“Founded in 1980 on a shoestring budget, the Rep, which presented a mix of seven dramas, comedies, musicals and classics annually, has been financially flailing in recent years. In 2006, on the edge of insolvency, the theater, which had a $5 million annual budget and 51 employees, turned to the city for a $2 million bailout that later was restructured into a long-term mortgage-type loan.”