COM 598-Crisis Management

Final
Grant Crim
Professor Stoda
Arizona State University
12/01/2020
On the beautiful southern Oregon coast, in the heart of downtown Coos Bay, lies the iconic and

historic Egyptian Theatre. The theatre is a historical landmark that was originally constructed in

1922 but did not actually open as a theatre until 1925. Not only has this majestic theatre served

as a theatre, but it has also served as one of the most loved places for the community to gather.

Through those years the building went through several owners and was eventually shuttered and

listed for sale in 2005 by Coming Attractions due to a competing brand-new multiplex in a

neighboring town. The City of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Agency decided that the property was

too important to let go and purchased the building some months later. Soon after, the Egyptian

Theatre Preservation Society (ETPA), made up entirely of volunteers, was contracted to manage

the facility for the community. After decades of love by coastal families and a desire of people in

the community to protect it, a committed Helen Doving led the charge to have the theatre entered

into the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 (egyptiantheatreoregon.org, n.d.). It was

around that time that an engineering firm discovered that the theatre, located by the bay, was

sinking. The city had no choice but to close the theatre for the safety of the public until funds

could be raised, and repairs could be made. The closure of the theatre was keenly felt in the

community, but that feeling of loss helped the ETPA raise over $1 million, far exceeding the

amount needed to make repairs. The structural repairs needed to make the building safe again

began, and renovations to reclaim the captivating look the theatre once possessed began in

earnest.

The theatre, having played host to thousands of movies, concerts, and special events over

the years, was able to reopen to the public in 2014. With theatre renovations completed, the

Preservation Association set out in search of an Executive Director to manage it. That person

was Kara Long, and with Kara’s knowledge and experience, the beautiful Egyptian Theatre was
taken to the next level (egyptiantheatreoregon.org, n.d.). Once again, the theatre was serving as

the community’s gathering place. In fact, after speaking with Kara, I learned that in 2019, The

Egyptian hosted over 260 events, entirely managed by Kara and her army of dedicated

volunteers.

The Egyptian Theatre is not just a place to go and see a classic movie, it is also an

enchanting place and a highlight of this small coastal community. If you are visiting the town

and ask someone for directions to a place in downtown Coos Bay, chances are they might answer

with something like, “It’s across from the Egyptian,” or maybe, “It’s right behind the Egyptian

Theatre”. Trying to find a person in the entire county of 65,000+ people who is not aware of its

location, would be a difficult feat.

For nearly one-hundred years people have been gathering at this wonderous place, getting

lost in the Egyptian motif from the moment you enter the lobby. As you walk across the two

thresholds bordering either side of the box office, you are transported into another era. Seated on

their thrones, you will find two gigantic bronze pharaohs guarding the entrance to the main

theatre and stairs on either side of the lobby. Nearly every child who enters can’t wait to climb

on them, and every adult who grew up in the area can remember doing the same when they were

growing up. In fact, I can attest to the fact that even grown-ups still love to climb up and have

their photos taken to this day. You then climb the stairs to enter the balcony and look down upon

the main theatre and stage trying to take it all in. You may even feel a chill on the back of your

neck if you are inclined to believe the rumors that the historic theatre is haunted. You admire the

hieroglyphics and other Egyptian motifs. Located in front of the stage is the beautiful, and

original, Wurlitzer Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra organ that you may be lucky enough to hear in
person. And most importantly, you are about to build more lasting memories with your friends

and family as you support whatever event is happening that day.

Since the point in time that the Egyptian Theatre became a nonprofit, having been

adopted as a historical landmark, its stakeholders transformed from those of a traditional theater,

to that of the Egyptian Theatre Preservation Association, a Board of Directors, the City of Coos

Bay’s Urban Renewal Agency, and arguably even the community could potentially be

considered stakeholders. Kara Long, Executive Director and Theatre Manager, both manages the

Egyptian and represents the theatre within the community and beyond. In a sense, Kara serves as

the theatre’s leadership, as well as a liaison between these stakeholders and the community at

large.

Unfortunately, business as usual is not possible currently, as nearly all organizations are

facing the same crisis. At the beginning of 2020, the world was up-ended with the COVID-19

pandemic, which has consequently impacted the lives of nearly everyone in the United States,

especially nonprofits. As any nonprofit can attest to, in the absence of a stable source of income,

they are relying primarily on donations and grants. With so many people out of work and so

many businesses having to make budget changes, there certainly does not seem to be a lot of

“excess cash” available to invest or donate to those nonprofits. This pandemic has impacted

everyone, including vulnerable populations, but in an effort to reduce the rate of spread and

mortality rates, strict guidelines and closures have been set (Glover et al, 2020). With that having

been said, the Egyptian Theatre has had to do a lot of work in order to look to the future and

adapt accordingly.

During my interview with Kara, we discussed the organization’s reaction to the COVID-

19 crisis, and like many of us she was certainly caught off-guard. When asked, how the Egyptian
had prepared for such a crisis, Kara stated, “Prep? Not really. I have been involved with theater

management and event organizing for over half of my life. We have always had an emergency

plan for things such as fires, inclement weather, etc. but there really is not a game plan for a

crisis like COVID-19, even from the government standpoint, as we have seen. How do you

prepare for something that is so crazy?” Kara went on to explain how she was right in the midst

of planning out some logistics for future events, and on the following weekend in March, she

learned about the new state guidelines that were being implemented. As a matter of fact, the

following month, I even had my own annual fundraiser planned. This crisis blew up quickly

which, characteristically of crises, meant that there was little to no time for

sense-making/decision making and planning (Deverell and Olsson, 2009). The theatre learned

about the state’s plans for the pandemic on March 13th, and from there they were pretty much

flying blind, so to speak.

In the absence of crisis management experience, specifically with pandemic crisis

management experience, there needs to be a degree of flexibility when it comes to lockdowns of

this magnitude, especially when relying on trial and error (Chen et al, 2020). This is exactly what

Oregon’s Governor, and even business leadership like that of the Egyptian Theatre’s Kara Long,

have been doing. While there is a place for crisis planning, regarding this particular crisis, there

is certainly more emphasis being placed on crisis response. I think it is probably safe to say that a

global pandemic is a constantly evolving, almost living thing (Paraskevas, 2006). After the state

guideline recommendations, attendance began to slide to the point where it was not worth the

cost of turning on the projector. In addition, Kara was not comfortable having the theatre open,

and while she was dedicated to the preservation and sustainability of the theatre, as a member of

this close-knit community, she was also extremely concerned about the safety of those living in
it. One of the stakeholders on the Egyptians Theatre’s Board, did not really want to close up

shop, but fortunately, Oregon’s Governor, Kate Brown, hit the pause button allowing the

Egyptian Theatre to use this time to wrap their heads around the pandemic. In dealing with a

novel virus, it is definitely a difficult thing to know how to respond. In the beginning we learned

that social distancing guidelines could be of great benefit in slowing the virus, but between the

reluctance of many to follow those guidelines, and a healthcare system that was in danger of

being overwhelmed, decisions were made to shut things down (Foveny and Sulyok, 2020). Until

we were able to learn how to stop the spread and prevent the overwhelming of hospitals, the

government felt it was important to hit the pause button.

Unfortunately, the closures in March had extraordinarily little impact nationally on

slowing the spread of COVID-19, making many businesses anxious. Whether that was due to the

measures being ineffective, or was due to non-compliance of those measures, could be anyone’s

guess. The shutdown did initially slow the spread in Oregon, and the state was able to stay at the

bottom of the pack when it came to infection rates, but as we see now, things have ultimately

gotten much worse. The Egyptian Theatre in particular, had no choice but to take a long hard

look at their bottom line, while at the same time being cognizant of their social responsibility. In

the immediate aftermath of the initial pause ending, the theatre followed state guidelines and

continued to show movies and allowed for the private rental of the space. The Executive Director

and Theatre Manager, Kara, was uneasy about continuing these operations, and it was not only

because of a lack of attendance due to the social distancing guidelines, but she also felt it was the

theatre’s, and her own, social responsibility to shut down, at least temporarily. With a bit of

pushback from the Board, Kara eventually was able to come to an agreement and put a

temporary hold on operations. The hold was meant to only be a couple of months, with the plan
to resume operations in the summer. No one could have anticipated what was about to unfold

across the country, and the world.

During this time Kara was expected to be on unemployment, until such time as she and

her volunteers could safely return to the theatre. A crisis is often unexpected, and with much of

the world locking down, this is certainly an unprecedented event where organizations had no

choice but to adapt to meet their priorities (Horst et al, 2020). When it became evident that the

organization would not be opening anytime soon, the Board voted to have Kara work part-time,

roughly 10 hours a week. Having Kara return was part of the Board’s decision to have a flexible

lockdown and allow for preparations in the event the restrictions were lifted.

This lockdown has been a huge loss to the community, and to so many non-profits who

rely on the venue to generate fundraising dollars. There are countless organizations who host

movies, sponsor competitions, use the theatre as a music venue, or in my case, host an annual

beer and comedy night that has raised over $100,000 for the American Cancer Society and a

local cancer patient support fund. Organization after organization was forced to cancel their

events, which then trickled into their bottom lines and their ability to make a difference. Trying

to raise funds for a non-profit when you are unable to gather, has been a brutal, if not impossible,

undertaking for so many. Like the theatre, these organizations could not have anticipated the

crisis we have all had to face head-on and we are all suffering the effects of that.

The Egyptian Theatre may not have had the foresight to be able to prepare for the current

crisis, but they have been very hands-on in responding to challenges as they arise. As

aforementioned, the theatre has had a flexible lockdown and as part of that, Kara decided to

utilize the “down-time”, to work on the theatre. Since Kara has been on the clock again, she has

been taking care of the building and working diligently to reduce costs during the closure as part
of the organizational response, which she called “mothballing”. Some of those things included

cleaning out concessions, unplugging devices that were unnecessary during the closure, and

making sure the heat was on to maintain the building and its contents. As a theatre on the coast,

certain maintenance tasks like keeping the heat on can be extremely important in preventing

damage, such as mold from humidity. The building is nearly one-hundred years old and has a lot

of maintenance it requires, as well as many potential updates that could be made. “We have

enough money to get by through next year for utilities and will be able to keep the theatre in

working condition. Thankfully, we also have grants for upkeep and updating,” said Kara.

Since the extended closure is still in effect, the theatre has taken advantage of that time

and has replaced the roof, worked on some of the rigging, repaired backdrops, done construction

work on the stage, and has more plans on the horizon. Their response has included actively

utilizing this time to ensure the sustainability of the theatre itself, and the safety of the

community in the future.

With no real tangible end in sight, even after flexible lockdowns over the last few months

that may have slowed the spread, now that the weather has changed and people are being forced

indoors, the state is clocking in cases in record numbers. It is easy to talk about the prevention of

a crisis, but situations must also be managed on a case by case basis. The current pandemic has

forced some ingenious innovation for online engagement, but for some organizations, that just

isn’t feasible. Even though it is suggested by many crisis management researchers, that most

organizations can prevent a crisis with measures in place, that may not be a logical option or

expectation for a theatre (Misra et al, 2000). Nevertheless, the Egyptian Theatre, has adapted to

the best of their ability. Kara has been diligently staying on top of regulations and safety

guidelines, including the closure, and steadfastly maintains social distancing guidelines for
volunteers of the Egyptians Preservation Association. She stated, “Most of our volunteers are a

part of the vulnerable population, and I am not willing to take any chances” I believe Kara has

been a responsible leader and is taking the theatre towards a safe recovery in the future.

While the Egyptian Theatre’s staff and volunteers, as well as the community at large, all

believed this would be over by now, they could not have anticipated the ebb and flow that is

Covid-19, nor are they able to predict a timeline for a recovery at this time. Everyone is hopeful

that with immunizations, the theatre can be reopened and at full capacity by next fall. Even with

the world opening back up, Kara and the theatre’s volunteers, are acutely aware that they cannot

just open their doors, and instead need to rely on a slower roll out taking place instead.

As of now, the theatre is managing with grants and donations, which is one reason why

they are in good shape for a recovery. At the end of the long tunnel of COVID-19, the theatre

will come out the other side stronger, with a revamped theatre and possibly money to spare from

the supportive community and generous grants for the building’s preservation. Kara and the

stakeholders have learned a lot and have put together guidebooks, not available before, about the

theatre’s operations and some guidelines for the business to continue its operations.

A crisis of this scale upends the world and impacts many industries. All we can do is

hope that to some extent, things will eventually work out for the better, and to use it as a learning

opportunity for future prevention (Sur, 2020). I believe the Egyptian has and will grow because

of this pandemic and may even continue to grow after this experience. While we likely can’t

predict when another pandemic may strike, or even when this one will end, the Egyptian took

advantage of the situation to prepare for any future events as best they could, and will have

guidance for anyone needing to deal with those events in the future.
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