Industry Pro Newsletter: Cherry Lane Acquired, Weissberg Commissions Announced

A few interesting items this week that continue to highlight the different ways that theatre and other forms of entertainment are intertwined - first, in Massachusetts a proposal for live production tax credits - a scheme commonplace with many states to woo the film industry, but not overly common in the world of theatre. The Massachusetts program is designed after those seen in New York state and Rhode Island. Also, A24 is entering the live theatre realm - the revered production and distribution company has acquired the Cherry Lane Theater. We've long seen media companies make their way toward Broadway, but A24 entering the off-Broadway space comes after Audible successfully did so a few seasons ago.

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Employment Opportunity

Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellowship Program at Arena Stage

The Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellowship Program restarted with the 2022/23 season, reclaiming its roots as a professional training program for individuals who are interested in contributing to a fuller representation of BIPOC individuals in the arts. The goal of Arena Stage's fellowship program is to cultivate the next generation of BIPOC theater professionals by providing the highest standard of training through immersion in the art and business of producing theater. Successful candidates are highly motivated individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in the arts. Click here to learn more...

Industry Trends

Massachusetts Governor Proposes Live Production Tax Credit

Gov. Healey's proposal identifies the live theater tax credit as a "pilot program" intended to help plays costing at least $100,000 that are going to Broadway, off-Broadway, or on a national tour. It is modeled after programs in New York and Rhode Island. Productions meeting the requirements might receive grants totaling $5 million annually from the Massachusetts Office of Business Development. Click here to read more...

Broadway/New York

Wolf Play's Wall of Free Props by Cara Joy David

When walking into MCC Theater to see Hansol Jung's acclaimed WOLF PLAY, you are greeted by very little on the floor where the action will take place--a couch, a table, some balloons--but yet an entire wall chock full of stuff. There are tons of lamps and drums. There is a globe, a rocking horse, a clear container full of baseballs, a dresser toward the ceiling, a bathtub on a shelf. Every inch of the wall is filled, even the areas next to the seats, invisible to anyone not in those seats. Where did all of this stuff come from? A number of the items came from past productions the team members have worked on, and, bizarrely, some of them came from the City of New York.

"One of the things I've been doing as a props designer is trying to always reuse the props from shows that I've worked on and WOLF PLAY was a great opportunity to put all of this together," prop designer Patricia Marjorie said. "So WOLF PLAY has props from shows I've done--and I've done 17 in the last year--and props from shows Dustin [Wills, the director] has done and props from Materials for the Arts."

Materials for the Arts is run by the city and is essentially a reuse center. Institutions or individuals donate items, including paper, fabric, buttons, beads, arts & crafts supplies, small appliances, hardware and household items. Then the organization provides these items to nonprofits, public schools, city agencies or individuals with non-profit sponsorship. (Marjorie falls into the last category because she was the recipient of a New York City Artist Corps grant, making her eligible to receive props from Materials for the Arts.) Through this program, WOLF PLAY has props on its wall from the TV shows THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL, MANIFEST and ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING.

"Materials for the Arts is great because we can also donate the materials back to them," Marjorie explained. "So our goal is once this show is done, we want to donate most of the props that we put together for this show back to Materials for the Arts so all the artists can also take advantage those props."

Very few of the props from the wall are actually used in WOLF PLAY, which was just extended through April 2. The fridge door is opened (though there is no fridge interior), a boom box is taken down and some bowls and boxes of cereal come off a shelf, but that is pretty much it. The purpose is not to use the props, but for them to create atmosphere. When WOLF PLAY was at the Soho Rep, the team painted its space entirely white. They could not do that with MCC and, according to Marjorie, instead sought to make the theater their own through the prop wall. Marjorie, Wills, set designer You-Shin Chen and others all worked for months assembling the items. The idea was the prop wall made the fairly new MCC space feel older, more eclectic. The effect is striking. Plus, there was very little to lose with free props from the creatives' prior productions and the city.

Rattlestick Appoints Will Davis as Artistic Director

The New York Times reports that Off-Rattlestick Broadway's Theater has named Will Davis as its new artistic director. Daniella Topol, who has been the artistic director since 2016, will be replaced by him. Davis also emphasized how crucial it is for people to be aware he is transgender. Davis previously held the position of artistic director at the Chicago-based American Theater Company. He and Topol will work together in the transition to his starting full-time May 1. Click here to read more...

Cherry Lane Theater Acquired by A24

A24 is entering the live theater market after dominating independent cinema and television. One of the oldest Off-Broadway theaters in New York City has been acquired by a corporation called the Cherry Lane Venue, whose stated address is the same as A24's New York office. They purchased the venue for $10 million, according to a deed submitted on Friday to the New York City Department of Finance. According to a person familiar with the transaction, A24 will continue operating the newly acquired venue as a live theater rather than using it for movie screenings or premieres. Click here to read more...

Regional

In Chicago, The Comeback Isn't Here

With pandemic era programs coming to an end, many of the flagship institutions in Chicago are finding themselves looking at an operational deficit in their current seasons - and relying more heavily on donations and foundation support than earned revenue. A problem they worry isn't sustainable. Click here to read more...

Woolly Mammoth Announces First Weissberg Commissions

Vivian J. O. Barnes, Gethsemane Herron, Jenn Kidwell, and Justin Weaks are the commissioned artists. The Weissberg Commissions give Woolly Mammoth the chance to support writers who are DMV-centric or who are born, raised, or based in the Washington, DC metro area. The four honorees were chosen by Woolly based on their innovative artistic style and the way they prioritize racial justice in their works. Woolly will offer the developmental assistance needed to create these ground-breaking new works. Click here to read more...

International

Olivier Awards to Review Gendered Categories

The Stage reported that The Olivier Awards would begin a review of its gendered categories. For plays and musicals, there are now eight gendered categories for best actor and actress as well as best supporting actor and actress. Non-binary performers are not currently recognized in any category. The Society of London Theatre reportedly stated that the Olivier Awards will begin a review of gendered categories. Click here to read more...

Mirvish's CAA Theatre May Close

Mirvish's CAA Theatre in downtown Toronto, which has played host to numerous performances over its 112-year history, might soon close. According to application paperwork submitted to the city and acquired by the Toronto Star, the theater will be demolished and transformed into a 76-story, mixed-use structure. The 700-seat CAA Theatre, the smallest of Mirvish's four venues, has served as a link between regional theater performers and Mirvish's larger audiences. The theater has been hosting the Off-Mirvish series for about 10 years, and it is the company's only location to regularly showcase productions by Toronto theatremakers and artists. Click here to read more...

Missed our last few newsletters?

February 27, 2023 - Antisemitic Protests at Parade, New AEA Report on EDI

The growing threat of antisemitism in our culture spilled onto Broadway last week as a group of neo-Nazi's protested outside preview performances of Parade. Cara Joy David dives into that, not only looking at the protests themselves, but how it fits into the wider cultural conversation and what each of us should be doing in our day to day lives to further combat this alarming growth of antisemitism. Beyond that, some good news from governmental budgeting processes - as Wisconsin's governor has proposed an increase in arts funding, and the Scottish government reversed their planned cuts to arts funding. At this critical cultural juncture, seeing those in positions of power recognize the importance of the arts is an important step to protecting the industry as a whole. Click here to read more...

February 20, 2023 - Hal Luftig Company Declares Bankruptcy, New Ohio to Close

Earlier this month, the Box Office of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Kimmel Center became tied up in a cyber attack - not unlike the attack that tied up the Met's box office for weeks - offering everyone a reminder that cyber security vulnerabilities should be examined by institutions of all shapes and sizes. In the newsletter this week, we also have stories about leadership changes, a bankruptcy filing, and the closing of the New Ohio, an off-Broadway institution for the last 30 years. Click here to read more...

February 13, 2023 - Are audiences worse behaved? The Antonyo's (Renamed) Returns

Recent reporting from the UK has many, anecdotally at least, convinced that post-pandemic shutdown audiences are significantly worse behaved than they were before the pandemic. While we don't have hard data to back up that claim, the stories in the linked article below about the audience behavior are certainly eyebrow raising. We've also got a great story from an event that our friends at Situation held last month, with their key takeaways about the way audience buying behaviors - and thus the ways in which we reach those audiences - have been changing as live events emerge from the pandemic. Click here to 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 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and for The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)! Then start building your own at stagemag.broadwayworld.com.

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