UPDATE : 11-04-2016

Dear Friend of Defunkt Theatre,

Today we learned from the District Attorney's Office that in the case of The State of Oregon versus Defunkt's former executive director Lori Sue Hoffman, Ms Hoffman was convicted of felony charges related to her fraud and theft from Defunkt Theatre.  This has been a tremendously difficult and emotional chapter for all of us here at Defunkt , and we thank our sponsors and patrons who have remained steadfast in their support of our work.  We are relieved that justice has been served and are comforted by the knowledge that other organizations and individuals can learn from our misfortune and make themselves safer moving forward.  With the legal portion of this matter concluded, we can once again focus all of our attention on fulfilling Defunkt's mission, which is now in its seventeenth year.  The support of the audiences and artists who have rallied around Defunkt during this challenging time has resulted in some of our finest work ever, and we are proud to live and work in this inspiring community.

Thank you all, now, the show must go on.

Dear Friend of Defunkt Theatre, 

We are writing you today with some serious news. We have been informed that our former Executive Director, Lori Sue Hoffman has been arrested on several criminal charges in connection with her role at Defunkt. In May of 2015, members of our Board of Directors became aware of a multi year pattern of theft, misappropriation of funds and other criminal activity on the part of Ms. Hoffman. She was immediately released from her volunteer position as our Executive Director and the matter was turned over to the proper authorities. We are informing you of this because it involves a significant amount of money, and we believe that our loyal supporters deserve to hear directly from us. The main thing we want you to know is that this has been a major learning experience for us, and we have taken immediate, concrete actions to make sure nothing like this can ever happen at Defunkt again. Sarah Armitage stepped in May of 2015 as our Executive Director, and we have added three new members to our Board of Directors who are currently meeting monthly to review all bank statements and provide thorough financial oversight. As you can imagine this has been a challenging period for Defunkt. But the important thing is that we have survived, and are coming out of this situation stronger than ever. Our sustaining sponsors have stood behind us and are excited about the work we are doing and have planned for the future. The best way to help at this point is to make sure you see our final show of the season, The Udmurts, and to buy season tickets for next year’s Season 17: On the Edge. We look forward to many more years of producing exciting theater unlike any other you will see in Portland, and as always we thank you for your loyalty and support.

With Great Thanks,

Defunkt Theatre Board of Directors:

Sarah Armitage

Heather Hansen

Matthew Kern

Andrew Klaus-Vineyard

Bekah Telew

Carla Hodges Drain

Adele White