The Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, which won this year's Tony Award for best regional theater, won another victory on Tuesday â€" this time in court â€" and staved off the threat of eviction from its 7th Street home in the Lansburgh building.
Throughout the past year the theater company has been feuding with its landlord â€" the nonprofit organization Lansburgh Theater, Inc. â€" and the building's owner, the real estate developer Graham Gund, over the Shakespeare company's yearly contribution. The Lansburgh charity was created in 1992 for the sole purpose of supporting the Shakespeare Theater Company. In a statement, the Lansburgh maintained that the building needs $6.8 million worth of repairs, which cannot be covered by the yearly $70,000 that the Shakespeare company pays. It added that if the Shakespeare company “is no longer willing to reinvest in the premises that brought it such success, Lansburgh Theater Inc. has no choice but to seek another deserving arts organization to occupy and care for our very special stage.â€
But Randall K. Miller, the Shakespeare company's lawyer, accused Mr. Gund and his associates of manipulating what was supposed to be a charitable venture for his personal profit. Judge John Ramsey Johnson of Superior Court in the District of Columbia issued an order forbidding anyone associated with Lansburgh or Mr. Gund from “taking any action to evict or displace†the Shakespeare company. “The order prevents the charity from being abused at the hands of a for-profit real estate developer,†Mr. Miller said. The Lansburgh issued a statement that applauded the court for rejecting the Shakespeare Theater Company's bid to remove two members of its board, which it characterized as an “attempte d hostile takeover.â€
