A veteran theatre director has warned that hiring Perth's new State Theatre Centre could send independent companies to the wall, after his company ran up a $45,000 debt.

Prickly Pear Ensemble director John Aitken says his company has ceased operation since its one-week season of Aitken's play 'The Enchanters' in June, staged in the Heath Ledger Theatre.

In a letter to arts minister John Day this week, he says the production attracted 1,450 patrons, including school groups, but the cost of hiring the centre's main stage for eight performances had left him in crippling debt.

"Our biggest problem was the expenses incurred using the Heath Ledger Theatre - around $36,000 for one week... This means, in the short term at least, Prickly Pear will have to cease production."

He urged an overhaul of the Centre's operation, which is run by private operator AEG Ogden under contract to the Perth Theatre Trust. "One problem is they employ a small army of front-of-house staff at very expensive rates, regardless of the expected size of the audience."

Aitken, who wrote 'The Enchanters' as a tribute to the new theatre, says he sat on the government's advisory panel for the State Theatre Centre for several years. "But under the circumstances I would suggest it is not viable for independent producers to mount productions there, even with government funding and sponsorship."

Black Swan State Theatre Company has already dropped one show from its original seven-play 2012 season, due to high production and operating costs associated with using the theatre. Last month, another independent show, the operatic show 'Into the Shimmer Heat', made a large loss on its two-week season in the Health Ledger Theatre.

Perth Theatre Trust chairman Dr Saliba Sassine says the economic downturn has hit venues and companies alike.

"There's no magic solution, because the economy has seen ticket sales slow down. It is a particularly difficult issue for independents, and taking a play to a major theatre means you have to do your planning right."

He says the Trust will hold a series of forums "to understand what the companies and artists are experiencing, or what ideas they might have." But he warns that the state-of-the-art theatre centre requires expert staffing that inevitably costs more than other venues. "It's not as though we can provide a venue free for the sake of having independent theatre."

Another independent producer says cost structures are prohibitive for most independent companies, but they need to do their sums right.

Barry Strickland was coordinating producer of 'Helix', a multi-media dance production staged earlier this year in the Heath Ledger Theatre. "The support we had from State Theatre Centre staff was excellent, and I can understand why the costs are as they are," says Strickland. "The rates given to resident companies and not-for-profit independents are reasonable, given the scale and quality of the venue. But it's still a lot of money."

"Often government subsidies to stage work cover the cost of creating a work, not the cost of hiring the centre's theatres," he says. While 'Helix' achieved 62% of capacity, "filling seats was a major challenge without a significant advertising budget."

"The moral of the story is when you build a $100 million venue, it comes at a cost and many independents will not be able to afford it. Do your sums very diligently, and if they don't add up, look elsewhere."

However, Strickland says the closure of the cheaper Playhouse means there are few alternative spaces that can offer good levels of technical excellence, so there is little choice.

The Enchanters outstanding debt, for which director Aitken is personally liable, has prompted Perth's actors and musicians to hold a fund-raising benefit on 4 December, at the Brisbane Hotel. Tickets will be available at the door for $25 from 5pm.