The Old Greenbelt Theatre (OGT) has made every effort to remain a viable and exciting part of the Greenbelt community as it has navigated the many challenges brought on by the pandemic, aided by the development of a number of innovative programs. OGT Executive Director Caitlin McGrath presented these efforts and the OGT’s financial situation at a budget worksession on April 20 to council. According to McGrath, OGT has made a “continuous recovery” and gradual return to a “sense of normalcy.”
The OGT is now having “a soft opening,” said McGrath, with the main 368-seat house and 40-seat screening room available Friday through Monday, in preparation for a formal re-opening on Saturday, May 14. In a subsequent interview, McGrath revealed that both spaces will be at 50-percent usage as of this week. The Media Literacy Lab (focused on K-12) is open as well, having had its first workshop this past weekend, where composer Andrew Simpson instructed 9- to 12-year-olds in the creation of original music for silent shorts. Recently, a free series of nine small-group, invitation-only test screenings provided valuable feedback on procedures to accommodate additional health and safety measures.
Prior to closing on March 13, 2020, the OGT had been running seven days a week since opening in May 2015, with the current audience numbers at 25 to 30 percent of their pre-pandemic levels.
Virtual screenings, the “first foray into post-pandemic entertainment,” according to McGrath, “proved a niche offering, and few people took advantage of the films available to rent.”
Flick of the Week, which was a Zoom discussion of a staff-selected film watched by members on their personal time, was ended after two months due to low participation.
Popcorn and concessions pick-up, which initiated a return to in-person activities, resulted in a situation where “staff felt safe, patrons were happy to support our organization and all transactions went smoothly,” said McGrath.
Said McGrath, private rentals “proved incredibly successful — both in generating revenue and providing a needed service to our members.” Used mostly on special occasions like anniversaries, birthdays and holidays, attendance began at fewer than 10 and rose up to 20.
Moonlit Movies, in conjunction with the Recreation Department and co-sponsored by Town Center Realty and Beltway Plaza and held at Braden Field, sold out nearly every screening in 2020, with a drop-off in attendance with its return in April 2021. Ticket prices were kept to a modest $5/person or $20/circle.
Storytime on Screen was a free, virtual half-hour of stories, songs, crafts and educational video links. It received participation at in-person events that exceeded 100. Said McGrath, “Online, it became harder to track the number of participants, though we did note that chat participation dropped week by week.” OGT looks forward to continuing the partnership in-person in the fall of 2022.
For most of the closure period, OGT was forced to maintain low payroll costs with a staff reduction to four salaried and two hourly employees by May 2020. After a stint on unemployment by the salaried staff, who volunteered their efforts to keep the OGT operating, a Work Share agreement was reached in November 2020 with the state, with the four salaried staff being paid in a 50/50 arrangement by the Friends of the Greenbelt Theatre (FGT) and state unemployment. In September 2021, the Work Share arrangement expired, resulting in full-time employment by three salaried staff alongside a small number of hourly concessions staff. “Combined with deferred payments for some utilities, various grants and the City of Greenbelt’s monthly support, we were able to cover all expenses incurred during the closure period,” McGrath said.
The 2020 End of Year fundraising campaign resulted in $23,000, $4,000 more than 2018.
OGT has received some valuable grants as well, including $116,445 from Maryland’s Strong Economic Recovery Initiative; $172,968 from the Shuttered Venue Operator’s Grant; and $25,000 from the Greenbelt Business Improvement and Recovery Fund.
The city has provided integral financial support to OGT, which should be ongoing. Over the period of April 2020 through September 2021, OGT received $71,973. The significant percentage of this sum is seen through the total amount of donations in this period at $77,722.
During the pandemic, theaters have had to endure a stigma of being seen as a safety hazard. Yet, McGrath pointed out that realistically speaking, theaters provide more social distancing and lower numbers of people than, say, restaurants. Theaters across the board have suffered greatly in the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, the OGT had around 1,600 members. It has now dropped to around 400. Throughout most of the closure period, OGT refrained from selling memberships. A pro-rated membership was offered in September 2021, which will end in June 2022, to be followed by an annual membership campaign.
OGT has kept ticket prices the same throughout its seven years of existence. As it only recoups 30 percent in profit from each ticket, with 60 percent going to studios, raising prices would not bring in a significant increase in revenues. Yet, the possibility for a raise in prices is something being considered.
Council gave OGT high praise for their tenacity and willingness to explore every avenue available to survive and continue to provide enjoyable, quality films and programs, with Mayor Emmett Jordan extolling the OGT as “a cultural icon.”