Unfortunately, a few Littleton citizens have put together a smear campaign based on misinformation and uniformed data that paints this proposal poorly.
This is the complete text of the information being sent out which was also the basis of some letters to the editor. While we have chosen to stay out of the petty arguments and focus on the big picture of trying to bring something wonderful to the town, we have chosen to publish it knowing that it is false and wanting the public to be exposed to the truth. Highlighted passages are our corrections and commentary.
This document is being circulated by Richard (Dick) Alberini. In his emails, he states that it is 100% factual. This statement is false. Please see the corrections and additions below in grey. Upstage welcomes any further questions or discussion on article 36 and hopes to help preserve Littleton’s cultural history and advance its arts scene.
Warrant Article 36: Lease between Upstage Players and TOL Selectboard. Informational Document-Know what you’re voting for.
Everything in this document is a fact (see below), based upon meetings I had with Opera House Manager, Sue Pilotte (town employee), Fire Chief Joe Mercieri, Littleton Budget Committee, Littleton Select Board, former Upstage Board members, and as a 7-year member of the Opera House Commission. So much has happened, there is no way possible to reduce its size for fear something of importance will be omitted. Please read and cast your vote based upon past history
History
Moved from Lisbon to Littleton
Specific -Upstage Players was moved from Lisbon (originally the Lisbon Upstage Players) to Littleton by, then a board member, Dick Alberini, who did all negotiations with the TOL.
A.Permission granted by Chad Stearns (LCC director), Joe Mercieri (Fire Chief), and Fred Moody (Town Manager) to store props and costumes in former fire department level (Cottage Street).
B.The original plan of Upstage was to do two shows a year and use the facility a total of 30 days or less.
Abuse of Privilege
Specific –Upstage board member created a woodworking shop for the building of sets. Inaccurate: This workshop existed pre-Upstage as this board member is also an opera house commissioner. The workshop was used to fix elements in the opera house and build sets / items for many community groups including the Littleton high school and creative edge dance studio. Eviction Notice served by the fire chief due to excess debris not cleaned up, thus creating a fire hazard. 90 days to leave Cottage Street level. Notice was given to ALL occupants of that level. It took Upstage 3 years, with multiple orders. To evict. Incomplete Data: The Upstage Players were in continual negotiations with the town during that time to find an amenable solution and, in the end, did not leave, but rented an area to use in that space. The space is also used for storage by the museum, the town and the chamber.
Sue Pilotte, OH Manager (not an Upstage member), took it upon herself to move the power equipment and clean the area due to their neglect of the original eviction notice and subsequent warnings.
Misleading: The Upstage board member in question is also an opera house commissioner and had been an opera house employee during this time.
Specific – Shared ownership of theater lighting between the theater company and a theater board member. The same board member cut the plugs from theater lighting making them impossible to be used for OH for activities. Inaccurate: Plugs were removed, not cut, as they were owned by a theatre board member, who had quit his job at the opera house and asked to remove his things. Prior to this incident, the Upstage players allowed shared usage of their lighting for town events. However, when items were damaged during town use, the town refused to assist in the cost of repair. The Opera House manager informed Upstage that opera house had no need for further use the Upstage equipment.
Specific- Props and set pieces left in the hall by the elevator and restrooms. OH manager instructed players that the storage of props and set pieces in the hallway was in violation of the fire code. OH Manager called the fire chief. Items moved.
Specific – Feb.3, 2020 – Fire Chief contacted to tell Players to move a large set-piece from blocking the double doors/fire exit, of the venue. Response from board member “I thought it would be OK since there are other exits people could use.” (might not be the exact wording, but close). Misleading and inaccurate: The Fire Chief was contacted by Upstage Players during the setup for the production to find out his requirements for egress issues in a new setup. The setup was adjusted the same day he responded in order to meet code requirements.
Specific - Building security and keys. Before the electronic key system was installed, extra keys were made and signed out to groups who rented the venue. There were a number of times that the building was left unlocked throughout the evening. The OH Manager, Sue Pilotte, called in all of the extra keys as a security measure. Upstage had several keys. One of the theater members came into the office and confronted the manager with “Who the hell do you think you are?” She threw the key at the manager, stormed out, and slammed the door. This was not during a theatrical production. Incomplete Data: The key problem stemmed from the previous management of the building leaving hidden keys outside the building, when a key went missing, new copies were added.
Specific – There is a semi-circular window above the double door exiting on to Union Street. A theater board member screwed a piece of plywood into the 1894 oak molding to cover the window for darkness. Misleading: The theatre board member is an opera house commissioner, and this was done for a Creative Edge performance. This had been done to upgrade the cover from cardboard to oak to match the building. The screws were recommended by the Town of Littleton building supervisor.
Specific – Balcony chairs (stage right) were removed for the current production of Good Man Charlie Brown so that a lighting table could be placed (February 2020). Not too long ago, the Opera House Commissioners declined a request from the theater group to remove balcony seating that had been in place since 1894. Misleading: The chairs were removed by an opera house commissioner. Removal of chairs for productions was discussed with the opera house manager as a reasonable solution to safety, space needs, and egress.
Specific – Theater board member entered OH Manager’s office and “got into her face” and yelled at her. A couple were there & witnessed it. They were shocked and subsequently notified the Town Manager. Misleading: The person in question was an employee of the opera house and is an opera house commissioner. This altercation had to do with opera house business and was unrelated to the Upstage Players.
More instances exist & are documented in emails with the Town Manager.
Formulate your own opinion:
Q. How much money will the taxpayers save by entering into a lease with the Upstage Players?
A. Currently, the OH earns $45,000 per year in renting out the various spaces. $9,000 of that is from USP ($3K per show) – this past year 11,000. The TOL spends $13,500 on salaries for the OH Manager (Sue) and the receptionist. USP plans to increase its performance schedule (Lidestri @ Budget Meeting). If the schedule is increased by 2 more performances, that would be an additional $6K income. If they lease, they won't have to pay rental on performances and rehearsals. The TOL will save $13,500 on salaries and lose $15K of income. At this point, if USP takes management, all rental fees will go to USP. That is a loss of $45K according to the 2019 figures. How much money will we save? Inaccurate/Misleading: Many more operational costs are slated to be taken over by Upstage. With many more costs than the salaries of the town employees, the Opera House operates for the town at a loss despite significant progress being made by its current management. The projected figures preliminarily discussed with the board of selectmen see the town spending approximately $22,000 annually instead of $100,000. Upstage would consider relocating from the Opera House as an alternate option to this warrant article which would then be a loss of income to the town.
Q. How available will the Grand Hall and the Tower Room be for meetings, weddings, parties, etc?
A. Don’t know. Currently, USP rents the Grand Hall 180 days of the year. This is based upon three plays. If the theater company increases production by two more (5), an additional 120 days will be taken for a total of 300 days for Upstage Players and 65 days for open rentals (rent goes to USP) A.Lidestri, USP artistic director did say that more productions by USP will take place (Budget Committee Meeting,1/16,2020). When asked by a committee member about availability, he didn’t have a viable answer Inaccurate: Lidestri explained that one of the first goals upon taking residency in the building is to refurbish the room off the tower moving most rehearsals there. This would result in many of the annual rented days in the grand hall reverting to open availability for other private events and community functions. (Budget Committee Meeting, 1/16/2020) Committee voted to table Warrant Article 36 based upon insufficient information at that time. Misleading: committee then voted 5 – 0 in favor of the article at the next meeting.
Q. How will USP pay for the lease?
A. According to A. Lidestri, they have benefactors and donors. At this point in time, there appears to be one donor in particular. R .Alberini, who attended the meeting, said that they lose money on their plays. Lidestri said that it’s not the role of USP to make money on their plays. Sue Pilotte said that Lidestri and Courtney Vashaw (USP president) told her that they lost $10K on Shrek. Lidestri said that they broke even. Their productions, though very well attended, run mainly at a big loss. Big loss is misleading: Upstage bases budgeting as most nonprofits do on a combination of ticket sales and fundraising. The fundraising for Shrek brought in the funds and the show ran in the black. This was its intent and incredibly successful. Copies of their financial records plus their 990 EZ tax returns should be open for examination to ensure that they can sustain a 10-year lease with the TOL. As a nonprofit, upstage records are public record. Steve Kelley, chair of the budget committee, said that the Weathervane theater struggles to keep its organization afloat with benefactors. Alberini agreed, having been a Weathervane board member for three years and actor for ten. It looks as though USP will rely on donations and benefactors to make partial utility payments to the TOL. Remember that the OH already earns $45K in rental which will stop once the TOL turns the building over to USP. Misleading: While big strides have been made in increasing revenue, the opera house continues to run at a loss with expenses nearing $100,000 annually. The warrant article is not intended to approve a lease with the Upstage Players but only to give the Selectmen the ability to negotiate a lease that would be amenable to both parties. Ultimately, it would be Upstage Players responsibility to raise the funds for their part of the lease in whatever manner makes sense for their business.
Closing thoughts:
Thanks for your consideration. Very few people know the entire story. Now, Vote with knowledge.
Dick Alberini, Concerned Citizen
The Upstage Players has consistently approached this opportunity with transparency and a willingness to cooperate. They have reached out to Mr. Alberini several times to meet and discuss any concerns he has but were told that he did not have time. The Upstage Players respect his opinion as the curator of the Historical Museum, as an opera house commissioner, and as a past Upstage board member. The team at Upstage is excited to be part of the Littleton community and hopes that they’ll be given the opportunity to help the blossoming arts scene continue to grow at the Opera House.
This document is being circulated by Richard (Dick) Alberini. In his emails, he states that it is 100% factual. This statement is false. Please see the corrections and additions below in grey. Upstage welcomes any further questions or discussion on article 36 and hopes to help preserve Littleton’s cultural history and advance its arts scene.
Warrant Article 36: Lease between Upstage Players and TOL Selectboard. Informational Document-Know what you’re voting for.
Everything in this document is a fact (see below), based upon meetings I had with Opera House Manager, Sue Pilotte (town employee), Fire Chief Joe Mercieri, Littleton Budget Committee, Littleton Select Board, former Upstage Board members, and as a 7-year member of the Opera House Commission. So much has happened, there is no way possible to reduce its size for fear something of importance will be omitted. Please read and cast your vote based upon past history
History
Moved from Lisbon to Littleton
Specific -Upstage Players was moved from Lisbon (originally the Lisbon Upstage Players) to Littleton by, then a board member, Dick Alberini, who did all negotiations with the TOL.
A.Permission granted by Chad Stearns (LCC director), Joe Mercieri (Fire Chief), and Fred Moody (Town Manager) to store props and costumes in former fire department level (Cottage Street).
B.The original plan of Upstage was to do two shows a year and use the facility a total of 30 days or less.
- Inaccurate: The Upstage Players is thankful that Mr. Alberini introduced the opera house as an option. No official plan was made about amount of use of opera house through the Upstage board.
Abuse of Privilege
Specific –Upstage board member created a woodworking shop for the building of sets. Inaccurate: This workshop existed pre-Upstage as this board member is also an opera house commissioner. The workshop was used to fix elements in the opera house and build sets / items for many community groups including the Littleton high school and creative edge dance studio. Eviction Notice served by the fire chief due to excess debris not cleaned up, thus creating a fire hazard. 90 days to leave Cottage Street level. Notice was given to ALL occupants of that level. It took Upstage 3 years, with multiple orders. To evict. Incomplete Data: The Upstage Players were in continual negotiations with the town during that time to find an amenable solution and, in the end, did not leave, but rented an area to use in that space. The space is also used for storage by the museum, the town and the chamber.
Sue Pilotte, OH Manager (not an Upstage member), took it upon herself to move the power equipment and clean the area due to their neglect of the original eviction notice and subsequent warnings.
Misleading: The Upstage board member in question is also an opera house commissioner and had been an opera house employee during this time.
Specific – Shared ownership of theater lighting between the theater company and a theater board member. The same board member cut the plugs from theater lighting making them impossible to be used for OH for activities. Inaccurate: Plugs were removed, not cut, as they were owned by a theatre board member, who had quit his job at the opera house and asked to remove his things. Prior to this incident, the Upstage players allowed shared usage of their lighting for town events. However, when items were damaged during town use, the town refused to assist in the cost of repair. The Opera House manager informed Upstage that opera house had no need for further use the Upstage equipment.
Specific- Props and set pieces left in the hall by the elevator and restrooms. OH manager instructed players that the storage of props and set pieces in the hallway was in violation of the fire code. OH Manager called the fire chief. Items moved.
Specific – Feb.3, 2020 – Fire Chief contacted to tell Players to move a large set-piece from blocking the double doors/fire exit, of the venue. Response from board member “I thought it would be OK since there are other exits people could use.” (might not be the exact wording, but close). Misleading and inaccurate: The Fire Chief was contacted by Upstage Players during the setup for the production to find out his requirements for egress issues in a new setup. The setup was adjusted the same day he responded in order to meet code requirements.
Specific - Building security and keys. Before the electronic key system was installed, extra keys were made and signed out to groups who rented the venue. There were a number of times that the building was left unlocked throughout the evening. The OH Manager, Sue Pilotte, called in all of the extra keys as a security measure. Upstage had several keys. One of the theater members came into the office and confronted the manager with “Who the hell do you think you are?” She threw the key at the manager, stormed out, and slammed the door. This was not during a theatrical production. Incomplete Data: The key problem stemmed from the previous management of the building leaving hidden keys outside the building, when a key went missing, new copies were added.
Specific – There is a semi-circular window above the double door exiting on to Union Street. A theater board member screwed a piece of plywood into the 1894 oak molding to cover the window for darkness. Misleading: The theatre board member is an opera house commissioner, and this was done for a Creative Edge performance. This had been done to upgrade the cover from cardboard to oak to match the building. The screws were recommended by the Town of Littleton building supervisor.
Specific – Balcony chairs (stage right) were removed for the current production of Good Man Charlie Brown so that a lighting table could be placed (February 2020). Not too long ago, the Opera House Commissioners declined a request from the theater group to remove balcony seating that had been in place since 1894. Misleading: The chairs were removed by an opera house commissioner. Removal of chairs for productions was discussed with the opera house manager as a reasonable solution to safety, space needs, and egress.
Specific – Theater board member entered OH Manager’s office and “got into her face” and yelled at her. A couple were there & witnessed it. They were shocked and subsequently notified the Town Manager. Misleading: The person in question was an employee of the opera house and is an opera house commissioner. This altercation had to do with opera house business and was unrelated to the Upstage Players.
More instances exist & are documented in emails with the Town Manager.
Formulate your own opinion:
Q. How much money will the taxpayers save by entering into a lease with the Upstage Players?
A. Currently, the OH earns $45,000 per year in renting out the various spaces. $9,000 of that is from USP ($3K per show) – this past year 11,000. The TOL spends $13,500 on salaries for the OH Manager (Sue) and the receptionist. USP plans to increase its performance schedule (Lidestri @ Budget Meeting). If the schedule is increased by 2 more performances, that would be an additional $6K income. If they lease, they won't have to pay rental on performances and rehearsals. The TOL will save $13,500 on salaries and lose $15K of income. At this point, if USP takes management, all rental fees will go to USP. That is a loss of $45K according to the 2019 figures. How much money will we save? Inaccurate/Misleading: Many more operational costs are slated to be taken over by Upstage. With many more costs than the salaries of the town employees, the Opera House operates for the town at a loss despite significant progress being made by its current management. The projected figures preliminarily discussed with the board of selectmen see the town spending approximately $22,000 annually instead of $100,000. Upstage would consider relocating from the Opera House as an alternate option to this warrant article which would then be a loss of income to the town.
Q. How available will the Grand Hall and the Tower Room be for meetings, weddings, parties, etc?
A. Don’t know. Currently, USP rents the Grand Hall 180 days of the year. This is based upon three plays. If the theater company increases production by two more (5), an additional 120 days will be taken for a total of 300 days for Upstage Players and 65 days for open rentals (rent goes to USP) A.Lidestri, USP artistic director did say that more productions by USP will take place (Budget Committee Meeting,1/16,2020). When asked by a committee member about availability, he didn’t have a viable answer Inaccurate: Lidestri explained that one of the first goals upon taking residency in the building is to refurbish the room off the tower moving most rehearsals there. This would result in many of the annual rented days in the grand hall reverting to open availability for other private events and community functions. (Budget Committee Meeting, 1/16/2020) Committee voted to table Warrant Article 36 based upon insufficient information at that time. Misleading: committee then voted 5 – 0 in favor of the article at the next meeting.
Q. How will USP pay for the lease?
A. According to A. Lidestri, they have benefactors and donors. At this point in time, there appears to be one donor in particular. R .Alberini, who attended the meeting, said that they lose money on their plays. Lidestri said that it’s not the role of USP to make money on their plays. Sue Pilotte said that Lidestri and Courtney Vashaw (USP president) told her that they lost $10K on Shrek. Lidestri said that they broke even. Their productions, though very well attended, run mainly at a big loss. Big loss is misleading: Upstage bases budgeting as most nonprofits do on a combination of ticket sales and fundraising. The fundraising for Shrek brought in the funds and the show ran in the black. This was its intent and incredibly successful. Copies of their financial records plus their 990 EZ tax returns should be open for examination to ensure that they can sustain a 10-year lease with the TOL. As a nonprofit, upstage records are public record. Steve Kelley, chair of the budget committee, said that the Weathervane theater struggles to keep its organization afloat with benefactors. Alberini agreed, having been a Weathervane board member for three years and actor for ten. It looks as though USP will rely on donations and benefactors to make partial utility payments to the TOL. Remember that the OH already earns $45K in rental which will stop once the TOL turns the building over to USP. Misleading: While big strides have been made in increasing revenue, the opera house continues to run at a loss with expenses nearing $100,000 annually. The warrant article is not intended to approve a lease with the Upstage Players but only to give the Selectmen the ability to negotiate a lease that would be amenable to both parties. Ultimately, it would be Upstage Players responsibility to raise the funds for their part of the lease in whatever manner makes sense for their business.
Closing thoughts:
- Opera House Commissioners, Dick Alberini, Dan Stearns, and Don Merrill (alt), are not in favor. Commissioner George Mitchell is in favor. He does not speak for the OH Commission. He’s also on USP board. Commission not included in the decision-making process.
- Fire Chief not in favor (I spoke with him @ lithium battery meeting).
- Selectman Chad Stearns not in favor (He made a motion to remove Article 36 from the ballot based upon past history).
- Sue Pilotte, OH Manager, not in favor based upon history & having worked with USP.
- USP doesn’t have a written plan of how they will manage the building.
- When you're out walking or driving on Cottage Street, check out 2 Cottage Street, USP costume shop near Rachel’s Pawn Shop.
Thanks for your consideration. Very few people know the entire story. Now, Vote with knowledge.
Dick Alberini, Concerned Citizen
The Upstage Players has consistently approached this opportunity with transparency and a willingness to cooperate. They have reached out to Mr. Alberini several times to meet and discuss any concerns he has but were told that he did not have time. The Upstage Players respect his opinion as the curator of the Historical Museum, as an opera house commissioner, and as a past Upstage board member. The team at Upstage is excited to be part of the Littleton community and hopes that they’ll be given the opportunity to help the blossoming arts scene continue to grow at the Opera House.
