LAGUNA NIGUEL : Show Will Go On, Despite Uncertain Aid

The Laguna Niguel Community Theatre will go ahead with plans to present “Anne of Green Gables” this spring, even though the City Council hasn’t discussed whether it will continue to help fund the fledgling dramatic group.

The city had given theater director Alicia Butler $14,600 in financial assistance for the group’s first two productions, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Odd Couple.”

The City Council plans to look at the attendance of the first two productions--almost 1,000 people, most of whom were not Laguna Niguel residents--and the theater’s community impact to decide whether it is worthwhile to continue the city’s financial support.

City Manager Tim Casey said the matter is expected to go before the council sometime within the next several months.

Butler said she thought the city delayed its decision because the county bankruptcy made expenditures uncertain, but Casey said the bankruptcy was not a factor.

Laguna Niguel Community Theatre will present “Anne of Green Gables” at Crown Valley Community Park’s outdoor amphitheater from May 12 to 14 and 19 to 21.