The museum Board of Trustees continued to underwrite the deficits to maintain the theater but their priority was the museum. There were tensions in this arrangement, and the Board was increasingly concerned about the viability of the theater. A study in 1987 showed that it was difficult for the theatre company to deal with a board that was essentially constituted to oversee the art museum. In addition, the city of Richmond was still characterized as having a "historical resistance" to the offerings of professional theatre.