Defunkt Theatre's Former Director Pleads No Contest To Theft Charges

Lori Sue Hoffman amended her plea from "not guilty" to "no contest" on two of the 10 charges.

Defunkt Theatre's case against former executive director Lori Sue Hoffman was settled last Friday when Hoffman plead no contest to two charges of theft from the all volunteer theater.

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This past May, Hoffman was indicted with 10 counts of theft (eight of which were felony charges) to which she initially plead not guilty. The theater's board members removed Hoffman from her position because of the thefts, which occurred between 2010 and 2015. Hoffman worked for the nonprofit theater since it was founded in 2000, first as its costume designer before becoming executive director in 2009.

According to Defunkt's co-artistic director Andrew Klaus-Vineyard, Hoffman stole around $50,000 for personal rent, massages, vacations and dinners. "This was a friend who took advantage of us in a very predatory way," says Klaus-Vineyard. "We're just really glad that this all over and that she can't do this to anyone else."

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Defunkt Theatre, which runs out of a back room in Common Grounds coffee shop, is currently in its 17th season. The company just wrapped up their production of Taylor Mac's Hir, and have productions of That Pretty Pretty; Or, The Rape Play and a double bill of Trifles and Dutchmen slated for 2017.

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