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It happened on Monday, Aug. 1. Sometime in the early morning, thieves broke into Profile Theatre’s offices in the Pearl District, swiping an entire suite of computers and then attempting to steal tens of thousands of dollars from the company by creating fake employees.
“While our bank has reversed the fraudulent payroll and restored the stolen cash, we find ourselves needing to purchase six new computers in the next three weeks before the start of rehearsals for the coming season,” Josh Hecht, the company’s artistic director, stated in an email to Profile patrons. “So, we’re asking for your help.”
Hecht added that he hopes to raise $15,000 by Labor Day. New computers are necessary not only for the day-to-day business of running Profile, but also for running sound, lights and video during their productions.
The plot of the unidentified burglars was intricate. According to Hecht, they created the fake employees (dozens, he says) by stealing Profile’s company management computer and breaking into their QuickBooks. They then ran payroll to themselves until Profile staff contacted the police and froze the company’s accounts.
In his email, Hecht sought to reassure fans who may be rattled by the scheme, stating that no information about Profile patrons had been stolen.
“We want to assure you that staff has taken every precaution, heightening security on all of our software, closing old bank accounts and opening new ones,” he wrote. “We have seen no evidence that our PatronManager system was violated, nor was any patron information obtained. We remain vigilant and welcome any questions you may have.”
Profile is one of the most unique theater companies in Portland. Each season, it produces the works of a single playwright (or group of playwrights), offering audiences an unusually comprehensive portrait of an artist’s career. Its 2022-2023 season will focus on Kristoffer Diaz, Christopher Oscar Peña and Lauren Yee. Diaz’s The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety, which is set in the world of professional wrestling, is scheduled to open Oct. 4.