Actor's Express Looking for Lifeline

By Martha Dalton

Atlanta – Officials with Atlanta's Actor's Express Theater say they're in dire financial straits. Now they're searching for additional funding to keep from taking a final curtain call. WABE's Martha Dalton has the details.

The Actor's Express has seen a sharp decline in ticket sales and donations recently. Managing Director Lara Smith says they've embarked on a "Save the Theater" campaign:

"We are asking for 50-thousand dollars by the end of March and then 150-thousand by the end of July."

Smith says they exhausted all other options before deciding to launch the appeal.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund has awarded more than 250, 000 dollars worth of grants to Actor's Express over the years. Director Lisa Cremin says they're in the same boat as most mid-size theaters in the Atlanta area:
"Actor's Express is in a bind now and does have an urgent need to raise funds. Their strategy now, and I think it's a good one, is to go to individual donors to support the theater at this time in a robust way."
The theater, located at the King Plow Arts Center in West Midtown, is in its 23rd season. It has two more shows planned for this season.