"I don't think I've ever seen an arts organization make a more swift and dramatic turnaround than Capital Playhouse. Is it weird to say I'm proud of them?"

That was how I began my review of Capital Playhouse's The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and oh, what a pleasure it was for me to write. So when board secretary Ned Hayes asked us to promote CP's summer season of Kids at Play, I made him a counteroffer. I wanted to talk about how a theater company turns a near-fatal corner amid all too public growing pains and a national recession. It's a model other troupes would do well to study.

Last year saw the departure of Jeff Kingsbury, the company's founder and, let's face it, spiritual leader. Joe Vansyckle was recruited to fill in as managing director, and there were a number of layoffs. "I knew I had to let about 65 percent of our staff go," Vansyckle admits sadly. "I didn't have any money, so it wasn't a hard decision." Transparency was the first word in the company's recent newsletter, and while that's exemplary, the news was sobering. At the start of the 2010-2011 season, CP had an annual income of $771,000 and expenses of $790,000. It also had $200,000 in long-term debt, plus obligations to what Hayes calls an "extremely patient landlord."

"There was no money to fund Putnam County Spelling Bee," Vansyckle recalls. "I love that that was one of our most successful products, because it was the least expensive to produce."

"Really great theater doesn't need vast overhead," Hayes agrees. "Really great theater is a person in a room making you believe."

"When I came in," Vansyckle continues, "our numbers were down 40 percent from the previous year in the same slots. ... We were running at about $50,000 a month in operational expenses at the time. We were able to get that down to about 28." As Hayes puts it, the company had exceeded its patrons' ability to support it.

The Playhouse hit its debt ceiling, and closing the doors forever was a real possibility. Had patrons and community members not stepped up, that's exactly what would have happened. They've provided much-needed funds, but also gifts, time, labor and inspiration.

"It turns out," Hayes says, "the Playhouse is more than one person. ... I have been happily surprised to discover that audience members, patrons, (and) other people in the artistic community are attached to our staff writ large. ...The heart and soul of this theater are not just one person. ...This is our theater. ‘Our' is a big ‘our,' the whole community."

Vansyckle transformed a company whose bookkeeping was cached in a few people's heads to a business with a rational, professional budget. "I certainly cannot take credit for anything creatively," he insists, "other than to give (staffers) an environment to be creative...I've removed barriers. That allowed them to smile more, and really be the people they needed to be in order to create here."

Troy Arnold Fisher, who directs and/or musically directs numerous plays each season, agrees. "I think we've always been in a good place artistically. ... I think more than ever. ... We feel like we own it. When you feel you have ownership, you give more of yourself."

When I talk to anyone at Capital Playhouse these days, I hear a real sense of promise and pride. It's sincere, it's energetic - and yes, it's infectious. As a critic, it's my job to expect nothing but the best from Capital Playhouse. As a theatergoer, it's my pleasure these days to get it more often than not.

Pirates of Penzance

Thursday, Aug. 11-Sunday, Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Also Sunday, Aug. 14, 2 p.m.
$10-$12.50
Capital Playhouse Kids at Play
2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia
360.753.8585