Real people are serving the area

I am writing about J.D. Blackwell’s June 23 letter, “Area arts: Local venues are often inaccessible.” Although I can agree with the statement that our local venues are under utilized, I have to take xception with much of what was written about the Historic Everett Theatre.

We do not consider an attendance of 150 people a success for any of our programs. Quite the contrary. We need higher attendance to keep the theater open. Until attendance covers the cost of our programming, we have to depend on public support to make up the difference.

J.D. Blackwell’s inference that we do not allow everyone to use the theater is correct. However, in our present situation, the state of Washington limits the type of entities who may use the theater.

Beyond preserving an historical landmark, our purpose is to expose the community to the arts and give local artists a place to perform. Our long-range goals focus our actions toward keeping the Historic Everett Theatre a community theater. With proper planning and community support we will be able to change our status with the state and make the use of the theater available to a broader base of customers. Contrary to J.D. Blackwell’s opinion, the Historic Everett Theatre is in the hands of real people. Some very dedicated community volunteers to be more precise.

Arlington