‘We need your help’: Copper theft forces Seattle’s Taproot Theatre to raise $400K

Copper wire thieves have struck again in Seattle, this time hitting a theater company that has stood in PhinneyWood, providing shows for the performing arts community over the last 50 years.

While in the middle of a show, the Taproot Theatre noticed its venue was getting unusually hot during one of its performance nights, leading the artistic director, Karen Lund, to discover that copper wire had been stolen from its HVAC units.

“It was a big surprise, especially during the colder weather season, when our theater during performance night started heating up pretty hot, and so immediately, we called in our HVAC team to see what the problems were,” Lund said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “They checked the filters and thermostats. Nothing seemed to be missing. Then one of my employees got the idea to climb up on the roof to check the units themselves. That’s when we discovered that we had had this theft, vandalism, and what was a very little amount of copper.

“They basically took two of our air conditioning units and destroyed them, so our theater itself was having trouble getting the air it needed to keep it cool when it’s filled with people and running theatrical lighting, which is much warmer than your average lighting in your own home,” Lund continued. “When we found that out, we quickly got to work figuring out alternatives and what to do, and we found out we’re going to have to replace our entire HVAC system. So what should have been just minor damage has turned into a major issue for us.”

Taproot Theatre found temporary fix, but summer heat threatens shows, kids’ classes

Lund explained how lucky the theatre was to implement a temporary fix, but as Summertime heat rolls in, the damaged HVAC units are not something a metaphorical band-aid can fix long-term.

“We were lucky to finish off our last show, ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’.’ We had cool weather, so we rerouted the one air conditioner that was still there into our theater, and with the cool weather outside, that air conditioner, and we bought some portable air conditioners, we were able to keep the building going and comfortable for our patrons and our artists,” Lund said.

“We can hold out for our next show in May, if the weather stays cool, but what happens in the summertime when we only have the one air conditioner, and we have classes going all summer long for kids? Then we have our musical, ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,‘ happening every night to full houses. One air conditioner is not going to do it. We really have to solve this problem by the beginning of June, or we’re going to have to figure out alternatives. That’s kind of what I’m nervous about, having to shut down our programming, and that’s why we’re asking for help.”

Seattle theater sets $400K fundraising goal ahead of 50th anniversary season

As Taproot Theatre had planned to celebrate its 50th anniversary at its 204 N. 85th Street location in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood, Lund noted the company has been keen to deal with adversity, and there have been plenty of moments over the years.

“This is our 50th anniversary season, and we really wanted it to be a season of celebration. I certainly didn’t think that at this time I’d be coming to you and saying we need your help,” Lund said. “But you know, Taproot has been through things like this before. We’ve been through earthquakes, banking crises, and we had a fire in our building in 2009. You might know about the Greenwood gas explosion that we had in 2015. We’ve been through these things before, and we’re still here, and we want to be here 50 years from now. If you can help, that would be really appreciated.”

Taproot Theatre has set a goal to raise $400,000 to replace its HVAC system and bring it up to code. Lund provided a way for people to donate, either through its fundraiser here or by emailing box@taproottheatre.org with any ideas for raising funds.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.