Despite ominous announcement, Shore theater's fate not decided
Although it has announced its closing, Beach Haven's Surflight Theatre isn't yet down for the count.
THE LETTER that is the only remaining post on the Surflight Theatre's website is pretty grim:
"On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I regret to advise you that due to continuing difficult financial circumstances, Surflight Theatre is forced to cease operations after 65 seasons and file for bankruptcy," reads the first sentence of the post, which is signed by Dave Kreines, chairman of the board of trustees of the venerable Beach Haven, N.J.-based theater that began as an outdoor venue in 1950.
But it turns out, not only has the fat lady not yet sung, others of varying body types may still be warbling at the Jersey Shore landmark this summer.
"There is some very hard work taking place by a group of people who are attempting to basically purchase the theater from TD Bank," Kreines said yesterday. "This group is very hopeful of buying the property and putting on a season this year."
The Save-the-Surflight movement is spearheaded by its former artistic director, Steve Steiner, who is a lot more optimistic than the website.
"I think the chances are very, very good," Steiner said yesterday. "We've been in touch with secured creditors and believe we have a framework and hope it comes back with a positive answer."
The proposal, he added, contains "a fully funded offer ready to go. It's not just, 'Boy we hope we can do something.' This is ready to go."
Historically, the Surflight has started its summer seasons in early to mid-June. With May knocking on the door, that target is pretty much impossible to hit - but only by a couple of weeks, Steiner insisted.
"If we can get this deal done in the next week to 10 days, we can have a season that starts July 1," he said. "The season is already planned in its entirety. That includes children's theater, the Showplace and concerts.
"I've already done budgets and weekly cash-flow projections through the end of the year. It's really ready to go. We even have backups in case we don't get rights to what we have planned."
Steiner's blueprint does - at least for this year - end the theater's agreement with Actors Equity, the theatrical-performers union. That means there won't be any Broadway actors on the Surflight stage.
The Surflight is as much a piece of Long Beach Island summers as days on the beach and nights with the kids at the Fantasy Island amusement park. But it has seen a recent run of bad luck for which even Job of Bible fame would feel sorry.
In 2012, a fire destroyed a significant part of the complex at Beach and Engleside avenues. Kreines noted that insurance payments did not cover the full amount of the loss and reconstruction. Shortly thereafter, Superstorm Sandy hit, flooding the theater's workshop where props, sets and costumes were made.
Again, Kreines explained, insurance money did not fully cover repair costs. Equally devastating, he added, was that fewer people came to Long Beach Island in Sandy's wake, and many who returned were homeowners whose money went to reconstruction rather than show tickets.
Despite his online note, Kreines is cautiously optimistic. When asked if the final curtain has rung down on the Surflight, he alluded to Steiner's campaign to rescue the property and proclaimed, "Never say 'never.' "
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