The 5th Avenue Theatre To Cut Staff Positions Amid $7.5 Million Deficit
The Seattle nonprofit says rising costs and declining subscriptions have strained its finances.
According to a new report from The Seattle Times, The 5th Avenue Theatre has announced plans to eliminate approximately 14 staff positions and pause some education programming as the organization addresses a significant budget deficit.
According to the report, the theatre is currently facing a $7.5 million deficit, stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Leadership said rising production and operating costs, along with a steep decline in subscription revenue, have placed considerable strain on the organization’s finances and forced it to rely on cash reserves in recent seasons.
The cuts will reduce the theatre's workforce from 55 employees to about 41. The layoffs are expected to affect several departments, including marketing, box office, and other operational areas.
Executive and Artistic Director Bill Berry said the theatre has launched a “stabilization and capitalization” fundraising effort aimed at raising $12 million over the next three years. The organization’s immediate goal is to secure $6 million and begin reducing the deficit within six months.
Managing Director Ariel Gomez Bradler said the theatre has already taken several steps to reduce expenses. Leadership salaries were lowered beginning in 2023, and the company scaled back its production schedule from six shows per season to five.
Those changes are expected to save approximately $5.3 million in fiscal year 2026. The newly announced staffing and program reductions are projected to cut another $3 million from the theatre’s roughly $23 million operating budget.
Although financial pressures remain significant, the organization reports modest improvements in its subscriber base. Subscriptions have grown from 9,093 last season to nearly 10,000 today. Even with that increase, however, the number remains roughly half of what the theatre had before the pandemic.
Despite financial challenges, the theatre recently announced its 2026–27 season. The lineup will feature five productions running from September 15, 2026 through August 1, 2027, including two self-produced shows and two national tours presented in partnership with Seattle Theatre Group.
The theatre’s self-produced titles will include THE WIZARD OF OZ and A CHORUS LINE, both expected to feature predominantly local performers. Touring productions will include OPERATION MINCEMEAT: A NEW MUSICAL, the 2024 Olivier Award winner for Best New Musical, and MAYBE HAPPY ENDING, the 2025 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. A fifth production has not yet been announced.
The upcoming season will also coincide with the 100th anniversary of the theatre’s historic building, which first opened on September 24, 1926 with a Fanchon & Marco vaudeville production. Additional plans to commemorate the centennial are expected to be announced at a later date.
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