UPDATE: Emporia Arts Council assuming ownership and operations of Emporia Granada Theatre

The Emporia Arts Council will be taking over ownership and operation of the Emporia Granada Theatre.

In a news release from the Emporia Granada Theatre Alliance on Saturday, it was confirmed that the Alliance has signed an agreement transferring both to the EAC. Alliance President Brad Yount stated in the aforementioned news release that the decision to transfer ownership was made to “ensure the future of this landmark.”

Yount also stated that the decision followed the accomplishment of the Alliance’s mission to renovate and restore the “dilapidated and damaged 1929 theatre” and ” challenges created during and following the pandemic.”

Yount also touted EAC’s “track record and mission” as a key reason for choosing it as the Alliance’s successor.

Shortly after the news release was sent out KVOE News spoke with EAC Executive Director Dawn Young Saturday evening and asked how long the conversations between the two had been ongoing. Young could not say but noted the changeover became effective Friday.

Young would add the EAC is excited to be the new “steward” of the theatre and tells KVOE News they plan to continue offering much of the same programming that had been seen before while also looking for new opportunities to explore.

The transfer will mean the dissolution of the Granada Alliance and it has been reported to KVOE News that it will also mean a changeover in staff and leadership including Director Hank Osterhout who stepped into the role earlier this year. Young stated she had “no insight” into that matter.

KVOE News did speak with Osterhout Saturday and he says the theater has been a commercial property owned by the Theatre Alliance, a non-profit organization since the theater reopened to the public in 2008.

In addition to staff and leadership of the Granada being let go, Osterhout says the Emporia Granada Theatre Alliance voted to dissolve itself as part of a board meeting Thursday. KVOE has reached out to current alliance president Brad Yount for additional details.

Osterhout tells KVOE News he was brought on board early this year as part of a last-ditch effort to help the theater break even or be profitable, something that has happened only once — 2020, or the year when the theater had no events due to COVID but still received grant funding — since it reopened after extensive renovations and a threat of demolition. After several months of work and study, including efforts to bring on sizeable donations from external sources, Osterhout says that path was not viable.

The decision to entertain offers from other potential owners was made last month, and Osterhout also says there were three proposals to sell the building that were discussed Thursday, including one from the Arts Center and one where Osterhout bought the property. However, Osterhout was excluded from that vote because he was the theater director and a board member.

With all this in play, Osterhout tells KVOE News he was prepared to have his position disappear and the absorbing partner has not reached out to him for any role in the Granada going forward. He is now concentrating on next year’s Halfway 2 Everywhere Music and Arts Festival and his sound business, Altissimo Music Productions.

Meanwhile, the Emporia Municipal Band’s “In Their Honor” musical salute to veterans is still on the calendar for 3 pm Sunday. The future of some private rentals through the end of this year is unclear.

This puts We Are Emporia Community Theatre, or WeACT, in an interesting spot because it traded its partnership with the Arts Center for one with the Granada earlier this year. A statement from the WeACT Board of Directors says the group “hopes to be able to work out an arrangement with the Arts Council that will allow us to continue performing at the Granada and calling it our home.”

12:38 pm Saturday: Granada Theatre being “absorbed” into unnamed entity; Theatre Alliance dissolved and theater staff let go

Changes are coming to the Emporia Granada Theatre.

KVOE News confirmed Saturday that the theatre is being “absorbed” by an as of yet unnamed entity. Further details have not been divulge, however, it has been reported the absorption will mean a complete changeover of staff.

This includes Granada Director Hank Osterhout who was named director earlier this year. It will also mean the dissolution of the Emporia Granada Theatre Alliance.

KVOE News has reached out to Osterhout and current alliance president Brad Yount for comment and additional information. We will have further details as they become available on KVOE and KVOE.com.