$40,000 has been stolen from the office of Off-Broadway's Playhouse 46 at St. Luke's via a fraudulently cashed check, according to the theatre's executive director Jennifer Pluff. Playbill first learned of the event via a report in the crime reporting app Citizen.
According to Pluff, the theft was discovered on Saturday, February 3, when an unauthorized withdrawal from the venue's bank account, used for operating expenses, was identified. The perpetrator appears to have broken into the venue's office and absconded with a blank check, which cleared from the account February 2. No employees or production staff were present when the theft happened.
Pluff says that as of now, she does not anticipate any impact to the theatre's current tenant, Make Me Gorgeous! The True Story of Kenneth “Mr. Madam” Marlowe, also sharing that the theft was from an account kept separate from the production's ticket sales and operating costs. "I can't say for sure right now the extent of how this is going to affect us," Pluff told Playbill via phone. "As for now, I think we are okay with the further operations of the theatre and the show."
Pluff is clear that no Playhouse 46 employees nor people involved with Make Me Gorgeous! are persons of interest in the ongoing investigation. "It wasn't anyone from the production or the employees that was the culprit or suspected in any way," says Pluff. "We have an idea that is is someone from the outside that came in and broke into our office and stole checks from us."
The Playhouse at 46 operates as a non-profit in the basement of the Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church. It's unclear how the loss will further affect the venue, particularly if the stolen funds are not recovered. "We are a non-profit and we are a new, growing theatre," said Pluff. "This does hurt us very much. We don't even have that much money to cover a check like that in our operating account. We are small, and struggling, and trying to do good work. And something like this really does affect a lot of us. We are always looking for any way for anyone to help a small, fledgling, growing Off-Broadway theatre." Though no new fundraising campaign has been launched in the wake of the theft, Playhouse 46 does take donations on its website.
Playbill will continue to follow this developing story.
Make Me Gorgeous!, newly starring RuPaul's Drag Race alum Darius Rose (a.k.a. Jackie Cox) as of February 1, is currently scheduled to continue performances through February 25.
