Theatre company goes mainstream in business district

Avia Collinder, Business Writer

Theatre company Stages Productions Limited has moved into premium space on Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston, under a 10-year lease.

Stages CEO Bunny Allen said he spent close to J$10 million - financed from a mix of equity capital from its seven owners and loans - to retrofit the 10,000-square foot property, covering three floors, that previously housed Maxie Department Store.

The location Allen has chosen for staging of his plays puts him squarely inside the business district and in proximity to banks and investment houses as well as utility company Jamaica Public Service.

But New Kingston is also home to a number of entertainment venues, including nightclubs.

Allen declined to share turnover figures, but says that the investment in a new location will receive adequate returns from two productions annually.

To see a play costs about $1,400 per theatre-goer.

The complex now features two theatres - one seating 250 and the other 160 - as well as a bar, and snack counter flanking an expansive lobby.

Upstairs are offices and an outdoor deck.

Income will also come from the ongoing rental of one theatre and letting of daytime meeting space for US$300 to US$500 (J$26,000 to J$43,000) depending on duration. One theatre is now rented by actor/producer Oliver Samuels.

"The move will put us on a sound footing; not that we were not profitable," Allen said.

Theatre space in Kingston is limited, notes Allen, who says the situation is the same nationally.

Previously occupied by Maxie, the 15 Knutsford Boulevard location was shuttered September 2010 when the family-run chain moved to a more "tradable" location in a bid to control losses and boost turnover in a soft market for ready-to-wear apparel.

Stages opened unofficially at the location on December 2, 2011. The relocation from Cargill Avenue forms part of the theatre company's rebranding, Allen said.

"We decided we needed a better location. After five years we needed to rebrand," he said. "Knutsford is more central and is fact within the entertainment district."

Allen chose the new location as a venue that would appeal to everyone.

Stages is most famous for the production Bashment Granny five years ago, which had an extended run of one year and six months, with an "extensive" overseas tour of eight months.

For Jamaica's 50th year the company will be resurrecting Scandal and Maama Man, old productions which were well loved by Jamaicans, Allen said.

Bashment Granny, the movie

In 2012, the company also intends to release Bashment Granny, the movie, which was completed at undisclosed costs last year, and which will open first in Kingston and then taken nationally.

"We are still looking at the overseas market," Allen said, noting that for the local market Stages will be using its own projector to show the movie across Jamaica.

Stages is owned by Allen, Orville Johnson, John Isaacs, Rohan Winter, Calvin Taylor, Peter Neita, and Ryan Prendergast, who also all act in productions.

The company employs seven full-time actors and recruits part-time talent as needed.

"Not every production is successful. Sometimes we lose, but this is why we have two productions per year," said Allen. "Some productions are not about money, but about fulfilling the needs of the market."

Production costs per play, he says, range between J$3 million and J$5 million.

"We still owe money," Allen notes, but said that productions will provide adequate returns to settle the account.

Each production opens first in Kingston and runs for four months, then is taken nationwide in six- to eight-month runs, before an overseas tour.

Now playing at the new location is the Stages production The Politicians, a two-and-a-half hour comedy written by Paul Beale and directed by Allen.

The recession, Allen notes has been challenging for the company with "people wanting to support plays but unable to afford it". But even more limiting has been the shortage of theatre space within Kingston and outside.

"Once we have more theatre space, income will improve. In the long term, Stages will look at developing infrastructure across Jamaica," Allen said.

business@gleanerjm.com