Village Of Flat Rock Appropriates $40,000 To Flat Rock Playhouse

On Thursday, June 25, the Village Council for the Village of Flat Rock met to approve their budget for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2020. The Village Council agreed to appropriate $40,000 to Flat Rock Playhouse.

Former Mayor Bob Staton began the tradition of granting an annual appropriation to Flat Rock Playhouse, and Mayor Nick Weedman generously encouraged the Council to continue that tradition. Long-time resident and NC Representative, Chuck McGrady, has said that the Playhouse is part of the "fabric of our community, deserving local support." As the State Theatre of North Carolina, Flat Rock Playhouse takes its name from the village it helped establish. "Local support from the Village, especially with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, is essential in keeping the performing arts alive in Henderson County and Western North Carolina," says Artistic Director Lisa K. Bryant.

The support of the local community, particularly the generous appropriation by the Council, presents other opportunities for Flat Rock Playhouse. "Hyper-local support, like an appropriation from our Village, makes for leveraging opportunities when seeking funding from the State and established arts funding organizations like the Shubert Foundation," remarks Paige Posey, a longtime Vagabond and member of the Village Council.

The appropriation comes at a vital time for the Playhouse, which announced at the beginning of May that it would be postponing the 2020 season to 2021. "We are so grateful for this funding. Last month, we made the difficult decision to postpone our season, which resulted in laying off over two-thirds of our staff" says Bryant. "This pandemic has been devastating for the entire arts industry and for our community. This support from the Village helps us to continue our current operations as we look to the future of Flat Rock Playhouse."

Flat Rock Playhouse is currently operating with limited staff focusing on communication with 2020 ticket holders, building updates, and planning for the future of arts in the community.

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