Comments

1
The words in bold are great. They add greatly to the idiotic society of sensationalism in which we're trapped.
2
Thank god they were able to get Sean Nelson to sing about Jerry Springer before they collapsed.
3
Set up for success? At least he got the "Set up" part right.
4
That's a shame. So many of these small organizations get hamstrung by poor financial planning or oversight. It is imperative that the board have a close eye on the books.

Balagan was putting on interesting productions and will be missed.
5
@3 I would like your comment all of the times if this were facebook.
6
"The bookkeeper," he said, "was the only person." The board, Groshong added, had been without a treasurer for approximately nine months before he stepped down.
*facepalm*
7
At least since Enron and the spectacular flameout of Arthur Andersen LLP, we have know that the phrase
This report prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards
is complete and total bullshit boilerplate.

But attempts to blame the bookkeeper aside, which may or may not stick, honest question from someone who's only been involved in theatre as a volunteer: Does the curriculum for an MFA in Theatre at any of the top schools require at least one course in business management or accounting specific to the industry?
8
When a quote starts, a new paragraph starts. Looks like you and Groshong both failed to learn the rules before you decided to go pro.
9
Jake likes to point to his MFA in Arts Leadership from Seattle University, but he must have slept through through "Financial Management for Arts Leaders" and "Strategic Planning in the Arts." And what kind of extra credit did he get to pass "Leadership & Interpersonal Behavior for Arts Leaders?"
10
Its pretty clear that Groshong and Hobson abandoned ship and left Freanich holding the bag. I hope that nobody in this community supportd them in whatever the next scheme they cook up is. I know for a fact that Jake owes one investor more than $30k alone. There are also numerous employees from previous showd (orchestra members, photographers, crew) that still havent been paid. Imagine how many more like that there are out there.They are both crooks.
11
Jake Groshong is currently seeking $400K for his new business venture. Yeah, good luck with that. www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1612215/…
12
Due diligence. Fiduciary Duty. Reasonable Care. Blindsided, my ass.
Board membership for a non-profit theater means (as an entity and as individuals) ultimate financial responsibility for the org's debts. Members are protected insofar as they acted appropriately & with reasonable care, practiced due diligence, and satisfied their fiduciary duty. Quarterly reports, contracts in writing, bookkeeping, etc. are not optional - if a Board allows any slack it had better trust the hell out of the people handling the money, and it takes the risk on *itself* by extending that trust. Balagan's Board should have demanded proper accounting (on threat of termination of the Artistic /Managing Director / whomever was holding up the numbers, e.g., opaquing what should be transparent). If they were refused or couldn't get agreement from the other members to take action, they should have resigned if things were really that sketchy. Never serve on a Board where the artistic & managing directors are not also either members or otherwise contractually / duty bound to protect the interests of the org. Non-disclosure, pursuing self interests counter to the interests of the org, and other dishonest dealings - including leaving a big stinkpile of debt behind is all actionable. So, in this case, the Board members who were around long enough that they should have raised an alarm are likely partly culpable. If they had done their jobs in that regard, the guys Contemporary Classics (for example) wouldn't be the soup, now. So shame on them, too (no, not the poor newbies, who raised an alarm right away, it seems?)!
But I hope the creditors screw the two slinkers (the ones who started their own for-profit(!)) right to the wall. Even if they didn't serve on the Board, they were executive agents and so should be on the hook to the creditors for their breach of fiduciary duties -- plus their own failure to exercise due diligence, at the very least. If there's any proof they knew about, or profited from, running up credit and bailing, they could potentially face criminal fraud charges, too.
13
Someone took an Arts Management course from Bartlett Sher. Including the chapter on "Blame the board & the new guy".
14
I would never trust a leadership team who abandoned their non-profit in a state of financial crisis to start a for profit venture--this is the lowest of the low. One of two things is true:

A) The leadership team mismanaged the company and was not intelligent enough to keep track of their expense--in this case they should not be trusted.

B) The leadership team knew and has now publicly lied to the community and the NYT, this makes them strait up evil--and should not be trusted.

Incompitent or evil. Either way.
15
Oh Balagan Board... while I am sorry for the position you are in, I recall looking directly into your eyes and warning you.
16
I would never trust a leadership team who abandoned their non-profit in a state of financial crisis to start a for profit venture--this is the lowest of the low. One of two things is true:

A) The leadership team mismanaged the company and was not intelligent enough to keep track of their expenses--in this case they should not be trusted.
B) The leadership team knew and has now publicly lied to the community and the NYT, this makes them strait up evil--and should not be trusted.

Incompitent or evil. Either way.
17
@12: No one should let the board off the hook for this. Four quarters of verbal financial statements is beyond the pale.

But...

Ultimately, these two scammers came swooping into this organization, and mismanaged it for their own fun and profit and, while the board let them do it and is ultimately legally responsible, the guilty parties remain Hobson and Groschong. A failure some of us predicted as soon as it was clear who was to take over at Balagan. I remember attending a season preview party and being utterly unimpressed by Mr. Hobson's utterly undeserved, holier-than-thou "I'm from New York" bullshit attitude. Seemed like a scammer (and someone woefully out of touch with his audience) from the beginning.
18
From Groshong's Facebook page,"Just so it's out there - Louis and I left a few months ago with the idea of lowering overhead for Balagan in a financially difficult time and supporting them through a new company."
Question though: How much were they making that they were such a burden? And for how long?
Kiley, keep asking around. Financial mispractice, throwing company members under the bus and covering up the truth is not a new phenomenon here. This shitstorm has been a long time coming.
19
I did a show with Balagan when they were still on Capital Hill. I was never given my stipend and everyone acted like I was a liar. They absolutely knew what they were doing and who they were not paying.
20
Say the name Jake Groshong to almost anybody in this city and the reply will be "Oh, he owes me/my friend/family/dog/ some amount of money. Don't know how he sleeps at night. I don't know much about Louis Hobson except he was by far the worst part of Next to Normal, and everything he directed was pure crap. Good riddance, I say. Brandon Ivie seems like good people so I feel bad for him, but hopefully everybody learned a lesson about playing with snakes.
21
@12's right. Accepting an ED's mere verbal report on financial matters is demonstrating a lack of fiduciary duty. The board should be sued by creditors.
22
Attempted to rent from Balagan when they were in the boom noodle space and upon arrival to sign the rental agreement, he raised the rate on us by 125 per performance. I was told by others that this was not unusual in the least. He is an absolute snake who has used the scene to catapult himself to relevance despite having no talent for anything of his own. Everything that he has done that has been successful has been outright theft, and I am glad that he is having at least something of a public comeuppance. Time to take out the trash.
23
Board members often have no idea of their responsibilities when joining a board and in many instances, they know and trust the ED and don't know what questions to ask. They assume a working non-profit is…working.

Future Board Members (and current ones): Don't let this happen to you! A great training that covers all this stuff is the Seattle Works Bridge. http://www.seattleworks.org/bridge
24
I've known Jake for 14 years and in all that time I've been baffled to see close friends of mine put their faith and trust in him when he was so clearly blowing smoke up their asses. He's a pathological, piece of shit human being if ever there was one.
25
Yeah, well, he knew how to get lots of money. And as long as that money was being used to build a sandbox that he let other people to play in, they'd hold their nose and work with Balagan. Once he decided to take his ball and go elsewhere -- and tried to push his staff and Board under the bus on the way out -- there was no need to pretend that anybody ever liked or trusted him.
26
I wonder if the Board has Director's & Officers Insurance.
27
Everyone who knew Jake also knew what a despicable piece of shit he is. I know one creditor that he borrowed $30k from to help set up Balagan, only to push he out of the company when he decided to start doing only musicals. Worse, he put all this debt on Balagan the company rather than take any responsibility himself.

After working with Louis as well, I can attest that one must make way for his ego when he enters the room, and it's unsurprising that he's turned out to be a complete scammer.

Besides that, though, the board and everyone working at Balagan for the past few years--including Dani Franich--have either been incompetent in doing their jobs to not discover this, or willfully negligent in not wanting to say anything due to all the bullshit praise Balagan has received from alternative, "artistic" publications like The Stranger.

Finally, I must also say that while I'm glad this is all finally becoming public knowledge, I must express my disappointment in Brendan Kiley as well. He's known about all of this for over a year and has held this story due to his friendship with Jake and his love of everything Balagan does.

Lots of lies going around. No one involved in this is completely innocent, but Jake and Louis are the clear culprit scam artists in this whole mess, and I sincerely hope they never work in the arts again.
28
I agree with @25. And this is the subplot of what bugs me about this story:

Dozens and dozens of people are very suddenly very public about their mistrust, distrust and disdain, and hundreds of others are not really surprised. I'm among the 2nd group. I never had a personal bad experience with Balagan, but I knew that others had and I wouldn't have chosen to work with them as a company (even though some of the individuals involved were -and still are- amazing and trustworthy people).

So ... why was this only whispered about before this? Theatre peeps: We have got to start speaking up when we experience a shoddy or toxic situation. If others don't listen, that's on them. And if you're afraid of being "blacklisted" or whatever, then only be honest and try to be as kind and fair as possible ... and then: Who cares if you're blacklisted by dishonest and toxic people? We need to eliminate our silent culpability. We should try to be impeccable. If we allow the weeds to grow, then we can't pretend to be surprised that weeds ruin our lawn. And our lawn could be so fucking awesome.
29
(Hmmm ... I edited that last comment (#28) with a signature, but it didn't stick, so here you go...)

fondly,
Peggy Gannon
30
What PGan said.
31
Jake the snake! I rented the old boom space from Balagan and working with Jake was awful. He raised the rent and violated our contract by insisting we close the show earlier than agreed. As far as I'm concerned Uppence can't come hard enough!
32
Intiman 2 : The Jakening
33
I agree with you in theory Peggy Gannon, but in this community one IS punished when one speaks out against dishonest and toxic people/organizations, nepotism in casting, or mismanaging of financials. I guess one just has to weigh one's desire to work, with one's desire to speak up honestly. Also, punishment does not just come from those aforementioned entities, it comes from the friend who came to see your show, who knows somebody, who knows somebody else. How can you tell the difference between a toxic and dishonest artistic broker, and a mere "difficult personality"?

Christine White
34
@ #33, I completely agree with you. When I was part of a theatre organization, even if I wanted to bring up concerns regarding shoddy financials, questionable actions by the board and nepotism in casting, who would I tell? Who would actually give a shit? Everyone in the theatre knew exactly what was going on and we talked about it openly, but when the AD or MD were around it was all smiles. I was afraid to go to the MD with my concerns because he was so personally invested in the theatre and the cast, it would be like punching his kid in the face. There's no right way to go about this as an actor, and that's the sad truth. Needless to say, I no longer am part of the Seattle theater community.
35
haha...this story reads exactly as predicted to me months ago by the folks I know in the community. Amazing.
36
#12 says it best. The Board is liable and responsible; for hiring, for oversight, and most of all, for fiduciary responsibility. They should have demanded dependable reports, and if they didn't get them, fired the ED and brought in someone who would perform.

All of the Board members hold personal, legal responsibility for this fiscal mess, and could be sued, personally. A good Executive Director would have assured fiscal transparency, D&O insurance for the Board, and made sure that the Board knew how to fundraise - that's the J.O.B. of an ED. If you're in a non-profit organization, as staff or a volunteer, and things seem amiss, talk to the Board. If they won't listen, get out.

This is a sad mess. However, it's how the sector learns. There are theatres is Seattle which run their business above board and responsibly. They are the ones that last.
37
#34:

I am truly sorry that your experiences were such that you felt it healthier to give up on a dream/vocation/avocation to which you no doubt devoted a considerable amount of time, energy & money pursuing, rather than continue to suffer the frustration of your voice not being heard, or conversely the fear that it might. People have all sorts of reasons for dropping out; being afraid to speak truth to power should never be one.

That said, what all this points to can be summed up in two words: transparency and accountability. No matter how big, or successful, or desirable you or your company may be, without these as the foundation, there can be no trust, and without trust there's no willingness to take the kinds of artistic risks in we all want to engage. Consolidating all the power, all the decision-making, all the financial oversight with one or two or even a small handful of individuals is simply a recipe for disaster, as has been demonstrated time and again, because, as we all know power does indeed tend to corrupt.

That's why I think many newer (and a few pretty well-established) arts organizations have eschewed the "auteur" model of one strong leader with many followers, for something more democratic, more collectivized; theatre after all is one of the most collaborative of all art forms. Distributing the power and responsibility among many, rather than in the hands of a few, or just one, requires individuals to communicate their needs, desires and concerns and to coordinate their actions with others, so that when crises happen - and they always do - they can't be compartmentalized and kept out of the light.

That's what was missing here, and as a result, Mr. Groshong and his accomplice Mr. Hobson, were able to walk away with impunity from a steadily deteriorating situation (and, despite their protestations to the contrary, one of which they MUST have been aware, making them either incompetent at-best, or outright mendacious at-worst, and neither exactly sterling endorsements of their character or abilities), leaving others - some unfortunately culpable (Balagan's board), others clearly not (the truly unimpeachable Ms Franiche) - holding the proverbial bag of flaming shit in their wake.
38
This theatre died 3 years ago. It just took 3 years for the company to follow it into the grave.
As much as this is ultimately the work of Groshong, the Board knew about these financial issues for a very long time. A VERY long time and didn't do anything to make Groshong more accountable.
Also, it sucks for Franich, but she knew what she was getting into. She was told by plenty of people what kind of a mess she was happily involving herself in and to not trust Groshong. She drank the punch and shouldn't be surprised by any of this. It's what she signed up for.
39
http://form-d.findthebest.com/l/167419/I…

Indie Theatricals, Inc. Form D filed July 02, 2014 5:14pm ET
Overview
Investment Details
Company Personnel
More
Indie Theatricals, Inc. Form D filed July 02, 2014 5:14pm ET Primary Industry: Other

Filing Type: New
Date of First Sale: June 27, 2014
Total Amount Sold: $40,000
Types of Securities Issued: Equity, Debt, Option, Warrant or Other Right to Acquire Another Security, Security to be Acquired Upon Exercise of Option, Warrant or Other Right to Acquire Security

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Overview
Investment Details
Company Personnel
More
Filing Details

Indie Theatricals, Inc., which listed its industry as Other, filed a new Form D on July 02, 2014.
Offering Details

The total reported offering size was $400,000.
Of this amount, Indie Theatricals, Inc. sold $40,000 or (10% of the offering), with the first sale occuring on June 27, 2014.
The minimum investment for this offering was set at $5,000.

Analysis of Offering

On average, companies in this industry sell 75.00% of the total offering size. $360,000 was reported remaining.
The average floor on investment size for companies in the Other industry is $0.
The method of investment was Equity, Debt, Option, Warrant or Other Right to Acquire Another Security, Security to be Acquired Upon Exercise of Option, Warrant or Other Right to Acquire Security, Tenant-in-Common Securities, Mineral Property Securities, and Pooled Investment Fund Interests.

Registration Exemptions

The company reported the following exemptions: Rule 506(b).

Rule 506(b): A federal and state registration exmeption provided under Regulation D. Allows the issuer to raise unlimited funds with no limitations on the number of accredited investos and up to 35 non-accredited investors. The issuer is not allowed to publicly solicit the offering. For more information on Rule 506 see Key Regulation D Rules.
Company Information
Incorporation Year 2014
Company Address 2820 Thorndyke Ave W
Seattle, Washington 98199
Phone Number 206-329-1050
Revenue Range
Decline to Disclose
Aggregate Net Asset Value
Not Applicable
Key Details
Registration Exemptions
Rule 506(b)
Total Investors
1
Number of Non-Accredited Investors
0
Total Offering Amount
$400,000
Total Amount Sold
$40,000
Total Remaining For Sale
$360,000
Minimum Investment
$5,000
Investment Breakdown
Indie Theatricals, Inc.
Total Amount Sold
Total Remaining For Sale
Company Total Amount Sold Total Remaining For Sale
Indie Theatricals, Inc.
$40,000

$360,000
Use of Proceeds
Indie Theatricals, Inc.
Proceeds Used for Insider Payments
Amount of Sales Commission
Amount of Finder's Fee
General Purpose Funds
Company General Purpose Funds Proceeds Used for Insider Payments Amount of Sales Commission Amount of Finder's Fee
Indie Theatricals, Inc. $0.00 $80,000 $0 $0
Average Funds Raised
Total Amount Sold
Indie Theatricals, Inc. Form D filed July 02, 2014 5:14pm
$40,000
All Form D Filings
$3,060,339
Average Percent of Offering Sold
Offering Sold (Percent)
Indie Theatricals, Inc. Form D filed July 02, 2014 5:14pm
10.00%
All Form D Filings
66.63%
Average Fees*
Percent of Proceeds Used for Insider Payments
Indie Theatricals, Inc. Form D filed July 02, 2014 5:14pm
100.00%
All Form D Filings
12.50%
*Averages only for filings where a fee was paid
Executives, Directors and Promoters Disclosed in Filing
Investment Overview
Filing History

Indie Theatricals, Inc. has filed 1 Form Ds since 2008. Of these filings, 1 has been for a unique offering.
Through these filings, they have raised $40,000.
They have not paid finder's fees or sales commissions in connection with these offerings.
They have used $80,000 of the proceeds to make payments to officers and directors of the company.
The types of securities they have issued are Equity, Security to be Acquired Upon Exercise of Option, Warrant or Other Right to Acquire Security, and other securities.
They have relied on the following exemptions in past filings Rule 506(b).

Analysis of Past Filings

Indie Theatricals, Inc. has filed about as many filings as an average company in the Other category.
They have had about as many unique offerings as an average company in the Other category.
The total amount raised they have raised is 93% lower than the average for a company in the Other category.

Investment Details
Total Amount Raised
$40,000
Number of Form Ds Filed
1
Total Number of Investors
1
Types of Securities Issued Equity
Security to be Acquired Upon Exercise of Option, Warrant or Other Right to Acquire Security
Other Securities
Form D Filing History
Form D Filings in Washington
Other Filings

40
@36:

I certainly don't disagree with your general assessment vis-a-vis board fiduciary responsibility, but I think the situation in this particular instance isn't quite so cut-and-dried. For one, Mr Groshong has always, literally from day one, been the head of the organization, retaining the title of Executive Director, and with a series of subordinate Artistic and Managing Directors beneath him. It is/was his baby, his toy, his sandbox, even though there were initially a number of people, most long gone from the organization, who nominally (in their minds at least) saw themselves as collaborators. The point being, Groshong has essentially micromanaged everything, and I would not be in the least bit surprised if that also came down hand-picking his Board.

Looking at the list, I recognize many of the names of fellow artists, far too many in fact (no offense to them as individuals), to constitute the kind of board one SHOULD have overseeing a non-profit. Even giving some benefit of the doubt to the couple of names I don't recognize, it's entirely likely that collectively this group may not have had a very deep or broad understanding of the responsibilities and obligations inherent with such service; many may simply have thought they were helping out what they saw as a worthy organization of their peers and colleagues. But, friendly relations and good intentions per se is not a good formula for assembling a board, and my sense is Mr. Groshong was fully aware of this oversight. When you pack your board with friends and collaborators, but NOT with people possessing the backgrounds and skill-sets to even know what sorts of hard questions are needed, let alone feeling empowered to ask them, you create a leadership vacuum; one that Groshong no doubt was more than happy to occupy himself.

And this is the result.
41
Didn't Balagan screw up their Equity contracts on Carrie and get fined something like $60,000? Everyone I know that worked with them had a hard time getting paid, and kept complaining how mismanaged everything on the administrative side seemed. Sad to see this happen, but not surprised.
42
What?
People expected to get back money they loaned to artists?
I can see what the problem is.
43
#33--Clearly you can't see what the problem is. Nor can you see--judging from the dozen or so other posts from you I just read--what constitutes a clever remark.
44
@42:

It's far worse than that. People expect to get money back for goods and services they provided to artists. I'm pretty sure no entity with which Balagan has done business ever, in their wildest imaginings, considered it a "loan".
45
Crap. That should have been addressed to #42.
46
Sorry for my error, Christine White.

47
Good save, Matt; I didn't want to have to come over there. :)

Lyam White
48
Phew.

Had you whooped my ass, Lyam, there isn't a jury in the country that would have convicted you.
49
If you are operating a non-profit and your board doesn't have at least one CPA on it then you are negligent. And with a small company like this only a board member should have access to any bank accounts or at the very least it should require one board and one staff signature on all checks. So many non-profits are ripped off either deliberately or by ignorance of basic business principals and by a totally negligent board of directors. I hope this board has some good Directors and Officers insurance. Otherwise these creditors are free to come after the assets of the board members personally. The number one responsibility of a board is the fiduciary responsibility of the company they are running. This board failed and should be held accountable.
50
Let's just say with all my interactions with Mr. Jake - he is a piece of work. Curious how much of the money he scammed from the company.
51
Been sad and disappointed about this all week. We were longtime Balagan audience members (back in the basement theatre days of Elephant's Graveyard, Full Monty, etc). For the last 2 years we've been nervous, with the addition of Louis Hobson and all the "Broadway" buzz (including Ripley, who can't have been cheap), happening at the same time they lost their space, and then the departure of the amazing Christine Bateman (whose management and social media skills kept things running beautifully, at least from a patron's point of view). It just felt they were getting too big and starry-eyed too fast. At the same time as losing their space. It was a mess. For subscribers and attendees as well as for artists involved. Prices doubled (with the increased rental costs) and I think a lot of their dedicated fan-base wasn't willing/able to travel from the hill and pay more than double. We've been quietly whispering and crossing fingers and hoping this wouldn't be Intiman/Bart Sher all over again. *sigh* (Heck, I'm still sad about "Empty Space.")

Also, I'm truly upset to learn that so many of our fellow artists and organizations are unpaid. Contemporary Classics is tiny, and "Next to Normal" was a year and a half ago.

Such a bummer all around. They did some truly phenomenal work. And some pretty messy stuff, too. But they always seemed to take risks and they were never boring. So I was confident in always buying tickets. And it was a delight when they started offering subscriptions a few years ago. Although that process also became a mess all of last season, as locations, dates, even the production were never determined until very last minute.
52
As this from Comte was "below the fold," as it were, just wanted to re-port "Mr. Groshong and his accomplice Mr. Hobson, were able to walk away with impunity from a steadily deteriorating situation (and, despite their protestations to the contrary, one of which they MUST have been aware, making them either incompetent at-best, or outright mendacious at-worst, and neither exactly sterling endorsements of their character or abilities), leaving others - some unfortunately culpable (Balagan's board), others clearly not (the truly unimpeachable Ms Franiche) - holding the proverbial bag of flaming shit in their wake. "
53
Also, this makes me super suspicious about the "big move" fundraising they did in Sept 2013 to fund their new office, etc. Even at the time, this appeal seemed strange. Hmmmm.
54
This is a farce. Politically motivated. I can't believe The Stranger is printing this kind of slanderous stuff. I can't believe, yet again, people in the Seattle theatre scene are all turning against each other. Rotten little shits. All of these financial problems could have been solved by finding one donor! This is a set up.
55
@54:

The only REAL question to ponder is: Who set up whom? This shit has been going on almost literally since the day Balagan started producing in the CHAC basement back in 2005; the stories of shenanigans, back-stabbing, blow-offs, reneged promises, under-the-table agreements, unpaid bills et al have been going around the local Theatre Community for YEARS, so this melt-down isn't exactly a surprise to many of us - it was really more a matter of "when" than "if".

And what you're seeing isn't "the Seattle theatre scene...all turning against each other," as the condemnation thus far has been pretty much universal, while the ones being turned against are quite small in comparison - down to exactly two I'd say.

And so, if you happen to be Mr. Groshong, or Mr. Hobson, or one of the handful remaining of the rapidly dwindling cult of true-believers, well, all I can say is: "when you sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind".

Hasta la vista, BAYBEE...
57
@56

Why are you sadistic? "Hasta la vista?" These are people's lives you are destroying, and it is further PROOF that people in the Seattle theatre scene are vindictive. Think before you type. Neither of these guys is rich. They never ran away with peoples' money. I am neither Jake nor Louis, both of whom have worked tirelessly for years to put butts into theatre seats, but I will remain anonymous because this is a small town and this article is a prime example of the lengths a group of bitter people will go to ruin someone else. The condemnation of Jake and Louis has not been universal. They have plenty of supporters. I won't comment any further, but I want to voice support for these guys until all of the facts are public.
58
So, 3 of the "25 shows in various phases of incubation" have already been pretty much blown out of the water, at least so far as ITL's involvement is concerned. Yep, looks like they're off a terrific start. Should make raising the additional $360,000 of their initial start-up ask a veritable piece of pie, as the Russians are fond of saying.
59
I shall miss the truly creative and wonderful shows Balagan put on stage for the enjoyment of the Seattle community. I will leave the harangues, jeremiads, and public scoldings to the posse rounded up by the sheriff to hunt down these terrible outlaws, and hope each enjoys their respective tin star.
60
Yes @59, because dripping sarcasm coming from an anonymous sock puppet is so much sharper than the serpent's tooth of an unruly child, donchaknow?
62
No, @60, not a sock puppet. Don't even know the board, ex or present, of the theatre. I just really enjoyed their productions. If you saw Balagan's production of "August: Osage County" and were not moved, then any comment you have on theatre can't mean much, really. What is really depressing is the peanut gallery of I-Told-You-Soers that always pile on after something gets pear shaped. Note these are also around as cheerleaders when things are going swimmingly. So, don't get your panties in a knot, buddy. I'm just someone with a different perspective than you, and who is not particularly concerned with placing blame, but rather mourning a wonderful theatre that is no more.
63
From the ATM article on Hobson: "Hobson said he was aware of fiscal problems, but had been raising funds for Indie Theatrical co-productions with Balagan, and was surprised and “distressed” by the news. He and Groshong said they still plan to present the slated Balagan musicals Citizen Ruth and Make Me Bad, and are looking into other venues."

The fact that they are planning on continuing to do those shows instead of paying off the debt they owe all of these hardworking people, speaks volumes about them as men and I would urge everybody in this city not to attend any of them.
64
Anonymous Learner / old irish, I'm guessing you're Noreen or Christie -- married to one of those guys, mother of his kid/s, embarrassed (if not surprised?) about the facts coming out, and recognizing that his career (at least in this town, in any capacity related to theater production) is over. Plus, you may even be about to be hailed into court as an accomplice - and all your community assets are on the block for creditors. If I'm right, I pity you enough to suggest you do yourself (and your kids) a favor and hush up.
65
#63?!? What is your deal? Wait until they figure out their financial position. This is all news to them! Wait until they plan a course of action. Wait until they get a chance to speak. What is with this vile behavior? This article is so inflammatory! If either of them knew the financials it was probably Jake. These numbers they are throwing around are paltry. It usually takes a lot more debt than this to bring an awesome organization like this down. I believe upon their departure people suddenly felt like Jake and Louis were cutting and running. This is not the case. This is a slanderous story.
66
I am not Old Irish you twat. I am not Noreen, and I don't even know who Christie is!!!
67
Ah: crossed messages. Noreen, then. Do your future legal team a favor and shh.
68
Wow - again, neither/nor @64. Is there a conspiracy of paranoia on this thread? If someone has a different opinion or take, they must be crazy or somehow in cahoots with the supposed evildoers? But people who say hush on public forums are clearly unsure of their positions....sorta like shouting in arguments. Thanks for the advice however, Buttercup :) Is the veiled threat of being hauled into court (please note, it's not "hailed"...court is not a taxi service) a reflection of some fear you have of the law or the legal system? Just curious how minds work in places like this.

Again, my post here was to express sadness at the closing of Balagan - it was one of the better production companies in town and brought great and creative works to Seattle. Sorry if I won't join the lynch mob, which seems to be required to comment here.
69
Thank you #69 for chiming in. This is what I am talking about. These people are all clamoring for an execution. You guys suck. Wait until the facts are in. This article is bullshit, but I will probably keep reading The Stranger anyway.
70
Hey, "buttercup," I am not Noreen. Tell you what... I am a gambling man. You tell me your name, honestly, publicly, instead of using the name "Buttercup," and I will tell you who I am. Don't feel comfortable? Exactly. We all know what a small town this is...
71
Old Irish, the term is "haled" (pronounced "hailed"), not "hauled" into court. It was actually a typo. No biggie, it happens. @66 typed "twat" when she meant to type "your mom."
72
And name-calling is the ultimate sign of loss of the debate...thanks for proving my point so quickly and succinctly, Buttercup! "You disagree with me? Well....your momma!" Perfection!

Also, for the record: In A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage, Bryan A. Garner writes that the “haul” and “hale” versions of the phrase are “equally common.”

Google agrees: “hauled into court,” 372,000 hits, versus “haled into court,” 344,000. (The “hailed” version, described by Garner as a “solecism,” gets 108,000.)

So you're correct in that your use of "hailed" was completely mistaken.
73
Now you are slandering Louis's wife? Wow. If there is a moderator running this thread, I hereby swear that I will state my name publicly if the bitter asshole currently calling himself/herself "buttercup" states their name publicly.
74
@72:

And splitting-hairs is also generally considered a sign that one is unable to debate on the merits or arguments.

So, getting back to the issue at-hand: is it your contention that Groshong, Balagan's ED for some nine-odd years, and Hobson the AD at the time all this went down, were COMPLETELY UNAWARE of the considerable financial hole they'd dug themselves into? That they had ABSOLUTELY NO KNOWLEDGE of the shortfall? Because, if so, then I stand by my assertion earlier that, if such is the case, they have proven themselves completely incompetent and no one in their right mind should hand them a single shiny silver dime until they make restitution to all the people to whom they owe money. Or do you wish to further contend they have no responsibility for this debacle, created on their watch and directly attributable to their mis-management of the company and its assets, and that the board should shoulder that entire burden on their own?
75
@73:

Also, since apparently, we're now going full Grammar-Nazi mode, I suggest you educate yourself on the difference between slander and libel, as well as the standards for proving defamation in general. Here's a good place to start.
76
I wasn't the grammar nazi person. This is why I am so pissed. You seriously create false narratives and post them publicly! I am angry about this article. I am angry with this libelous-slanderous-whatever bullshit!
77
Those of you who are saying we should "wait for the facts', are going to be very disappointed to find out that almost all of the debt that Balagan owed, aside from these outstanding creditors, were charges made by Groshong and Hobson themselves. I know for a fact that this is the cast and I really wish that Dani Franiche would stand up for herself. I can't believe they sat across from her in the same office and let her go down with this ship.
78
Wow... umm.... businesses make charges. What kind of argument is that? What charges? State your facts. The amount of debt can't be anything close to what a theatre like Intiman had when closing, not even close, why do people keep evoking that? This is very sensationalized.
79
Learner, ever heard of Occam's razor?

Either Christine Bateman, Contemporary Classics, Seattle Theater Group, and Jinkx Monsoon all got together to hatch a detailed plan to lie about non-payment of very specific dollar amounts of back wages in order to get... something? -- not clear what you think Jerick Hoffer has to gain here -- or Jake Groshong is ambitious but incompetent and jumped at the chance to quadruple the size of Balagan without making a legit business plan.

#2 is just more plausible. If you've ever worked with Jake, rented from Jake, or even MET Jake, you'll find it a hell of a lot more plausible.
80
I really really hope Buttercup 'fesses up so we can find out who the hell Learner is. He/she sounds like a fucking nutjob, and it would be very useful to know whom to avoid so unsuspecting actors don't get trapped in a show with Jake Groshong's protégé. Actors need their paychecks and their dignity, Buttercup. Take one for the team!

(Or, rather, don't. Anybody from the Jake Groshong School of Leadership is pretty likely to double-book the deal, renege, yell about it, and then blame someone else.)
81
When it comes to their public condemnation, I don't think about occam's razor. It isn't about acting pseudo intellectual in front of a crowd to me. Right now, I am thinking about the plans both Louis and Jake had for the theatre, the awesome productions they brought to the community, and I am disappointed that so many people forget their amazing contribution to this town and try to paint them as dubious people. Really lame.
82
@76:

Okay, let's just take a moment to review some basic English usage here, because you seem to have difficulty understanding a few of the more common colloquial words and phrases. When I said "apparently, WE'RE now going full Grammar-Nazi mode", it was not a reference to you specifically; "we" being the third person pronoun indicating one's self and others; in this case, referring to @72 & @73, who were in fact engaging in a grammatical pissing-match. If I had intended to refer to you specifically I would have used the second person pronoun "you" to indicate as much, as in, "since apparently, YOU'RE going full Grammar-Nazi mode..." See how that works?

But leaving that aside, I really do have to wonder at your suddenly jumping into this thread after two full days and immediately adopting what is quite clearly a desperately defensive posture - almost as if you have some stake in the outcome - which is further indicated by your inference that you have, for example, personal knowledge of Groshong's & Hobson's net worth in @57. I also find it interesting that in @65 you're so ready to throw the blame solely on Groshong's shoulders, "If either of them knew the financials it was probably Jake." So, apparently, even you are willing to concede there may have been some less-than-transparent dealings going on, but, if given a choice between the two would prefer Groshong be the fall-guy. And, while you claim there are no "facts" to back up the ever lengthening list of accusations that have come out since the initial announcement (many of which, BTW were not exactly secrets, just a lot of unconnected dots no one had bothered to pencil together previously), you conversely have failed to provide even a single shred of evidence to counter them. Your defense is based purely on emotion and rhetoric, and from all this I can only surmise that you are very close to the situation, so close in fact that you seem to feel personally threatened by what may transpire. No wonder people are making assumptions about your identity; you're clearly not one of your regular cadre of anonymous SLOG trolls, and it's pretty clear you have a very specific agenda in mind.

I feel sorry for you, honestly I do. Because, while you strive so desperately to defend Groshong & Hobson, for whatever reason, you're being overwhelmed by a community that has long documented this veritable encyclopedia of broken promises, broken contracts, abusive treatment, money owed; actions that have demonstrably damaged other people's lives, careers, reputations - even entire organizations. So, I suggest you step back for a moment and take a good, long, objective look at all the ruination surrounding you, and then ask yourself: who's really been hurting whom here? Who was the cause of all this? Do you truly believe the literally scores of people in this community who finally feel unencumbered by fear or potential retribution to speak out against the years of abuse, bad faith, and overreaching ambition are the ones at-fault here? That THEY caused Balagan's downfall? If it were just one or two, or even a handful, you might have some grounds for your defense. But the numbers are far too large for this to be a case of simple sour-grapes vindictiveness. An entire community doesn't rise up just to spite someone who's made a simple mistake or lapse in judgement; that's forgivable. What can't be forgiven, is the same person or persons making mistake after mistake after mistake, never owning up to them, never learning from them, but instead always finding a reason that their transgressions are someone else's fault. Can you understand why people - a lot of people, an entire community of people - might be righteously indignant over that?

Look, loyalty is a noble attribute. But blind, misplaced loyalty is a dead-weight around your shoulders that will only drag you down along with those you defend. And I understand, no one wants to be collateral damage. But, you still have a choice here. I truly hope you make the one that's best for YOU in the end.
83
I never said Jake was at fault, and I have nothing to do with their organization. Look... I said my piece, so I'll go now.
84
Jake Groshong was and is psychologically abusive to his staff and peers. Kaitie Warren left for a reason and is better off in her new life.

Confidential to Brendan Kiley: maybe you should have investigated that story further. Now I can say, "told you so".
85
@Peggy Gannon: I've always told people exactly what I thought of this douchebaggery and gotten summarily snubbed for it. Screw it.
86
Plenty of people have been speaking the truth about this org, Jake and Louis for a very long time...Everybody else just finally had their rose colored glasses knocked off and are finally paying attention. This town is full of amazing theater-The Rep, The 5th Ave, Artswest, the new Intiman, and so many smaller orgs..this city has so much to be proud of and Balagan is like a stain on the community. Jake and Louis are getting what they deserve, Im just sorry so many others were hurt in the process.
87
@83:

Yes, you've said your piece, probably more than you intended I suspect. So, while a tactical withdrawal wasn't the choice to which I was referring, but it's a wise one nonetheless.
88
Now THIS is entertainment.
89
This is totally off-topic, but why does the number on Hobson's chest in the Les Mis picture look like it was written in red crayon? Isn't it supposed to be an old scar at that point? It looks like Valjean got jumped by a vicious gang of math nerds in the parking lot before the show.

Back to the point: it's kind of fun how Kiley chose a picture of Hobson as a criminal to illustrate this story. Can't believe nobody called that out.
90
Learner has already flounced but I bet he/she is still lurking, so I'm hoping somebody will answer this. Just what did Balagan actually DO recently that was so great? (And don't say "August," that was Belyea's baby, Louis wasn't around, and Jake was barely involved.) They were a hive of activity a few years ago, and they had a lot of big, important plans, but what did the amazing Jake/Louis partnership actually produce?

Next to Normal (not my thing, but I'll give you that one), Carrie (not that great), Jerry Springer (eh.), ThanksKilling (fun, but hardly stellar), and middle-of-the-road productions of Avenue Q, Les Mis, and Urinetown right before they were done (sometimes better) in Bainbridge, Issaquah, and Redmond. Hedwig nabbed Jinkx Monsoon right before she won Drag Race, but that was just luck.

That list is definitely adequate for a mid-size company, so they didn't fail at programming. But they also "forgot" to pay a bunch of artists and staff, "forgot" to pay venues, ripped off Contemporary Classics, got Erickson in a totally underhanded non-bid and then were such shitty tenants (dirty and neglectful and poorly managed) that SCCC ended their lease early and won't rent to other companies. What about that list of community-theater staples was so great that we should all be bowing to Jake and Louis and apologizing for bothering them with petty details like not trashing theater spaces and paying their artists?
91
@90: boom.
*Slow clap segueing into ubiquitous Seattle standing ovation*
92
Oh please, COMTE, stop trying to threaten me. You are a talentless hack. Buttercup, you are a coward, and the rest of you have already falsely accused me of any number of "shadowy" things, just like this article is doing to Louis. Bullshit. All of this.
93
@92. Hi Jake!
94
This isn't Jake. I'm not any of the other 3 or 4 names already thrown out. This is an attempt to assassinate their character, as proven by the subsequent accusations thrown out.
95
If that article was about Balagan's woes, it wouldn't have that picture, it wouldn't have those words in bold. This is public shaming based on stuff that, frankly, should have been kept quiet. I have NO association with them. There better ways to tell this story.
96
OK, Jake!
97
Oh, hi, Learner! Glad to have you back, bravely taking an anonymous stand against anonymity. Care to take a stab at answering any of the questions in #90?

If Jake was even minimally competent, it would take him about 5 minutes to pull check stubs from Quickbooks that prove he paid people and he could shut this thing whole thing down. But something tells me he's not going to be able to find that documentation.

Jake has been exploiting and abusing people for years, and Louis had a lot of big plans but not, apparently, the management skills this pair was desperately lacking. Calling it "stuff that, frankly, should have been kept quiet" is the attitude that allowed Jake to skate for years on promises and lies, fucking over person after person and company after company, burning through tens of thousands in borrowed money until the shit hit the fan. As ugly as the schadenfreude can be, your attempts to shelter known abusers is uglier.
98
Shelter known abusers? You have gone too far. Again. Bye.
99
Again, hi! You consistently manage to pick out one word to quibble with and ignore every substantive part of the argument. Why is that? You sound delusional.
100
And when Playbill begins coverage of your creditors, your name is mud in TWO cities, at the very least.

http://playbill.com/news/article/followi…

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