Playhouse 2000 reports rising attendance, seeks city help for visible Callow Center upgrades

Playhouse 2000 presented an operational update to the Kerrville City Council on Jan. 14, 2025, saying attendance and ticket revenue increased in 2024 but the organization finished the year with a budgeted deficit and is requesting the city consider funding additional visible upgrades during scheduled building repairs.

The organization reported 68 events over 119 “lit nights” in 2024 and total attendance of about 39,400, up roughly 17 percent from the prior year. “Our total ticket sales were 491,000,” Playhouse 2000’s representative, Jack, said. He told the council that nearly 10,000 patrons came from outside the 78028 ZIP code, which the group says brings accompanying spending in restaurants, shops and hotels.

Playhouse 2000 said operating income for 2024 was $782,000 while expenses totaled $833,000, creating a deficit funded from the organization’s reserves held under its management agreement with the city. “That deficit…is about $33,000 larger than the budget that we set for ourselves,” Jack said, and added that the shortfall was driven by a lost corporate sponsor, reduced individual giving and higher production costs.

The group outlined an operational plan for 2025 that includes maintaining staff, recapturing lapsed audience members and pursuing contributed income from business memberships, advertisers and foundations. Jack said Playhouse 2000 employs five full-time staff members, four of whom have been with the organization more than 10 years.

Playhouse 2000 also described a planned closure for major construction: the Callow auditorium will be closed from March 2 through at least July 18 under the current contract to allow a new roof and HVAC work and to repair water-infiltration damage. The company said it will move productions to the VK Garage Theater during construction and continue youth and other programs there.

Beyond the essential repairs, Playhouse 2000 asked the council to consider funding additional, visible improvements so the public will notice the investment when the center reopens. Jack listed proposed items including auditorium seat cleaning/repair, aisle lighting, reapplication of fire-resistant treatment to curtains and soft goods, updated safety/architectural lighting, restroom upgrades to reduce wet floors, repainting and a small lobby gallery area. He said staff’s current estimate for that package of upgrades is about $102,000 but “I think it’s probably gonna go above that,” after vendor pricing changes; when councilmember Kent added the expected revenue loss during closure, the combined need was described as roughly $152,000.

Councilmembers thanked Playhouse 2000 for the update and asked staff to return with pricing details and a concrete plan for which of the optional upgrades might be funded as part of the city-supported construction. “I think this group…is very wary of curbing property rights. Very wary. At the same time, I think…there’s a community interest in preserving trees,” Mayor said during a later agenda item. For the Playhouse item, the mayor and other councilmembers requested staff follow up on costs and feasibility.

Playhouse 2000 said it has set aside reserve funds from the pandemic years and expects to cover obligations while pursuing the balance of the 2025 budget. The group listed several marquee bookings planned around the construction period, including Artrageous (returning after 2018), regional premieres and musicals to resume when the Callow Center reopens; the presenter said scheduling for August and September productions is intentionally flexible to allow potential construction delays.

Council staff indicated they will review the proposed optional upgrades and return with pricing and recommendations for how the city may or may not participate in funding those visible improvements during the contracted repair work.