The Albuquerque Little Theatre, a historic venue in Downtown Albuquerque, is asking the community for $100,000 in donations to fund urgent building repairs and maintenance. The need follows the complete failure of the theater’s HVAC system, which led to a performance cancellation last season.
While major expenses like replacing the HVAC system and repairing the roof are currently tied up in an unresolved insurance claim, the theatre still faces a range of pressing costs related to upkeep and ongoing operations.
“Right now, we’re making a focused push to cover mounting bills for maintenance and essential building needs,” said Katie Snapp, president of the board of directors.
Other renovations include $6,000 emergency repair after a city-owned water/sewer line backed up and flooded part of the lobby and bathrooms – an expense the city has yet to reimburse. There was also a kitchen sink leak that damaged newly installed flooring.
After all the mishaps that the Albuquerque Little Theater has gone through, they are now looking to the community for donations to save this historic building, the first to be constructed in Albuquerque under the Works Project Administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936. “We’re always looking for donations,” said Snapp.
The Albuquerque Little Theater does not have a set timeline for when renovations will take place but are hoping they will begin sometime within the next year. “It is on an ‘as-we-can-afford-it’ timeline. Right now, we are just trying to stabilize.” said Snapp. The hope is that repairs will not affect the current schedule of shows at ALT, including the upcoming colonial drama Manahatta, running Oct. 3 through 18. Construction and repairs have yet to begin, however, so the long-term impact has yet to be determined.
There are a couple of ways to make a donation at the Albuquerque Little Theater. People can donate in person at the theater box office, which is open Wednesday through Saturday at 224 San Pasquale Ave. SW. Donations can also be made online at the Albuquerque Little Theater’s official website.