Iowa’s Oldest Theatre Shuts Down. State Funding Was Too Late

Live theatre is a under appreciated art.  The actors who devote their time and talent aren't just professional actors, they are professional actors that also have a family & a full time job in most cases.  So when they commit to a part it's purely out of the love and passion they have for theatre.

It's a shame when a company like Old Creamery Theatre has to close their doors.

The Old Creamery Theatre was a not-for-profit, live professional theatre founded in 1971 in Amana, IA. They were dedicated to performing high-quality theatre for audiences of all ages and up until it was the longest running professional theatre company in the state of Iowa.

In a recent press release they stated:

It is with deep heartache that we are announcing our final curtain call. Old Creamery Theatre has closed, permanently.

 

Like many other organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to temporarily close our doors in March of 2020. After an attempt at a partial re-opening this past fall/winter 2021 with roadshows, we had the hopes of putting on a regular season of shows in 2022. While the roadshows were considered a success, it was just too little, too late. The financial pressures endured during this extended closure have proven to be a catastrophe from which we could not recover. Coupled with the existing non-profit budget and all the usual expenses which were still incurred while closed, there was simply no way to continue to stay open.

 

Some federal funding was secured by the theatre but it arrived too late to make an impact on keeping the theatre afloat.