Judge's ruling leaves no doubt about 'Doubt'
By John Quinlan Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, May 02, 2008
The show must go on. No doubt. And thanks to Woodbury County District Court Judge John D. Ackerman, it will.
"The show will go on, and I'm so excited," said Amanda Lempares, a board member of Shot in the Dark Productions, which will stage the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Doubt," beginning tonight, in the Castle on the Hill Auditorium.
In a ruling issued late Thursday afternoon, Ackerman denied an application from Castle on the Hill LLC, the building's owner, for a temporary injunction preventing the Castle on the Hill Association from allowing the use of the auditorium for a theatrical production. Castle LLC had requested a temporary injunction as part of a larger legal battle between the owner and the nonprofit group, Lempares said.
The judge ruled that Castle LLC failed to show that the association is required to obtain its permission to rent out either the auditorium or gymnasium. His ruling also indicated the owner failed to prove the auditorium presented any substantial safety concerns or liability exposures.
The theater group had been rehearsing for six weeks when Lempares learned Tuesday morning about the Tuesday court hearing on the injunction application.
"We're gripping the edge of our chair," Lempares said earlier Thursday before the ruling was issued. "We actually haven't told the actors yet because we don't want them to have to worry about things besides their lines at this point."
Earlier this year, the owner of the Castle on the Hill asked a judge to uphold the termination of its 2002 lease agreement with the Castle on the Hill Association. At issue is a clause in which Castle LLC agreed to renovations it says would cost more than $1 million which the owner could not afford.
"Part of our argument on the injunction is that if the judge granted the injunction, it would actually be giving them some of the relief that they are asking for in their petition that we haven't had a chance to have a trial on," said attorney Bob Deck, a Castle on the Hill Association member.
Caroline Conkey, a member of Castle on the Hill Association, said the injunction would cut off the group's main source of funding. The association rents the auditorium and gymnasium to band concerts, weddings, choral events and reunions in addition to community theater. Taking away the rental income would leave the association with proceeds from a gift shop, which Conkey said will not provide enough money.
"In order to survive, we rely on the rental of those areas and the concessions of those areas," she said. "If they get their way, that shuts us down."
Staff writer Molly Montag contributed to this report.
"The show will go on, and I'm so excited," said Amanda Lempares, a board member of Shot in the Dark Productions, which will stage the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Doubt," beginning tonight, in the Castle on the Hill Auditorium.
In a ruling issued late Thursday afternoon, Ackerman denied an application from Castle on the Hill LLC, the building's owner, for a temporary injunction preventing the Castle on the Hill Association from allowing the use of the auditorium for a theatrical production. Castle LLC had requested a temporary injunction as part of a larger legal battle between the owner and the nonprofit group, Lempares said.
The judge ruled that Castle LLC failed to show that the association is required to obtain its permission to rent out either the auditorium or gymnasium. His ruling also indicated the owner failed to prove the auditorium presented any substantial safety concerns or liability exposures.
The theater group had been rehearsing for six weeks when Lempares learned Tuesday morning about the Tuesday court hearing on the injunction application.
"We're gripping the edge of our chair," Lempares said earlier Thursday before the ruling was issued. "We actually haven't told the actors yet because we don't want them to have to worry about things besides their lines at this point."
Earlier this year, the owner of the Castle on the Hill asked a judge to uphold the termination of its 2002 lease agreement with the Castle on the Hill Association. At issue is a clause in which Castle LLC agreed to renovations it says would cost more than $1 million which the owner could not afford.
"Part of our argument on the injunction is that if the judge granted the injunction, it would actually be giving them some of the relief that they are asking for in their petition that we haven't had a chance to have a trial on," said attorney Bob Deck, a Castle on the Hill Association member.
Caroline Conkey, a member of Castle on the Hill Association, said the injunction would cut off the group's main source of funding. The association rents the auditorium and gymnasium to band concerts, weddings, choral events and reunions in addition to community theater. Taking away the rental income would leave the association with proceeds from a gift shop, which Conkey said will not provide enough money.
"In order to survive, we rely on the rental of those areas and the concessions of those areas," she said. "If they get their way, that shuts us down."
Staff writer Molly Montag contributed to this report.
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