Skids in the Hall

Dante Hall keeps hope for a future of performing arts in Atlantic City

By Jeff Schwachter

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Aug. 18, 2009

The Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank brought their brand of rootsy folk-blues from Minnesota to Dante Hall in June. The band is one example of how hard Dante Hall has tried to bring in a unique and diverse slate of acts to its theatre.

Photo by Joshua Priestley

A news release was sent out to the local press last Friday, Aug. 14, stating that "Stephanie Clineman, Director of Operations of Dante Hall Theater of the Arts, announced today that the theater will be undergoing a restructuring process in the next few months."

It went on to say that, "Despite rumors to the contrary, and in an effort to keep the arts alive in the South Jersey area, programming will continue during this period. The Board of Directors is focusing on how to succeed in the current economy. We want to continue to provide the diverse, quality entertainment Dante Hall is known for. The staff and Board would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our supporters, past, present and future."

It has been rumored that Dante Hall, which opened as a performing arts venue in 2003, might be closing soon due to lack of funding in relation to the current economy. The theater has been embraced to an extent by the local community as an alternative performing arts center to live casino entertainment, a road that few area performing-arts centers have been successful taking.

Since opening, however, the venue has booked a diverse slate of national and local acts, including jazz, opera, blues, dance, theater and other eclectic types of performances. The venue has also worked with local dance instructor Pattie Harris and drum workshop operator Michael Hoebler in a variety of workshops, classes and performances.

Clineman told the local Atlantic City daily last week, "When everything started crashing with the economy, we definitely saw a direct result. The grants that were being issued and money the state had to give to us were cut back. On the weekends, people started to decide they were going to stay home, and that was right around the time we started to see the bottom drop out."

Clineman tells AC Weekly today that Dante Hall is intent on reworking its strategy to survive, but that in today's economy, "every business has been forced to look at the way they operate and the products they produce. We know that Dante Hall Theater of the Arts is a jewel and we need the opportunity to evaluate the best format for serving the community."

Clineman adds that, perhaps, one of the struggles Dante Hall has faced over the years, is trying to be "many things to many people."

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