After almost a year, two theater groups in the Washington, D.C. area were finally paid by the Seattle-based ticketing company Brown Paper Tickets.
According to NBC 4 Washington, J.A.M. the Revue hadn’t been paid since their last performance in December 2022, amounting in $7,000 in owed funds from BPT. Additionally, Rise Up Theater Company was owed $8,500 for their production in May. Scott Gustaveson, who runs the non-profit, told the news outlet that the lack of payment halted any future productions and “no one would answer the phones, so we were really at a loss for how we were going to recoup those funds.”
A spokesperson for BPT told NBC 4 that they were in the process of being acquired by Events.com, and through the acquisition, the company launched “The Secured Funds Program,” which would guarantee payment after events end.
Both J.A.M. the Revue and Rise Up Theater Company said that they were finally paid, however, there are several other companies still waiting for payment.
Back in 2020, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued the ticketing company over allegations that the company owed nearly $7 million to artist and venue clients, as well as ticket buyers, amid the large amount of pandemic event cancellations. While the case was settled, BPT still struggled to pay clients.
Earlier this year, the Off-Broadway troupe Soft Brain Theatre Company told Playbill that BPT withheld thousands of dollars in revenue during the previous quarter, and while BPT collected $12,000, they are still owed $9,500. Then, last month, a non-profit organization in Oregon that aims to help children with medical needs spoke out about taking legal action against BPT for an owed $15,100.
Allegations have also emerged that two music ensembles in New Hampshire were not given access to their revenue until legal action was taken. According to the Washington AG’s office, 489 new complaints have been filed against BPT after not receiving payment. BPT currently has an “F” rating on the Better Business Bureau with 767 complaints closed in the last three years.
