Farmington Civic Theater Posts Record Revenues, Attendance

After years of declining revenues and attendance, the Farmington Civic Theater has posted some dramatic gains over the past two years.

General manager Scott Freeman, who with his wife, Tracy, started running the city-owned facility in late 2010, told city council members Monday the theater has seen an 85 percent increase in attendance since 2009-2010. 

Ticket revenues have also skyrocketed to $242,639, the highest level since the city took over the theater in 1999. That figure represents a 114 percent increase over 2009-2010, Freeman added. 

Concession revenues have nearly tripled, from $58,573 to more than $150,000. 

"Part of that was adjusting some prices," Freeman said, adding the theater has also adjusted its purchasing practices and switched to a different concession vendor to get better deals on supplies. 

Theater rentals have also increased by 54 percent since 2006-2007, excluding revenues from Orchard Grove church, which used the theater from 2007 to 2010, Freeman said. 

Overall expenditures have increased 9 percent over the past few years, largely for labor costs related to extending the schedule of movies. Freeman said an experiment with after-school movie times "wasn't so successful" and will be discontinued, reducing expenses. 

Freeman also recapped a number of improvements, including new curtains, a new retractable screen, poster frames and window treatments, along with repairs to seating and the ceiling. Customers will also see changes to the theater marquee over the next few weeks, with four rows of 4-inch letters that will allow for posting of show times and movie ratings, he said.