Industry Pro Newsletter: Associates Get a Union, Gulfshore Playhouse Joins LORT

February 21, 2022 -

Congratulations to Gulfshore Playhouse on becoming the 77th member of the League of Resident Theatre's - a story we have under the regional section of this week's newsletter. We also have the story of Hollywood retaining their return to work protocols to keep their sets as safe as possible, even as several states and municipalities roll back their own mandates. And, with the SDC being recognized as the Union representing Associate Directors and Choreographers on Broadway, this all adds up to having been a great week for workers across the theatre industry. While we start to see operations returning to a broader sense of "normal" it is good to see that some of the work that was spoken about during the pandemic is coming true as that normalcy returns.

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Industry Trends

Poll Your Audience with BroadwayWorld's Stage Mag

The latest feature update to BroadwayWorld's digital show program builder Stage Mag allows you to set up polls for your audience to respond to right inside the program. Read more...

New Web Series from BroadwayWorld: The Aging Ingénue

This 6-part comedy series starring Sara Jean Ford and directed by Cameron Dingwall. The pair co-wrote the series as well. Check out Episode 1 this week and prepare to tune in each week on Wednesday's when the new episodes drop! Watch Episode 1...

Hollywood's Return to Work Protocols Will Remain in Place

The safety rules for film and television sets were updated and agreed to by the major unions, even as many municipalities begin to relax public mandates regarding masking and vaccination. The protocols will be in effect until at least April 30th. Read more...

Broadway/New York

Associate Directors and Choreographers on Broadway Now Have a Union

The Broadway League agreed to voluntary recognition of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society as the Union representing Associate Directors and Choreographers of Broadway shows. Previously, they were one of the few positions on Broadway not represented by a Union. Read more...

American Theatre Wing Honored with Three Anthem Awards

The Anthem Awards, created to honor the work of individuals and organizations working to advance the social good and work to spark global change. The American Theatre Wing was honored for its Counting Together program and Working in the Theatre docuseries. Read more...

New York Tourism Should See a Significant Rebound in 2022

In a preview about travel trends for 2022, The New York Times quotes data from Skyscanner, a travel booking website, that says New York is their most booked destination for trips in 2022. But the news isn't just good for New York - overall, large city destinations are proving highly popular with travelers. Read more...

New York Artists Can Now Apply for New Guaranteed Income Program

The program offers $1,000 monthly payments to up to 2,400 New York artists with a demonstrated financial need. The goal of the program is to offer these artists a little breathing room to continue creating their work. A simultaneous program offers artists in residence to community organizations with a salary of $65,000 per year. Read more...

New Report: POC Arts Groups Continue to Face Challenges in NYC

For many POC focused and led organizations in the city, the primary challenge lies in resources and visibility. A new report from Hue Arts shows just how large of a challenge that can be - and they've sent the report to the Mayor to ask for help. Read more...

Regional

Loretto Greco Named The Huntington's New Artistic Director

Coming from The Magic Theatre in San Francisco, an institution she led for 12 years, Greco will be the fourth Artistic Director in the 40 year history of The Huntington, and the first woman to hold the position. Read more...

Gulfshore Playhouse Becomes the 77th Member of LORT

Last week, it was announced that the Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Florida would become the newest member of the League of Resident Theatres. Read more...

Sam Woodhouse Announces Retirement from San Diego Rep

After leading the institution from its founding 46 years ago, Sam Woodhouse announced his retirement as the Artistic Director of San Diego Rep at the conclusion of the current season. He'll direct one more show this summer as the Artistic Director. During his tenure the Rep has produced more than 330 productions, 50 of them World Premieres. Read more...

International

'Open Access' is Hurting the Edinburgh Fringe

In new research from Edinburgh University, it discovered that the open access ethos of the Edinburgh Fringe, along with a desire to expand at all costs, have led to a lack of regulation and oversight - something that could ultimately hurt the Fringe in the future. Read more...

UK Government Being Urged to Invest in R&D for the Arts

A new campaign spearheaded by The Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre is calling on the UK Government to include the creative sectors to be included in governmental investment in research and development. As new technologies are developed, the group argues that the creative sector should also be funded to experiment with new ways to use that technology for cultural experiences. Read more...

New Report Shows Australia Lags Major Economies in Arts Funding

The new report shows that despite increased top line numbers, those numbers have failed to follow the rate of inflation - meaning the overall amount of money spent per individual by the government on arts and culture has declined over the last 10 years. This places Australia 23rd out of 34 peer countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This rate still ranks it ahead of both the United States and the United Kingdom, however. Read more...

Missed our last few newsletters?

February 14 - Dramatic Publishing Wins Arbitration, Regional Jimmy Awards Competitions Announced

It's Valentine's Day - and to celebrate, check out our list of the most romantic Broadway love songs of all time according to Broadway stars, along with some other fun and games on our social channels. Across the industry last week, two trends have begun to emerge more fully: the first being we continue to have more data on just how bleak things were for the industry over the past two years. The second is that more companies are ready to emerge from that darkness stronger than ever - with new spaces ready to open and new seasons being announced. While much of the last two years have been filled with programs designed to bridge the gap between pre and post pandemic, it feels more like the current bridges are now landing on the mainland, and not another island in the midst of an uncertain landscape. Read more...

February 7 - Shelly Lowe Confirmed as NEH Chair, Broadway Data Shows Reopening Did Not Go As Planned

While the data from the late fall and early winter show that Broadway's reopening didn't go as planned, and the usual January closing announcements were an emotional blow after the Omicron related surge, the slate of opening dates announced on Broadway for early to mid-April (to make the Tony eligibility cutoff), have many in the industry starting to feel optimistic that this time a corner has truly been turned. Add on that many states are continuing to scale back various restrictions, and the wider workplace is beginning to treat COVID as something endemic, as opposed to a pandemic. While this will bring with it a new set of challenges, and other industry concerns require a rethinking of what was once business as usual, the work of getting to the new normal may be starting to come with fewer external jolts to the system. Read more...

January 31 - Smaller Shows Feel the Squeeze, CTG Eyes Transformation

The virus related news is looking better this week, as New York's COVID positivity rate continues a rapid decline. However, that doesn't mean the wider theatre industry is out of the woods quite yet, as attention can once again shift to the other changes in artist and audience sentiment in the wider Cultural Industry. While we've thought we were looking at this turning point before, that doesn't change the fact that the work to bring further equity to the industry remains ongoing, and as companies continue to chart their paths forward, many are working to build that equity into their recovery. Read more

BroadwayWorld Resources

BroadwayWorld Stage Mag - A Fully Interactive Show Program

The digital solution to your show program needs - want to see what's possible? Check out the Stage Mag's for off-Broadway's Blindness and for Next on Stage Season 3! Then start building your own at stagemag.broadwayworld.com.

Add Your Show to our Regional Events Calendar

As audiences get set to return to in-person performances, and as your company works to market your own return to the stage, make sure you've got your upcoming shows in our regional events calendars. Listings are free of charge, with boosting options available. Get your show listed now!

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