Which downtown theater known for its political bent is, supposedly, packing it in? Rumor has it that the The Culture Project‘s IMPACT Festival was a financial disaster and that, after too long living off of the revenues from The Exonerated and Bridge and Tunnel that the financials have reached critical mass and the place is shutting down. Culturebot hears that the artistic director is selling off -or at least vacating – both spaces as of early december, leaving many artists, projects and producers in the lurch. Employees are either being asked to leave or jumping ship as soon as possible. And while it has been said that Culture Project will stay operational by keeping an office and possibly find a smaller space with less overhead, the impression we get from our sources is that it is unlikely to survive.

It is interesting – here is a theater with a proven commercial track record and with a laudable mission “to support work that addresses injustice, embraces diversity, and affects social change.” And yet rumors are swirling about late-night emails and backroom deals, fuzzy math and outright deception. Strange and sad. Of course, we all know that the theater – even the non-profit sector – is still showbiz, complete with unethical producers, outsized egos and out-of-control organizations.

This is ALL UNSUBSTANTIATED. We acknowledge that it is rumor and innuendo. This is a blog, not a newspaper. But if anybody knows the inside scoop or can speak to the the facts of what is really going on, post a comment or send us an e-mail.