On Saturday night, an internationally acclaimed act played a free concert at the Turnage Theater.

That sentence contains a lot of information: Saturday night; internationally acclaimed; free concert. Perhaps in other places, that would have drawn a huge crowd, with people spilling out the door, people who wanted to see a live performance, hear fantastic music, see what all the hubbub was about, rub elbows with fellow arts appreciators, get a little exposure to other cultures, dance a little bit.

That such a concert was free should have been even more of a draw: something for nothing.

Washington (and the surrounding Beaufort County) is not other places, however. It was said by those who attended Saturday’s concert that it was one of the best they’d ever seen — a concert witnessed by all 50 or so of the people who went. Even the words “Saturday night,” “internationally acclaimed” and “free concert” aren’t enough to attract much of a crowd here, likely because “something for nothing” actually requires a little effort.

It’s a shame.

There are those who don’t much care for the Turnage Theater and its new owner the Beaufort County Arts Council. Some view such entities as too highbrow, though they’re wrong. But this editorial is not written for those who already have their minds closed to their importance. Rather, this is directed at a few entities.

To anyone and everyone who has ever said the Turnage Theater is a great asset to Washington: Show up. Make a little effort. Sacrifice an hour and a half of your time, perhaps a little of your money, to support what you say is a great asset to Washington. Don’t just say it, live it.

If the Turnage Theater is doing thriving business, it will, in turn, support all the businesses around it: the pre-show shopping and dinner crowd, the post-show drinks and dessert crowd.

To all those who stand to benefit: Stay open. Make a little effort. Sacrifice an hour and a half of your time, perhaps a little of your money, to support what you say is a great asset to Washington. Don’t just say it, live it.

Two years ago, Washington’s City Council considered buying the Turnage Theater and handing it over to the stewardship of the arts council because they recognize its importance to downtown. Later, they gave their wholesale approval of the arts council’s purchase of the theater. They said the arts council could rely on their support, but when budget time came this year, the arts council received no more financial support from the city than they had in years past, when the nonprofit’s overhead was minimal.

To the city council: Man up. Sacrifice your time, and perhaps a little of your money, to find a way to support what you say is a great asset to Washington. Don’t just say it, live it.

The Turnage Theater has always had the potential to be a driving economic force in downtown Washington. It’s time to make that happen. Show up to find out how.