Director's Resignation Puts Local Theater's Season on Hold

The Calabasas Theatre Company has put the remainder of its debut season on hold following the resignation of the company's artistic director.

The production of the musical Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living In Paris, which had been set to open this month, and the remainder of the company's season, are "under review," according to a statement from Spotlight the Arts, a nonprofit group that oversees the theater company.

Artistic Director Geoffrey Forward resigned from the theater on Nov. 30 over a dispute related to the theater company's financial records. Forward said he resigned after Spotlight denied his request for access to the records, including box-office receipts for the theater's debut production, Under Milk Wood.

Bradley Bobbs, Spotlight's community liaison, said in an e-mail that Forward was provided with written information from Spotlight's treasurer, showing "all income and expenses," including "net profit" for the play.

"They told me Under Milk Wood earned this much money [but] I wasn't allowed to look at any of the records to verify it," Forward said, adding: "No idea what their intentions are; it didn't make any sense to me."

Bobbs recently indicated that the receipts would have been made available to Forward in due course. "I'm not sure if they were available previously," he acknowledged by e-mail. "His claim might have been correct at the time he made it." He also said that the treasurer "has assured us that they [the receipts] are available for him to see if he wants to."

Forward also said he asked to review the receipts after he was told the rest of the first season had been canceled, a claim Spotlight's board of directors disputes.

Under Milk Wood, which ran for eight shows from Sept. 16 through Oct. 10, was entirely put on by volunteers, including Forward.

In addition to Forward's resignation, other factors, including a lack of volunteers and cost-related issues, contributed to putting the theater company's season on hold, Bobbs acknowledged. But he was still looking ahead to future productions.

"With Geoffrey leaving, we need to find a new artistic director and set new dates and possibly a new play," said Bobbs in an e-mail.