Kelowna Actors Studio is asking for all businesses in the central Okanagan to be given equal COVID-19 restrictions or to be given support to make it to the end of the pandemic.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Kelowna Actors Studio

The Kelowna Actors Studio co-founder is calling for a level playing field for businesses trying to stay alive throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Executive producer Nathan Flavel has been trying to keep the performing arts alive in the community but with continued restrictions on capacity and federal funding drying up, he isn’t sure if that’s possible.

“They have continued the restrictions and taken away the funding, that’s the hardest part to get our heads around,” Flavel said.

With financial support from the government, Flavel has been able to manage rent and staffing expenses.

“In October when they announced restrictions would open up, it wasn’t clear there were areas not included, and the Okanagan was one of them,” Flavel said.

The team was in the middle of a December production when Interior Health continued restrictions on indoor gatherings.

That's going to continue, Interior Health confirmed.

“There’s still no change to the regional orders. Regional restrictions are reviewed with the provincial health officer,” Interior Health said in a written statement. “Cases, test positivity, outbreaks, immunization rates, and hospital occupancy all factor into decisions around regional restrictions.”

Flavel is asking why it’s considered safer for an individual to fly to a larger city, attend an event, and fly back to the Central Okanagan, rather than driving downtown to watch local theatre.

“We’ve been extremely supportive of all the health mandates, and we’ve played by the rules. We just don’t understand the reasoning for it, there doesn’t seem to be a goal post, it just keeps moving,” Flavel said. “We’re being told we can’t do our business, and the government isn’t on our side to help us out. That seems wrong to me.”

The continued restrictions are significantly impacting Flavel’s ability to do business, and now he’s unsure if Kelowna Actors Studio can make it to the end of the pandemic.

“The bills don’t go away, I can’t pay my staff, the money will eventually dry up,” Flavel said.

Right now, Flavel and his team are doing all they can to bring theatre to Kelowna, with a Christmas show to an audience half the size of the venue.

“If they don’t open us up, come January or February season again, it’s touch and go. Every month is: 'Can we make enough revenue to keep the company afloat,'” Flavel said.

To get to this point in the pandemic, Kelowna Actors Studio is now hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and the only way to recover is to offer shows.

“Theatre can recover, and we have a plan in place to recover,” Flavel said.

The recovery plan involves slowly easing restrictions and returning to a regular season.

“We’re not getting that indication now. Everything is more expensive, that was a major blip for us, realizing how much more it costs to do everything,” Flavel said. “At some point, we’re going to have to say enough is enough and cut our losses.”

Flavel is asking provincial leaders to put pressure on the public health office to ease the restrictions, and for the federal government to give funding to organizations mandated to close.

“Either level the playing field, and be transparent about what the goal is, so we’re all playing in the same game. It’s really tough to get this close to the finish line and be left out in the cold. We deserve to cross the finish line like everybody else,” Flavel said.

Flavel employs about 25 people, with eight full-time employees.

“If Actors Studio ends, we will lose a major player in the cultural scene. It would be really sad to see so much passion and a family go down,” Flavel said.

Flavel is taking the chance of financial ruin to keep performing arts in Kelowna, as he believes it’s imperative for a mature community.

“We’ve heard a ton from locals. When we had to phone and refund tickets, people were blown away,” Flavel said. “We have solid relationships with the community, The community wants us here, we know that. This is our passion, it’s what we’ve always done.”

Not only is Kelowna Actors Studio an outlet for residents, but it also acts as a safe place for youth in the community.

“We have hundreds of kids who come through our programs and it’s their safe place, this is their home, this is where they get to be themselves and they aren’t bullied, it’s a completely different world for them,” Flavel said.

“If we take that away, it would be like taking hockey away from the community. You just can’t. It’s major. It’s ingrained in who we are,” he said.

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