Court Square Theater in Downtown Harrisonburg (WHSV)Photo: WHSV3
Court Square Theater will close at the end of the year after a combination of lost long-term funding and steadily declining attendance made continued operation unsustainable.
The closure brings a bittersweet end to what was meant to be a celebratory milestone — the theater’s 25th year under the management of the Arts Council of the Valley. Leaders with the Arts Council say the decision was difficult but unavoidable.
“This has been heartbreaking for everyone involved,” said Jenny Burden, executive director of the Arts Council of the Valley. “Closing the theater wasn’t something we wanted to do — it was something we had to do.”
According to Burden, reduced financial support from local government sources and dwindling audience turnout made it impossible to keep the venue running. The lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic only deepened the challenge, forcing the council to rely heavily on its financial reserves just to keep the doors open.
“We’ve used nearly everything we had to try to sustain the theater,” Burden said. “We did everything we could to avoid this outcome.”
In October, a fundraising event at the venue underscored the issue, drawing just 72 attendees in a space that seats more than 200. With limited revenue and no stable funding path forward, the Arts Council ultimately decided closure was the only viable option.
While performances will wrap up before the end of the year, the future of the space itself remains uncertain. Burden said the Arts Council hopes another organization may step in to revive the theater.
“If another group is able to reopen it, we’ll support them however we can,” she said. “We truly hope this space can continue to serve the arts community in some form.”
SOURCE: WHSV3
