Pasadena Playhouse files Chapter 11 petition

The Pasadena Playhouse, which closed its doors Feb. 7, citing severe financial difficulties, has filed a petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, the theater announced Tuesday.

"This is a necessary step in our strategy to reorganize the Playhouse for the benefit of our creditors and the Pasadena community at large," Stephen Eich, executive director of the theater, said in a statement. No one with the theater would comment further.

At the time it closed, Eich said the theater was out of cash, faced $500,000 in immediate bills and could not make payments on more than $1.5 million in bank loans and debts.

The 90-year-old landmark theater was designated the state theater of California in 1937.

-- Kelly Scott

Above: The Pasadena Playhouse interior before one of the company's last performances. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times 

Comments

[Joseph L Cooke]

I hope this works out. The playhouse is a treasure.

[Ken]

Yeah I hope this works out too
We need more places like the Playhouse

[bill]

just bad management pure and simple. the board there did not know what they were doing - feelings of entitlement aside. there are many theaters that are a going concern these days - small and large. they should feel ashamed of themselves.

[kv]

the state theatre of California and it is filing bankruptcy...how apt (but sad just the same)

[MR]

Hooray!!!

One down, a handfull more to go.

The playhouse district businesses pushed hard for the removal of the huge Indian Laurel Fig and Carrotwood Trees from Colorado Boulevard, despite significant pushback from the populace. We asked and begged the city council to reconsider this insane plan, but they went through with it anyway. This changed what was a pretty nice street in Pasadena complete with shade and greenery into another stretch of concrete and stucco. They wanted better signage as I understand it, and the trees got in the way.

I had only been to the Playhouse once before that, but I decided never to go to Vromans and Lamelle's again. I'm not naive enough to think that this small boycott brought the Playhouse to bankruptcy, but I'm confident when I assert that it did not help business.

[Billy Fury]

Management said that the debt was inherited from the previous administration. Why didn't they try to relieve this debt before? They had over ten years years to address these concerns. I find it odd that the Playhouse held a fund raising concert for the nation of Haiti, but couldn't find a way to help themselves over the years. What makes anyone think that the current management won't drive the Playhouse into a ditch, again?

[Brandon]

So many factors are involved here, but one in particular is programming: I haven't heard anything good about recent performances at The Playhouse. As a Pasadena native now removed to the west-side, I'm disappointed that a treasured community art-house let itself whither on the inside and now remains a lifeless facade. I would beseech all those who once called it home and went on to greater fame in theater, film and television to rekindle their loyalty to the house that raised them.