Hearst Corporation filed a civil suit Friday against the Summer Theatre of New Canaan for $6,000 in unpaid advertising, court records show.

Hearst Corp. is the publisher of newspapers such as The Advocate of Stamford, Greenwich Time and Connecticut Post.

"We've advertised with Hearst Publications for many years and appreciate their past support," said Ed Libonati, producer for STONC. "We're working to resolve this amicably and quickly."

The summons and complaint was filed in Stamford Superior Court on July 16, 2010. The court date is yet to be announced. 

The summer theater, which is a nonprofit organization, cited the economic downturn as one possible factor in the delayed payments.

"The economic climate has made fundraising more challenging to us and other organizations," Libonati said. "But we're still doing quite well and we hope to put this behind us quickly."

STONC is known for their summer productions, such as Big River, currently playing until Aug. 1. 

Hearst Corp. had no comment when asked about the civil suit. At time of press, calls placed to the legal representation of Hearst Corp. had not been returned.