Coconut Grove Playhouse Reopens Despite Huge Debt

The troubled Coconut Grove Playhouse, which was shut down early last week for financial reasons, re-opened Thursday after a fundraising drive led by Lucie Arnaz brought in approximately $150,000. Thanks to the save, the theater's planned production of Sonia Flew, starring Arnaz, will now indeed occur, according to The Miami Herald.

The Coconut Grove Playhouse is reportedly $4 million in debt. Late last year, the Playhouse board tried to sell its space to a private developer to raise money but could not complete the deal after Miami's preservation board nixed it. The company had been bouncing checks to suppliers and employees. Board chairwoman Shelly Spivack also claimed the theater's insurance had lapsed, though an insurance agent arrived at a Thursday board meeting to prove that an active insurance policy was still in place.

With the closing, it was unclear whether Melinda Lopez's Sonia Flew, originally scheduled to start performances on April 18, would go on. The cast, which also includes Arnaz' daughter Katharine Luckinbill, rehearsed at an off-site location for a few days while Arnaz who donated $50,000 herself urged community members to donate money so the play, which centers on a Cuban-American woman affected by terrorism, could be done. Sonia Flew will now begin performances on April 19 and run through April 30, a change from the original scheduled April 18 through May 7 playing period. Additionally a planned May 9 through May 14 run at the Parker Playhouse has been canceled.

After Sonia Flew closes, it is unclear what will happen with Coconut Grove. The theater's board is currently assessing whether it can be saved.