Waiting for Get Done

Christian first admitted that in calculating the proceeds, she failed to subtract the costs, which totaled about $100,000. Perhaps because throwing a private mayoral anniversary party at taxpayer expense wouldn't sit well, she later changed her story, saying that the city actually raised $150,000 from private donors and therefore netted the $50,000. Despite a request to document her claim, however, Christian did not do so by press time.

After the gala, another five months remained before this year's opening. Rather than speed up construction, the various crews have plodded along at half-speed, much to the dismay of observers. And though rain did slow the renovations, basic measures to deal with bad weather, such as the use of heavy-duty construction mats for muddy grounds, weren't taken until late January. At this point, even the revised opening date in late May is in question. "I don't know why [the mats weren't used earlier]," says one worker. "They should have been there in November."

The city even delayed the announcement that the theater still wouldn't be ready by the opening of the current season on April 3 until two months before. Though all but one of the shows have been rescheduled (Cinco de Mayo has been moved to September 14), many of the groups had invested a lot of time preparing for their events and were thrown for a loop by the postponement. "It was devastating, I'll tell you that," says Carolyn Franklin, executive director of HITS Unicorn Theatre, which will have to stage its production next November. "We were already in rehearsal. I had a superb cast, and now two of my principal characters will be going off to college. I think it's a shame."

Kathy Highsmith of Ace Tin thinks it's a shame as well. Since the city left her holding the bag on the siding, the company has been on the verge of ruin and may have to file for bankruptcy soon. "We ended up losing about $150,000," says Highsmith. "Fifteen people lost their jobs. Believe me, I have very bitter, hard feelings.