The ongoing maintenance issues, mold remediation and indefinite closure of Thalia Mara Hall have left event promoters and performers scrambling to find new venues for shows, including two Kevin Hart comedy shows scheduled for later this month.
But it could take four to eight weeks for remediation specialists to treat the mold, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba and other officials said during a press conference on Sept. 9.
Jenny Mann, president and executive director of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, one of several arts organizations that call the theater home, described Thalia Mara Hall “the main space for all of us in this area.”
“Without the space, we can’t do what we do, and the city has not communicated with arts leaders at all. We really need them to be a partner with us,” she said in a statement released on Sept. 5.
The City of Jackson said on Aug. 27 that major events slated to open at Thalia Mara Hall would be moved to the Mississippi Coliseum, a decision that left arts organizers confused because the venue is “unsuitable for most arts programming,” the joint press release stated.
While Ali Saddiq’s upcoming comedy show moved to the Mississippi Coliseum, a Kansas concert, Wheel of Fortune Live and Hart’s comedy show are now canceled, concert promoter Arden Barnett confirmed to the Mississippi Free Press on Sept. 11.
On Monday, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba gave an update on the ongoing repairs, saying that the City of Jackson had acquired a chiller for the theater’s HVAC system and that more updates would be provided on the City’s website Thursday.
Since Sept. 12, following calls from the public for more transparency about the issues, the City has published weekly updates on the progress of the repairs.
‘Poor Leadership, Negligence and Abandonment’
Public outcry over the condition of the theater swelled earlier this month, including comments from a City of Jackson employee and leaders in Jackson’s arts community, leading the mayor to address the concerns.
“There was a malfunction of the air conditioning system on a weekend when no one was present,” the mayor said during a press conference on Sept. 9. “It was not that it was neglected. That malfunction took place on the weekend, and the very next week is when it became apparent to everyone else. That’s when a number of things were scheduled as a result.”
The team working to restore Thalia Mara Hall has scheduled testing of the rigging system, hydraulics for the orchestra pit and elevators, the mayor said. “Every aspect of the theater is being reviewed, tested and planned, including a time frame for it to be done.”
While some problems have persisted for years, public outcry over the current condition of Thalia Mara Hall came to a head last month after news outlets shared photos of what appeared to be mold on floors and seats in the theater.
Weeks after the City of Jackson’s Aug. 1 announcement of the decision to close Thalia Mara Hall indefinitely to address “microbial growth” and complete scheduled maintenance, the City publicly released an air-quality environmental report conducted by the company CTEH.
The report recommended repairs and outlined the company’s findings of three types of mold from samples taken throughout the theater: penicillium, aspergillus and cladosporium.
The mayor’s statements on Sept. 12 came days after Thalia Mara Hall Director Angela Ladner spoke with WLBT, saying that she had been warning city leadership for months about the state of the building.
“I’m not going to let the theater just sit here and fall into the ground,” Ladner told WLBT on Sept. 6. “There are plumbing issues—toilets are overflowing. I’m moving garbage cans around today to catch leaks on the stage because if the wood starts to crumble on the stage, the stage is gone.”
In addition to Ladner’s comments, several leaders in Jackson’s arts community released a joint statement the day before, requesting more communication from the City of Jackson and a timeline for repairs.
“I’m saddened because Jackson has so many opportunities that we miss out on,” Xperience JXN Entertainment owner Yolanda Singleton said in a Sept. 5 press release. “It seems like it’s down to poor leadership, negligence and abandonment. And, I’m frustrated because the citizens of Jackson deserve better.”
