By Ben Olson
Reader Staff
The Panida Theater board of trustees’ monthly meeting March 5 drew a few more spectators than usual. The Little Theater was filled to capacity, with others standing along the back and side walls to participate in a discussion about rumors circulating online regarding a potential change in Panida rental policies limiting availability of the theater for local presenters.
Prior to the meeting, social media buzzed with talk that Panida Executive Director Heather White was considering a policy allowing local presenters to book the theater for only one weekend per month.
Board President Sean Behm gaveled in the meeting and immediately opened the floor for public testimony on the matter.
Connie Kiehn spoke first as the founder of Honey Pearl Productions, which has produced the plays The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Cheaper by the Dozen at the Panida. Kiehn shared appreciation for the historic theater being a venue for her large-scale productions and outlined some examples of ticket sales and costs to her production company.
“I was told by Heather [White] that the long-term vision was to limit local presenters to one weekend a month,” Kiehn said. “She said it was inspired by another theater which used the same model. … It would just be great to get some clarity.”
Veteran local thespian Kate McAlister shared that it was “disheartening” if the rumor was true.
“As Connie said earlier, when we put shows on, the costs can be $20,000 to $25,000 and we cannot make that money back in one weekend,” McAlister said, adding that the Panida exists due to the “blood sweat and tears of all of us local organizations who have kept this theater going.”
She concluded by offering free board training and consultation for the Panida Board.
Former-Board Member Tari Pardini spoke about what the term “community theater” means.
“I think you need to maybe remember why we’re here and what we’re here for,” Pardini said. “We call the Panida ‘Sandpoint’s Living Room,’ and that really means something. It means that people feel comfortable coming here — always — and I don’t want to see us lose that.”
Other members of the public testified that they’d experienced rudeness from White, and that some volunteers had quit over hurt feelings.
Several, such as Ellen Weissman, spoke of an incident where a longtime volunteer was trespassed from the Panida and later banned, urging the board to consider lifting the ban.
Speaking for POAC, which produces numerous events at the theater, Dyno Wahl pointed out that the Panida was bigger than just a theater; it was a manifestation of a community that cared.
“We need the community, POAC needs the community. The Panida Theater needs the community,” Wahl said, sharing that if the community feels “alienated” from the theater, they might not support it as much as they have in the past.
Holly Sharp shared that while the board was calling for more volunteers, she was concerned that current volunteers were not being treated well.
“What I might suggest is to stop pushing them away,” Sharp said. “Our community would love to support you, but we don’t feel like you want our support most of the time. … Some of us have a lot of passion. What I’m asking is to put that aside and listen to what we say, not how we’re saying it. We’re all trying to make the same wonderful idea succeed.”
After about an hour of sometimes heated testimony, Behm retook the floor to dispel the rumors.
“There is no policy that says locals can only use the theater once a month,” Behm said. “That’s not an official policy at all.”
Behm said the Panida Board and staff continue to “look at different options to make money” and offered details about the issue of deferred maintenance that continues to gobble up the Panida’s revenue.
“Every dollar we get goes back into this building,” he said. “To sit there and condemn us that we’re not passionate about this theater? I put in 40 hours a week in addition to running a business. We come to this meeting every month and there’s nobody here. No one from the community comes to us until they hear or think something’s going on.”
“The Panida Theater is excited with the community input and offers to help keep the Panida alive and well for the next century,” White wrote to the Reader in an email after the meeting. “This is a special community with a special theater. The Panida continues to explore all opportunities in order to financially sustain itself into the next 100 years. There is no formal booking policy at this time.”
Behm wrote to the Reader that he is seeing the meeting as a positive for the Panida: “We want to harness the energy from the meeting and turn it into a proactive movement for the Panida.”
Along with forming new ad-hoc committees with local arts organizations as members, Behm said the Panida board would accept McAlister’s offer of board training and is committed to offering articles in the Daily Bee and Reader, as well as interviews on KRFY and KPND radio stations, to update the community on Panida happenings.
