Theater groups say they’re always scrounging for cash.

And even after funds were distributed at Wednesday night’s Associated Student Government meeting, some group leaders say they are no better off — and that the Student Activities Finance Board just doesn’t understand their needs.

After two student theater groups appealed for additional funds from SAFB’s fall funding pool Wednesday, several of the groups expressed disappointment in the board’s inability to relate to their operations.

“Most of account executives are economics majors or business oriented and not so close to the arts,” said Danielle Ongart, president of Niteskool Productions and a Communication senior. “Sometimes I find (SAFB account executives) to be kind of condescending and somewhat inappropriate as well — possibly due to ignorance of what it takes to put on a production.”

But ASG Financial Vice President Erica Williamson, who oversees the SAFB, said she thinks there is no rift between the two entities.

“I think (SAFB does) have experience,” said Williamson, a McCormick senior. “Granted, I do think there’s a lot of discussion that needs to happen.”

At least five theater groups qualify for SAFB funds: Arts Alliance, Vertigo Productions, Wave Productions, African-American Theatre Ensemble and Dolphin Show. The money they vie for in Fall and Spring quarters comes from the $120 Student Activities Fee paid for by most students, as well as from profits earned at events funded by these pools.

Wave and Vertigo appealed to receive a total of $1,565 in fall supplemental funds, but Wave did not receive its request.

Wave President Nicole Ripley appealed to SAFB to receive $450 for her group to purchase a new answering machine and set-building tools, but ASG senators voted against the request, calling it too broad. SAFB officials wanted to know specifics, and Wave members did not reveal what kinds of tools the group needed.

Ripley said she would not know which tools the group would need to replace until after the Fall Quarter production in mid-November.

“There’s a gap between the theater community and other student groups and ASG,” said Ripley, a Communication sophomore. “And we should work to close that gap and to better understand how both groups function.”

Williamson said she plans to sit down with representatives from the theater groups to discuss this issue and others — including her opinion that many theater groups have overstepped their bounds in asking for the funding they aren’t allowed to receive for their programming.

Typically, groups that keep all of their event’s earnings, like some theater groups, are not allowed to ask for SAFB funding for such programs.

All students groups that receive money from SAFB must distinguish whether the funds are being used for event-programming or capital improvements, such as office supplies.

Williamson said problems can occur when groups ask for funds to purchase lumber and tools and it is unclear whether the items fall into the category of capital improvements or under the classification of programming.

“There’s a gray line,” Williamson said. “With a lot of the groups, their capital improvements are going toward programming.”

But Ripley said for theater groups, long-term investments in items such as lumber are in fact improvements to a stage and therefore qualify as capital improvements.

“I really don’t see a gray area at all, actually,” said Ripley, adding that “if ASG senators understood what goes into building a set … they would understand that (tools) are used year after year.”