Kings Playhouse reducing its hours — and staffing — to focus on events

One of the oldest theatrical venues in P.E.I. is reducing its hours and staffing to focus solely on hosting events like concerts, plays, weddings and meetings.

The Kings Playhouse in Georgetown announced the change in a post on its Facebook page in late April. The building itself is owned by the Town of Three Rivers, but operational decisions are made by a volunteer board of directors, which is made up of seven people.

"We've done this to sort of balance our ability to manage people, time and events in that space with the resources we have," said board chair Greg Snow.

Snow said there will be minimal change to what types of events and performances will be presented at the Playhouse, which bills itself as "Canada's longest-running theatre" with Harry Houdini and Donald Sutherland among those who have performed at the site since 1887. 

"We will still be offering a full program of performances, entertainment, musicals, plays; still be hosting meetings and events," Snow said. 

According to the Playhouse's website, the theatre will now open its doors just one hour before show time to prepare for events and let patrons buy last-minute tickets. 

The majority of Islanders who run the 287-seat theatre do so on a volunteer basis, save for executive director John Connolly, who's been in the position since last fall.

"We have to reduce the workload of the person in that role," Snow said. "It is very demanding as it is, just fulfilling the performance side of the calendar. So we had to look for ways to make that job manageable by one person and in a way that didn't crush their personal life."

Because the building won't be open every day, four people who are typically hired through the province's Employment Development Agency (EDA) won't be offered work this summer.

"The decision was not made spontaneously. It was not made recently. It was not made without due consideration," said Snow.

The Playhouse notified the province of the change back in January, and Snow said two EDA employees will still be hired for the summer season.

"We have filed an application for what we think to be the number of people required and the duties required of them, and we have been assigned two employees," he said.

Snow added that the hiring process is facilitated by the province, and the Playhouse has no role in the interviewing or application process.

For longtime Playhouse patron and donor Melissa Batchilder, the reduction in Employment Development Agency employees is a concern. She grew up in Georgetown and owns a house there, although she lives in Boston for most of the year.