About 30 people attended a public meeting at the Fortune yesterday to discuss the theatre's future with chairman Robert Aitken.
Dr Aitken told the meeting Public Health South health educator Karen Elliot, a respected member of Dunedin's art's scene, had been appointed interim manager, although negotiations were continuing.
"I'm really pleased. This appointment gives us space to breathe. It means the theatre can continue and plan for the 2010 season," he said in an earlier interview.
The present theatre manager, Janice Marthen, resigned in November and will finish next week.
An independent review, funded by Creative New Zealand, would take place early next year to determine whether the Fortune was operating "in the best way possible", Dr Aitken said.
"The information from the review will inform what we do next."
The board was also working on appointing an interim marketing person.
The position had been vacant since the start of this year, but Dr Aitken hoped an announcement could be made today.
He said it was important to find a replacement as soon as possible because advertising and promotion of the 2010 season was paramount to the survival of the theatre.
Hilary Norris, a director, told the meeting it was a fantastic start, but the theatre needed to stop trying "to reinvent the wheel" and learn from successful periods in its history.
Logan Park High School drama teacher Denise Walsh said this year's programme had been "dismal", with little suitable for high school pupils to attend.
There needed to be an emphasis on quality productions as well using the talent in the community.
"There is a lot of disaffection out there."
Otago Festival of the Arts director Nicholas McBryde said the Fortune continued to "hemorrhage" and running by committee was not the answer.
A strong artistic director who knows the community and knows theatre was needed to make the decisions.
"I'm disappointed we're having the same argument that we had four or five years ago."
* Janice Marthen's full title is CEO theatre manager of the Fortune theatre, not creative manager, as published yesterday.
