Licensing Killing Theatre in Rochester, NY

[jrteeter]

Posted: 8/23/12 at 12:00pm

Hello All,

I run a small non-profit, non-professional theatre in Rochester, NY called Bread & Water Theatre. We have been asked by our local government to get an Entertainment Center License in order to continue performing plays for the public. This license costs $425-$475 a year and is supposed to pay for inspection costs on the property.

Oddly enough our venue is already inspected and up to code. We think this is just another way for our city govenment to tax its citizens (as we don't get anything out of the licensing). Could you help support us by visiting http://www.change.org/petitions/help-save-the-arts-in-rochester-ny


Change.org Petition

[Jon]

Posted: 8/24/12 at 1:45pm

As someone who worked at, and eventually ran, a non-profit theatre for 36 years, I must say this: If you can't afford 40 bucks a month, you shouldn't exist.

Are you an actual registered not-for-profit corporation? If so, you should be able to get donations from local merchants, corporations, and individuals. if you are not paying your actors, what is happening to the money you raise?

Updated On: 8/24/12 at 01:45 PM

[jrteeter]

Posted: 8/24/12 at 2:23pm

We make about $4000 a year. Half goes to royalties. The other half goes to rent. We rent a church and are only able to use it part time. As such we do not have control over the venue where we are able to do fundraisers and donation drives.

Many other organizations are in the same boat. Most musicians. They can't play in restaurants, bars or coffee shops because businesses don't want to have to get the license.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/24/12 at 2:36pm

You don't own the property? You wouldn't be able to make changes if there was something wrong. Seems a bit odd. Especially since you are a non profit.

That being said, I highly doubt that anything the rest of us say would be of any help -- unless we live in Rochester.

[Jon]

Posted: 8/24/12 at 10:55pm

Again - it's $40 a month. You should be able to raise that by going to local merchants and asking for donations. Hell - you could sell candy bars door-to-door and raise that.

[jrteeter]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 12:42am

We have a hard enough time raising money for the shows we do now. We posted this because we wanted to see if there were other theatre people out there who have run into entertainment licensing laws. They exist in other places or so we've heard.

We don't do musicals or shows with large casts. It's difficult to raise $40 a month with a cast of two actors and a director who all work full time jobs.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 12:56am

So I Googled "Entertainment Center License" and got a list of all the things Rochetster licsense. You gotta give the city $500 when you have a Going Out of Business Sale? Is that common? It just seemed weird. I've never run a theatre company, so I have no idea what this license stuff is.

As to jrteeter's problem, I went to your page and my first question is, what is the RPD? My second question is, if you don't own the property, why do you have to pay the fee? Do other theatres have to pay a fee or is that paid by the venue in which they perform? Is it because of the church? Are you the only group that performs there? If you're paying them rent, they should be paying whatever fees go the city, shouldn't they?




City of Rochester Updated On: 8/25/12 at 12:56 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/25/12 at 7:03am

JRTeeter -- your original post asked NOTHING about what others might have experienced with a similar law. You only asked us to sign a petition - again, which is pointless unless your signees live in Rochester. Why would Rochester care what someone that lives in Manhattan or Boston or chicago thinks of their regulations?

I don't understand what an entertainment license does: is it going to check lighting and wiring once its installed? Check how you set up the seats? I'l agree it does sound a bit like money grubbing.

Jon -- I'm guessing the op is running a community theater and used the term non profit to reiterate that no salaries are being paid. I don't think he meant to suggest he's an 'established non-profit organization'. Most local theater (no matter how good a product they produce) is more like a club, with everyone involved doing it out of love and for fun.

[jrteeter]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 2:09pm

The RPD is the Rochester Police Department. They are in charge of enforcing licensing requirements in the City of Rochester, NY.

In Rochester the city government gives free inspections to all properties open to the public as a courtesy to the public and area businesses. Our venue is already completely inspected by local government inspectors.

The entertainment center licensing requires that our venue get inspected again by the same city inspectors that have already inspected the property. To go through this second inspection process costs $425-475 a year and has to be renewed every January 1st.

Bread and Water Theatre is a 501(c)3 not for profit. None of our actors or staff are paid and we have an annual income of approximately $4000 with annual expenses of around $4000.

The petition has more information on it (which is why it was being linked to) including newspaper articles and commentary from area residents. http://www.change.org/petitions/help-save-the-arts-in-rochester-ny

Even when your outside the area it is still valid to sign the petition and demonstrates the petitions overall interest level and reach.
Bread & Water Theatre

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 2:16pm

Again, shouldn't the church be using that rent money for this? YOu pay them two grand a year, right?

[Jon]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 9:48pm

If you are a 501(3)c corporation, you have a board of directors. They should be working on raising money.

How much do you charge for tickets? Typically, a non-profit performng arts group raises about half of its income through ticket sales, and half through donations. Do you print a program? Do you sell ads in it? Do you have fundraising events? Do you sell refreshments?

[jrteeter]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 9:55pm

Jon we have all of those things. That's not the concern. We know there is a need to raise money if our hand it forced. We're more interested in finding a way around the law. As we can't afford long term to raise 500 every year to pay a licensing fee that could also have our content dicated to us and other issues long term. That's why were interested in hearing if other people have experienced these laws or heard of them. Their first hand experience could be very useful in determining what we do next.