shows around the city.
It is with tremendous sadness that we must announce that Balagan will be closing its doors permanently. https://t.co/vSdXpsbafW
— Balagan Theatre (@BalaganTheatre) September 20, 2014
An SCC spokesperson said the college is currently utilizing the Erickson Theater for classes and occasional special events.
After eight years of performances Balagan built a reputation for producing quirky and inventive shows. The loss to the Seattle theater scene was even noted by the New York Times earlier this week.
In the past year bad accounting practices have created problems at several other Capitol Hill nonprofits. Last year the Friends of the Volunteer Park Conservatory discovered their former treasurer had potentially embezzled thousands of dollars before leaving the state. CHS also uncovered a lawsuit last year that alleged the former director of an after school program at Stevens Elementary school had embezzled at least $236,000 for personal shopping trips and to pay for her kid’s college tuition.
