For the last 15 years the Heartland Festival has made an impact on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, as well as on the community, but due to budget cuts the program will not be continuing this summer.

Associate professor of theater and festival director, Ann Dillon Farrelly said the Heartland Festival was a semi-professional summer stock theater festival that typically included two or three musicals as well as a cabaret show. She also said that actors from all over the area were hired through auditions and that community members had the opportunity to participate in shows as well.

Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services Rob Cramer, said that like many other cuts that had to be made, this was not an easy one.

“My kids have acted in the [Heartland Festival] as well as my wife, so this one hits close to home,” Cramer said.

Cramer said the goal of the Heartland Festival was not to make money, so when Phase 1 budget cuts came up the program was just too expensive to keep funding. UW-Platteville contributed $25,000 towards Heartland Festival productions every year, Cramer said.

“It was unusual to have this sort of thing in small-town Wisconsin, so it brought people into town when no one else was here,” Farrelly said.

Farrelly said the tornado during the summer of 2014 greatly affected the festival. The actors had been living in Southwest Hall so they had to be relocated and three performances were lost, which caused the festival to go way over budget, Farrelly said.

Director of the Center for Arts and Events Services, Michael Breitner said the community as well as local businesses will be affected by the loss of the program. In 2012, the festival was not held due to renovations in the CFA and Breitner said it hurt businesses.

“I talked to the owner of Country Kitchen and he said there was a 10 percent drop over that summer so I’m sure businesses are anticipating an overall drop in sales,” said Breitner.

Cassidy Salisbury, senior business administration management major and university box office attendant said that many community members have called in regarding the Heartland Festival and have been very disappointed that there will be no shows this summer.

“I think it’s a true loss to the university and the community that Heartland Festival is no longer here,” Salisbury said. She also said shows had very high attendance and some were sold out every night.

Cramer said he would love to see the summer program come back to the university some day because it enriches the area and provides a great experience.

However, Breitner said he does not foresee Heartland Festival coming back to the university anytime soon.

“Without a steady income it’s too hard. When you can’t depend on steady funding year after year, it becomes too hard to plan in advance,” Brietner said.

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