By Autumn Lorimer
SCERA theaters in Orem could be facing down the ultimate showstopper: lack of funding.
After 71 years of providing live theater, movies, art and classes, SCERA, located at 745 S. State Street in Orem, could have its final curtain call unless several hundred thousand dollars are raised either from private donations or grant money.
'It''s been a long standing tradition in the community for the last 71 years,' Adam Robertson, president and CEO said. 'It''s been here for all these years, but if we don''t have the funding, then it won''t be anymore. If we can''t raise the funds, SCERA will have to close the doors.'
Robertson said SCERA must raise $300-500 thousand a year in order to keep providing their services.
If the money doesn''t become available soon, the first program to hit the chopping block could be the summer theater and concert performances in the SCERA shell.
'We''re still deciding whether or not we''ll have one this summer,' Robertson said. 'We''re trying to keep it alive and keep our youth theater, but the shell are one of the first things that we''ll have to no do because of the expense.'
The non-profit organization regularly puts on three theatrical productions and six music concerts every summer at its outside theater.
Each of the plays cost generally about $30,000 to $40,000 to produce, and the concerts generally have a price tag of about $20,000 to $30,000.
Utah County residents voted two years ago on a voluntary tax very much like Salt Lake County''s Zoo, Art, and Park tax which would have helped fund cultural venues like SCERA, but the issue failed, according to Commissioner Jerry Grover.
The idea of taxes funding the arts has not been brought up again.
'We won''t be having a ZAP tax,' Grover said.
Robertson said SCERA executives are currently looking for various grants and foundation contributions, but he believes the bottom line will come down to community members.
'We''re trying to raise awareness and let people know that we''re raising money to help keep SCERA a live,' he said. 'We are trying to raise the necessary funds to allow us to have another season.'
A decision on whether or not to have any productions this summer season will have to be made by the first part of the year-March at the latest, Robertson said.
'As a participant and a spectator, the cultural arts add something that you don''t get anywhere else in front of the television or Nintendo or movies,' he said.