CHILLICOTHE — Tecumseh! The Outdoor Drama has been a staple in Ross County since 1973.
Still, in the past few years, the weather has made it so that the outdoor theatre has had to cancel many shows, according to Brandon Cavender Smith, CEO of The Scioto Society, causing financial strain on the non-profit corporation.
“Nine cancellations this year,” Smith said. “We’ve been averaging ten for the past three years, which is six to seven more than the previous years before that. And a lot of that has to do with heat. We recorded a heat index of 140 degrees on stage. That’s just never really happened.”
And with heat comes storms. Smith said they had canceled an entire week due to heat, and then the week after, it rained every day. He said that though he wishes shows didn’t have to be canceled, he has to think about the safety of his actors, the horses, and the patrons.
“That’s been frustrating to deal with, but it’s just part of the deal when you’re performing outdoors,” Smith said. “There’s definitely been a financial impact.”
Smith said the non-profit has a couple of things up its sleeve to help with what they’ve lost this year, including their yearly Halloween show and a soon-to-be-announced program.
“2024 was a financially difficult year, 2025 was, and 2026 is shaping up to be that,” He said. “We’re a nonprofit organization, so ticket sales have never covered the cost of what it takes to run things. We depend largely on donations, grants, memberships, and sponsorships.”
Though Smith said the organization hasn’t technically lost money this year, their ticket sales have fallen short.
“We had a pretty good idea of what we thought we could bring in with ticket sales, but we were somewhere between $40,000 and $75,000 short through June.”
Smith said the best way to support the organization and allow it to continue for years to come is to see the show, attend fundraisers, and, if able, send donations.
“At the end of the day, this company was founded to create an economic activity in our area through the arts, and it has absolutely done that,” Smith said. “It has an impact on the everyday lives of people who live here, and it will for a long time to come. It’s been a tough couple of years, but I see bright things in the future.”
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Weather hits Tecumseh! The Outdoor Drama hard
Reporting by Destiny Torres, Chillicothe Gazette / Chillicothe Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Destiny Torres, Chillicothe Gazette | USA TODAY Network
