SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s hard enough to keep a theater afloat during this pandemic. Now, a handful of local theaters say they’ve been bilked by a company they trusted.
The drama has moved from the stage to the box office for a few theater companies in Santa Fe. Ironweed Productions says Seattle-based company Brown Paper Tickets started handling their ticket sales in 2017. “We needed some support with our box office logistics,” says Scott Harrison, Artistic Director, Ironweed Productions.
In March, Ironweed had to cancel a show after a run of only seven performances because of the coronavirus outbreak. However, they were still expecting more than $4,000 from Brown Paper Tickets for the shows they did put on. “In good faith, we just allowed a little time to pass before we started inquiring more about our money,” said Harrison.
Artistic Director Scott Harrison says once they did start asking questions, the company was unresponsive. “It’s a huge amount of our budget, obviously impacts hugely what we are able to do in the future and currently,” Harrison says.
The artistic director for Theater Grottesco says the company owes them $500 from ticket sales. “They haven’t officially gone under yet, they’re just whatever they’re doing. Jockeying money around or whatever,” says John Flax, Artistic Director of Theater Grottesco.
There’s even a group on Facebook with more than 400 members from around the country, all claiming they were stiffed by Brown Paper Tickets. Like any business just trying to stay above water right now, they want answers. “When you’re in a situation like this, you appreciate communication. Just some communication goes a long way,” Harrison says. Brown Paper Tickets tells KRQE News 13 they are working through a backlog of refund requests and can’t offer a specific timeline for refunds.
