“The Board of Trustees' responsibility to this venerable cinematic institution means that we must act to protect and preserve the theatre for the future,” the post said.
The theater reopened in July to reduced audiences. Due to new regulations, the theater would only be able to operate at 40% capacity but Scott Geisel, the board president, said the theater has been operating at around 15% capacity or lower.
“It has become clear that staying open risks burning through the reserves of the non-profit organization,” the statement said. “Preparations for reopening were thorough, but the board did not anticipate the public’s discomfort with in-person screenings in the current global pandemic, nor the continued rates of infection in the region.”
The theater’s staff, one full-time employee and about 20 part-time employees, will be furloughed indefinitely.
The board plans to reopen the theater sometime in 2021.
“We’re going to look at the trends, we’re going to see what happens with a potential vaccine ... with measures that are in place to help control the pandemic with or without a vaccine and we’re going to watch people’s comfort levels returning to similar types of venues,” Geisel said. “It’s not an easy decision and the decision was made just to protect the Little Art Theatre for the future.”
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