Suzanne Ryan founded CSH Playhouse in Woodland Hills 12 years ago. The community theatre produces two shows a year, and it relies on ticket sales to keep it going.
“Really, we just want to make enough money to do the next show. That’s our goal. We just want to keep the doors open,” said Ryan.
In May, CSH Playhouse had its biggest show ever, bringing in $5,200. But when its ticket processor, Brown Paper Tickets, was supposed to pay them, it didn’t.
“We actually made a profit on the show and we were just thrilled. And to see it pulled away from us, we were, ‘Oh no,'” said Ryan.
Ryan said the company wouldn’t return her phone calls and emails. So she reached out to the I-Team for help. We contacted Brown Paper Tickets and Ryan got her money right away.
“That amount of money puts us in the space that we can fund ourselves for several years, several years on that money. It was irreplaceable,” she said.
In a statement to the I-Team, Brown Paper Tickets said it was hit especially hard during the pandemic, and that it’s now being acquired by another company that will help it process all payments to customers.
As for CSH Playhouse, the show goes one.
“To say that we’re thankful is really an understatement. We get to keep doing our work,” said Ryan.