2nd Story Theatre, which for brought professional theatre to the East Bay for three decades, will close its doors Sunday, following the last performance of its current production, "Dancing Lessons."
Artistic Director Ed Shea, who founded the Warren theatre with business partner Pat Hegnauer in Newport in 1978 and moved to Warren 17 years ago, announced the sad news Tuesday on 2nd Story’s Facebook page, and also sent out an email to supporters:
“All good things must come to an end,” he wrote. “We will miss you all so much. Thanks for the memories.”
“For the past 17 years, I have devoted almost every waking hour to 2nd Story,” he added in an e-mail shared with the Warren Times-Gazette. “It has been my mission. My reason for being. It was my home. The audience, my guests. The staff, actors, artisans and volunteers, my family. I am heartbroken. It is a great personal loss.”
Mr. Shea wrote Wednesday that attendance at the theater has been declining for some time. With that decreased revenue, making ends meet was getting harder. In response to that, 2nd Story opened Union, a restaurant on the first floor, earlier this year, in hopes of creating more patronage. But he wrote that the restaurant was not enough to keep the operation financially viable:
“That combination led to a financial shortfall forcing both the theater and the restaurant to close their doors,” he wrote.
The closure caught many of the theater’s fans by surprise, and supporters expressed their sadness online following Mr. Shea’s announcement.
“I am shocked and incredibly saddened to hear this,” wrote Susan Grenke Rancourt in response to a notice published on the Warren Times Gazette’s Facebook page.
“We had an amazing cultural presence in our community with 2nd Story Theatre — wide varieties of shows, easy access, unique settings, thought-provoking art. What a huge loss to Warren and the surrounding community."
Apart from the theater and restaurant at 28 Market St., 2nd Story also owns the former Liberty Street School in Warren, which was purchased five years ago to use as a set building and rehearsal studio. There were no immediate plans made public for either building, but Mr. Shea wrote that his hope is that "both buildings will be occupied again soon by another band of creative souls."
"It's a sad day," he said Wednesday morning.

The full text of Mr. Shea's announcement:

Dear Friends of 2nd Story Theatre,

All good things must come to an end.
With great sadness we announce that 2nd Story Theatre will close its doors following the final performance of Dancing Lessons on Sunday, July 1, 2018.
We are grateful to the State of Rhode Island for its exceptional cultural landscape and to the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and our many granting agencies for their generous artistic support.
We are very grateful to the hundreds of actors, technicians, designers, directors, staff, and volunteers who have made a temporary home at 2nd Story throughout our history.
And we are deeply grateful to the loyal, engaged audience who have been our family during performances and our generous supporters at all times.
We will miss you all so much. Thanks for the memories.

Best,
Ed Shea
Artistic Director