Economic and patron downturns strike hard at State Theatre's bottom line STATE Theatre has suffered a horror year of falling audiences and revenue. The company's annual report for 2011-2012 reveals its box office revenue fell to $1.2 million from $1.6 million the previous financial year. State Theatre has been on a six-year decline in the all-important metric of subscriber audiences, who go to most, if not all, the company's productions and provide a floor to its income. In 2006, there were 4777 subscribers. By 2010, there were 3563 subscribers. This year there were just 2677 subscribers. Total attendances were about 40,000. General manager Pamela Foulkes left abruptly at the end of 2011 and artistic director Adam Cook also quit in February, almost a year before the end of his contract, after a record eight years in the job. Veteran theatre manager Rob Brookman replaced Foulkes and his son, Geordie, will take the reins as artistic director in 2013. Chairman of the State Theatre board John Irving has put the changes down to the economic environment, along with changes in audience patterns and buyer behaviour. State Theatre declared a $188,000 deficit for the year, having reduced expenses to help cover the box office shortfall. Rob Brookman also had to write a letter last month apologising to a number of subscribers "inadvertently" left off the mailing list for its 2013 season by ticket agency BASS.