Editors note: This story has been updated to include more details from a press release sent from the Arts Council of the Valley on Thursday evening.
By Bridget Manley, publisher
The Arts Council of the Valley has decided to shutter Court Square Theater, effective December 31.
The reason, according to a press release sent to media outlets Thursday evening, was the loss of several streams of funding paired with dwindling audiences.
Two sources confirmed to The Citizen Thursday afternoon that the council’s board of directors voted Wednesday evening at its meeting to shut down the theater and informed staff the following day. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak on behalf of the board.
In the press release, the Arts Council said, “The loss of significant local government funding since the pandemic, coupled with decrease in audience turnout led to the Board’s decision.”
“Court Square Theater has played a significant role in the vibrancy of downtown Harrisonburg for more than 25 years,” said ACV Board President Austin Sachs in the press release. “We recognize this closure may be difficult for the many patrons who have attended films, concerts, and live theater productions in that historic space.”
Court Square Theater recieved a $110,932.20 Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) through the U.S. Small Business Administration in 2021. Because of that, The Arts Council of the Valley was able to reopen the theater in the fall of 2021 after an 18-month closure because of the pandemic.
“Once the SVOG funds were spent – and in spite of its many successful programs – CST’s revenue stream has just not been sufficient over time to cover its operating costs,” Sachs said in the release. “To make ends meet, ACV has turned to its reserve funds, which is an unsustainable business model.”
“We finally reached the point where continuing to operate the theater would possibly endanger the core mission of ACV – to cultivate the arts, create experiences, and connect communities,” he added, “and that is what brought us to this extremely difficult decision.”
When The Citizen reached out to the Arts Council for comment early Thursday, a representative declined to confirm but said a press release with more information would be issued later Thursday night.
Court Square Theater was built in 1998 as part of downtown revitalization efforts. It was then called The Rockingham Theater. In 2000, a group of local citizens formed the Arts Council of the Valley, which was charged with managing the theater as its performing arts branch.
The Arts Council of the Valley is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the City of Harrisonburg.
On the Court Square Theater website, there are still several events listed on the 2026 calendar, including a “Let’s Go Science” program and the 28th Miss Gay Harrisonburg Pageant in January, groups “Cash Unchained” and “Nothing Fancy” in February, and “The Country Gentlemen Show” and “The Everly Set” in March.
Read the entire press release below:
Thanks for reading The Citizen, which won the Virginia Press Association’s 2022 News Sweepstakes award as the top online news site in Virginia. We’re independent. We’re local. We pay our contributors, and the money you give goes directly to the reporting. No overhead. No printing costs. Just facts, stories and context. We value your support.
