City Allows a Midsummer Night's Drink at Starr Jaycee Park

Shakespeare in the Park playgoers will be able to enjoy a glass of wine or beer with their favorite performances this summer at Starr Jaycee Park in Royal Oak.

Monday night, the City Commission approved Water Works Theatre Company's request to sell alcoholic beverages during the nonprofit organization's 10-day summer event.

The Royal Oak-based theater group brought numerous requests to the city meeting Monday night in an effort to put the annual Shakespeare in the Park productions on more sound financial footing.

“This is a wonderful cultural arts event right here in our community,” producer Ed Nahhat of Royal Oak told City Commissioners. “It’s important, I think, that we take time to think about how we preserve this event.”

Struggling with declining attendance due to the poor economy and last summer's heat wave, Water Works lost money in 2011 and was unable to pay $1,968 due the city for services and fees. The theater group asked the city for a deferment and to consider pledging $10,000 to become the official title sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park, among other things.

City Manager Don Johnson said he had no objection to deferring payment, but could not support subsidizing the event. Commissioners unanimously agreed.

"We used to subsidize a number of non-profit events," said Mayor Pro Tem Patricia Capello."But when the budget crunch hit we stopped everything. We have a pretty longstanding policy of not subsidizing events."

As for selling beer and wine, commissioners were split 4-3 with Jim Rasor, Kyle DuBuc and Mike Fournier along with Mayor Jim Ellison casting enough yes votes for the resolution to pass. 

“I think the ability to offer beer and wine increases the enjoyment of the audience,” Ellison said.

Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue said he did not anticipate any problems or drain on his department by allowing the sale of beer and wine to the Shakespeare crowd.