First Frontier’s bankruptcy filing said the group owed more than $500,000 in debts with only $50,000 in assets, according to the filing in Southern Ohio District bankruptcy court.
The Blue Jacket production began losing money in 2004, the lawsuit said, and First Frontier members approached county commissioners for help. Commissioners agreed to loan the group $250,000.
As collateral for the loan First Frontier gave the county an interest in the amphitheater and any other improvements made to Caesar’s Ford Park where the play was produced, the lawsuit said. The group stopped making loan payments in 2005 and hasn’t produced a dramatic production since 2007, leaving the facilities to deteriorate.
First Frontier has repeatedly asked the county for more money, most recently in July 2009, the lawsuit said. Members of the theater production named in the lawsuit could not be reached for comment.
The lawsuit asks the court to find First Frontier has breached its long-term lease and defaulted on the loan, giving the county immediate control over the amphitheater and other improvements at Caesar’s Ford and forcing the bankrupt group to repay its debt.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2342 or cmagan@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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