Our theatre was broken into
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Topic: Our theatre was broken into
Posted By: Kathy S
Subject: Our theatre was broken into
Date Posted: 7/18/05 at 1:25am
| Our theatre was broken into a few nights ago. A great many power tools and electronic equipment were stolen. Others might learn from our unfortunate experience to keep a record of serial numbers of power tools and electronic equipment, as well as other valuables. We are quite certain our insurance will cover this once the deductible is met. Real bad bummer. |
Replies:
Posted By: th8rguykc
Date Posted: 7/18/05 at 2:31pm
|
This breaks my heart- It reminds me of a recent event here where someone stole a van with the baseball equipment from the local Boys and Girls Club team! I say you follow in their example (the B&G club) and use it as an opportunity to reach out to people and business in your community. Maybe the old adage is true, "even bad publicity is good publicity." |
Posted By: Dustmac
Date Posted: 7/18/05 at 10:39pm
| We change the locks once a year. We have had things stolen a lot of times so we now restrict where people can go, etc. Even in community theater you need to limit how many people go up in the sound booth, etc. Things come up missing. |
Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 7/19/05 at 8:21pm
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A lady at church the next Sunday handed me a check for $100 and said "This is to help meet the deductible". An angel in our midst - they do exist. |
Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 7/20/05 at 5:35pm
|
Sorry to hear that - but you will be surprised at the generosity of your patrons and friends. The theatre I was involved with about 10 years ago had a light board stolen from the booth (outdoor theatre in the park) and had the winter Lab theatre burn down. In the same season. Yes, I was involved with both productions. No, I wasn't responsible! Your patrons think of themselves as part of your family. Let them be. They'll respond. Our theatre came out better and stronger, and yours will too. ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 7/21/05 at 12:01am
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Thanks for the pep talk. I think you're right. |
Posted By: Wishbone
Date Posted: 8/26/05 at 3:20pm
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Our theater was broken into too, last year. They stole about $500 worth of stuff. It was very bad because our theater doesn't have a lot of money.
WISHBONE |
Posted By: Spectrum
Date Posted: 8/27/05 at 4:54pm
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It breaks my heart to hear about this as well. It also makes my blood boil. How can creeps be so small? Speaking of B & E and theft of theatre assets, I'm reminded of another form of "theft." It's the outright waste of lumber and materials some people do in the noble cause of helping out with the construction of a set. If they need a two-foot piece of 2x4, rather than look for a short scrap to cut it from, they'll cut it off of a full-length (8 foot) 2x4. Or how about the guy who needs a small triangular piece of plywood so he cuts it from the corner of a full sheet of plywood? It's like they never give any consideration to the people who will need materials in the NEXT show. I've asked people why they do such things and the response has been "Who cares? It's not like we have to pay for it." That's right. It was usually ME paying for it and donating it to the theatre. THINK! If you want your materials to last, and your donors to continue contributing, it's best you use the assets of your theatre as if you DO have to pay for them. Sorry for the rant. Reading about this theft clearly struck a raw nerve. ------------- Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional. |
Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 8/28/05 at 11:01pm
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When we reported the break in and theft, the law enforcement officer advised us that in order to recover any items we should report the serial numbers of the items that were stolen. Right...who keeps a record of those? We had one or two serial numbers but certainly not all. THEN, when we replaced some of the expensive 2-way radios I was going to start a record of the numbers only to find that the serial numbers were printed on an easily removed sticker! I estimate that the dollar value of the items stolen was about $2000 but our insurance deductible is $1000. Any items belonging to a volunteer which were stolen are not covered on our policy -- the volunteer would have to claim them on their own policy...a bit of a rip it seems to me because in this case they would not have met their deductible so it's just a loss to the kind volunteers who brought in tools to be used by the theatre... I guess you can learn from our experience and check into your insurance policy, but better still be sure you have a good security system. |
Posted By: Scott B
Date Posted: 9/02/05 at 12:43am
|
Kathy ... So sorry to hear about this. As I recall you're in a rural area. Who knows ... mayb they'll actually find the ones that did this. As for the serial numbers ... you might be able to etch the numbers on them. Although I suppose any of them could be removed. Still ... people videotape their crimes, so I guess they could be stupid enough to leave the serial numbers on them. Maybe a special Cabaret Night promoted as a fundrasier to replace the stolen equipment could help. Best of luck Scott |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/02/05 at 4:43am
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Sorry to see your theatre was broken into Kathy! Lets face it no matter what your insurance coverage you still loose out anyway! I remember the last time we were done over, at the Old Mill Theatre in South Perth. It was 7 PM on a week night, I opened the theatre & went in thru the FOH, in the dark to backstage to turn on the lights. The cast of ?Chorus Line? followed me in. As I was walking back thru the auditorium, a stranger rushed pass me carrying a large suitcase saying "excuse me, excuse me? while attempting to push the cast to get to the front door. I shouted out to the cast members to stop him, they just stood there with their mouths open, so stupid ran & rugby tackled him to the ground outside the door. The bloke dropped the case & kept shouting for his mates to help him. While I was struggling to subdue him, I kept asking for some one to help. All they did was stand in a circle & gawk at me! A vehicle drove up & two bods jumped out. I thought good help at last! They rushed up knocking the cast out of the way & grabbed me, I was too busy protesting they had the wrong bloke, until I was bodily thrown over a near by hedge. They scarped with the culprit & jumped into the waiting car & were off like a dirty shirt. Although most of the electronic gear was recovered. We found there was a heap of other equipment such as tools, headsets & various other bits & pieces, had been stolen anyway. I was verbally abused by a young Blue Heeler, that attended the breakin from the Police Station opposite the theatre. Until I advised him that being a retired Justice, I did not need advice or warrant a homily from an apprentice constable, for me to realise I was a total numbat, in trying to stop a robbery, I realise that I was an idiot!! However I was rightly or wrongly admonished further by the theatre board, for a lost opportunity for them in making a larger claim to the Insurance Company! So as a reluctant hero, I became a castigated zero in less than a heart beat. Needless to say when I finished ?A Chorus line? I pulled the pin & have never directed there any more! Also the theatre group has yet to get any pay out for their claim with the Insurance Company, because they could not prove ownership or give any serial numbers of the equipment stolen. I believe they still link me as the main reason, why they have not been paid! So when I started up the Phoenix Theatre here in the City of Cockburn. I made use of the Councils free security service available. They send a bloke who invisibly marks all the equipment & valuables worth over $100. There is a digital photo taken of each piece along with it?s serial number. He then puts it on a lap top & burns two discs, one of them is to keep in the safety of another location, in case of fire. He also takes interior pics of the premises as well, along with supplying warning stickers that all goods on the premises are indelibly marked. These stickers are displayed visibly on the inside of exterior windows. Also he wipes all details from the lap tap after he has produced the discs & leaves forms so you can list the property & update it with information of future equipment. You can have this service repeated at no cost on a regular annual basis. But besides all the above - the moral of the story is to ensure you have plenty of proof &/or an inventory of equipment with it?s $ value. Also try * get a New for Old replacement insurance coverage, which defiantly helps, & never interfere with a robbery in progress!  As this is a great justification for the group to pay the cost of having insurance in the first place! I hope you can get full recovery Kathy!  ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |