Ripple effects continue to grow as Thalia Mara Hall’s temporary shutdown stretches into late September, Jackson arts groups adjust to keep season schedules on track and promoters eye lost opportunities and calendar dates that are slipping past.
Jackson’s premier performing arts venue was closed in early August after a weekend air- conditioning failure and discovery of mold, sending stakeholders scrambling to secure alternative venues or deal with cancellations. A recent state fire marshal report citing 22 fire code violations at the building, and noting the health issues of indoor mold and human waste on its outside balcony heaped on more concern for onlookers who can only watch and wait for remediation work to begin.
The Jackson fire marshal will assist crews to address fire code issues once it is safe to return to he building, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said at a briefing last week. “We don’t want anyone in Thalia Mara Hall until the remediation goes forward.”…