Dear Friends and Neighbors:

I would like to begin by saying that it has been our absolute joy and privilege to serve the Pelham Community and its surrounding neighbors these past ten years. You have welcomed The SOOP Theatre Company into this town and into your lives and made us feel like we truly have a home here…there aren’t enough words to express our gratitude and thanks for your support!

As most of you already know, there have been some recent changes in our status with regards to our operation running within The Manor Club here in town. While it was very sad for us to say goodbye to what was once a strong and viable partnership, it was SOOP’s hope that we would be able to handle this dissolution (contrary to what you may have read, announced to our constituency ONLY after we had reached an impasse with TMC!) respectfully and with some modicum of dignity for both parties involved. Sadly, that is not the case.

Obviously, this decision did not come lightly but was largely due to a difference of opinion between our organizations. As a means of keeping backlash to a minimum, we, in our eblast announcement to our mailing list and in subsequent social media postings, spoke kindly of our former host and used equitable phrases like “as a result of a disagreement in expectations from both sides, we were unable to find a way forward in these recent negotiations” and “it is a difference of opinion on promises made to us and monies owed to them”.

In yesterday’s articles in The Pelham Plus and subsequently the Pelham Examiner, a series of information taken from different portions of our blast and some social media comments, then added to a new statement from TMC, was pieced together in such a one-sided way as to suggest that SOOP couldn’t pay its bills so therefore the Manor Club’s hands were tied. Perhaps, if we were reached for comment, we would have been able to help clarify…sadly, we were not (although, for the record, we do appreciate that the Pelham Examiner did attempt to reach us, but due to old contact information, was unable.)

SOOP, though feeling forced to defend itself, will remain on the “high road” in this process and not share the many details of this very difficult renegotiation, but we would like to make it perfectly clear that ALL of SOOP’s responses were necessary and unavoidable.

SOOP has many dear friends and advocates at TMC, so it makes it even more difficult to understand why they and The Pelham Plus would choose to discuss and publish details about “past money owed” and “past bills”, particularly when both are aware that that is not the full story. SOOP can only assume that TMC is reacting to the huge backlash they have been receiving from the community since they made the first announcement to their membership some three weeks ago, and growing stronger since our announcement on 12/18. To this point, I will respond as member of the community and a former partner: If the community at large is outraged by the outcome of this process and is asking questions and making comments, PLEASE, do not hold SOOP accountable for that. All SOOP IS accountable for is providing programs for two hundred and fifty kids a year and bringing approximately twenty-five hundred people a year through TMC doors, who would otherwise not have come… All we have done is donate huge chunks of time and resource to help you fundraise… ALL we have done is make a commitment (above and beyond SOOP’s interests) to make TMC a relevant part of our community and their theatre space a viable solution to future success. My suggestion would be to look within…

There are many wonderful not-for-profit organizations in our town doing incredible things for our community, and with SOOP’s help and continued partnership, you received and maintained this honorable status. Section 501c3 of the internal revenue code defines these organizations as “charitable”, “operating in the public interest”. I can only speculate, but perhaps some of the public fuss could be about the reasons why TMC would let this community resource go and what they are prepared to do to continue maintaining their not-for-profit status.

To our MANY friends and neighbors who have been so supportive of our theatre productions, programs, lessons and classes throughout the years, SOOP is still on track and looks forward to growth and change in the coming months! Stay tuned for an announcement on our NEW PELHAM location, a new theatre agreement and a new partnership with a wonderful organization just next door in New Rochelle. There are lots of incredible things on the horizon, none of which would be possible without you. Thank you to all of the families who have entrusted us with the musical and theatrical education of their kids – it was and is our absolute honor to watch them grow and blossom into the people and artists that they have and will become. Thanks to all of our patrons – those without children in the program who just love to support art – there would be no theatre without you.

Paul Romanello

Artistic Director,

SOOP Theatre Company