Factory shutdown

Factory Theatre learns it will have to shut down production of Featuring Loretta one week early due to complications stemming from the G20. Photo: courtesy Factory Theatre

The G20 has claimed yet another.

Factory Theatre has announced it will be truncating its run of Featuring Loretta and ending the season's final show on June 20 -- one week earlier than originally planned.

Factory Theatre is located at 125 Bathurst St., just outside the summit traffic zone. Featuring Loretta's closing night was supposed to be June 27 -- which, as it turns out, is also the last day of the G20.

Summit organizers have warned that visible G20 security preparations will begin as early as two weeks prior to the summit. For Factory Theatre's managing director Sara Meurling, she thinks Torontonians have decided to avoid downtown like the plague during this time, something which has definitely been reflected in the ticket sales -- of the six shows in Featuring Loretta's final week, four have had no ticket bookings at all.

On Monday, Meurling met with her team and decided it would be best to draw the curtains early.

"Definitely, there is a radical difference in that last week," Meurling said. "Like, (an) outrageous, shocking difference between that last week and the weeks before. It's definitely affecting us negatively."

Meurling says she's worked in the theatre business for 25 years and has never been forced to shut a show down early. She says she feels especially terrible for her actors, who are now unexpectedly out of work for a week.

But to Meurling and Factory Theatre's credit, they're all trying to make the best of the situation -- the theatre is now offering a "Beat the G20" deal for Featuring Loretta, offering $20 tickets for all shows over the next three weeks. Get 'em while you can! (And while downtown traffic is still tolerable)