ABOUT half of the employees at the State Theatre in Pretoria are to be retrenched. That’s because Arts, Culture, Science and Technology Minister Ben Ngubane has decided to restructure the company. He said in a statement that the theatre needed to cater for the needs of the broader South African public. Pending the finalisation of policy currently being developed, the theatre is to be retained as a State asset. All productions running at a significant loss will be cancelled and the auditoriums will be made available for private hire. Non-core assets are to be disposed of and the money raised through this process would be channelled back into sustaining the institution. About 200 and 300 staff members will be retained.