Theatre Thievery, Part 4

First the Blue, the Vortex, and Arts on Real. Now the Santa Cruz Center for Culture. The performing arts venue on East Seventh, home to the Aztlan Dance Company for 27 years, is the latest Eastside theatre to be hit by thieves in the last five months. Some time between 11pm Tuesday, March 8, and 6am Wednesday, March 9, someone broke into the center and made off with roughly $18,000 in lighting and sound equipment and computers, causing about $1,000 in damages to the facility in the process. As with the other venues that were vandalized, the Santa Cruz Center is a nonprofit that can't afford to lose these items but also can't afford to replace them. They desperately need the help of anyone who supports what they do to survive this blow. As it is, the Aztlan Dance Company is offering a $50 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the theft. It's also gratefully accepting donations to help defray the cost of damages. For more information, contact Cassandra Quiroz or Roen Salinas at 478-9717.