Industry Pro Newsletter: Directors in the UK, Women of Color Leaving Theater at Alarming Rate
As theaters struggle to hire Artistic Directors, many look at splitting the role among multiple people.
By: Alex Freeman Jan. 09, 2023
Over the weekend, multiple Broadway shows took their final bow, with a few more coming this week. There are a lot of shows on the horizon to be excited about, and the holiday box office on Broadway was definitely encouraging. But how are things going regionally? This week, Cara Joy David takes a look at some of the regional trends in ticket buying, and what bumpy waters might be ahead for these large regional companies. Additionally, stories of troubling trends on who is leaving the field - women of color leaving leadership posts, directors in the UK exiting the industry, and theaters adjusting their leadership models as they step into an unknown future.
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Industry Trends
Regional Theaters Need Your Support Now by Cara Joy David
Theater folks in New York tend to be focused on what is happening in New York. But theaters all across the country -- the professional regional theaters, the community theaters, the commercial houses -- are part of the same theater ecosystem that New York theaters are part of. A non-profit in Utah, for example, impacts NYC theater by inspiring and training future theater artists, aiding in project development and normalizing theatergoing. Not to mention what it does for its own community. Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, theaters in most regions are suffering.
"We think it is going to take us five years to rebuild," said Angela Lee Gieras, Kansas City Repertory Theatre Executive Director and a LORT Board Member. "I don't know if it's that people got out of the habit of going to theater and now it takes more to get them out. But the confusing part about that kind of a statement is they are going to sporting events, they are going to live concerts."
Some theaters have closed their doors for good. Some have simply not reopened yet. The well-known regionals are back, but the vast majority are doing less shows now than in the before times.
Non-profit regionals rely on a combination of donations, sponsorship, subscriptions and individual ticket sales. Some of the best-known regional non-profits -- including Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA -- have seen subscriptions drop approximately 40% from where they were before the pandemic. Still others, such as La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, CA, held a good percentage of their subscribers but have taken a substantial single ticket hit. This at a time when expenses are high.
"American theater is definitely in need of support from the public," Tim Bond, Artistic Director of TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, CA, said. TheatreWorks' subscriptions are down 26-27%, but it is coming off a popular mounting of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS reset in San Francisco's Chinatown.
"The government saved us for that year-and-a-half when they pumped in money," Bond said. "But, now that that money is gone and we are down in subscriptions and still struggling to get people to come back for single tickets, we're in danger of losing more theaters in the next few years. TheatreWorks, right now, we're solid, but we have issues that we see on the horizon."
But there is hope. Christmas shows are back to being hits. Arena Executive Producer Edgar Dobie said sales are improving -- Step Afrika!'s MAGICAL MUSICAL HOLIDAY STEP SHOW was a box office success there, as was this summer's world-premiere musical AMERICAN PROPHET: FREDERICK DOUGLASS IN HIS OWN WORDS (which was enhanced by commercial producers and off-subscription). And there are companies that are doing fairly well in terms of subscriptions and single ticket sales. Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company Artistic Director Chris Coleman said the theater company was at 87% of its 2019 subscriber number and hit sales goals for all of its productions except one. Asolo Repertory Theatre leadership reported being only approximately 15-17% down in subscriptions with strong individual ticket sales.
It is not easy to figure out why some theaters are doing better than others, but there are theories out there. Keep reading the BroadwayWorld Industry Pro newsletter for a future column on that topic.
Women Leaders of Color Are Leaving Leadership at an Alarming Rate
Women of color are experiencing the "Great Breakup" in artistic organizations around the country, including theaters, opera companies, and museums. While data on the issue is still scarce, there is an alarming trend in the performing arts industry. Arts organizations frequently employ women executives of color to diversify their programming and connect with communities of color. But as Artnet blogger Lise Ragbir notes, they frequently lack the assistance needed to thrive or even continue. Click here to read more...
Broadway/New York
Applications Open for New York Casino License, Times Square One Potential Location
​​The Request for Applications has been issued by the New York Gaming Facility Board following a unanimous resolution to do so in order to gather proposals for up to three commercial casinos in the state of New York. The long-rumored Times Square location, about which BroadwayWorld has previously written, may be included in this. The Times Square location has not been finalized, but it is still an option, along with Coney Island, Yonkers, Queens, and other potential locales. Actors' Equity and Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians have both joined the Coalition for a Better Times Square, which is in opposition to The Broadway League's position and favors the construction of the casino. Click here to read more...
Harvey Fierstein Gifts La Mama $250,000 Matching Grant
One of La MaMa's most adored and recognizable artists, actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein, has announced a $250,000 matching contribution through La MaMa ETC to help finish the reconstruction and historic preservation of La MaMa's landmark building at 74 East 4th Street. Mary Fulham, the managing director of La MaMa, announced the donation. Click here to read more...
Regional
A school board in Jacksonville, Florida recently abruptly canceled a production of Paula Vogel's Indecent, citing '"adult sexual dialogue" in the play's portrayal of a same-sex love story' as the reason for the cancellation. Students at the school broke the story themselves on social media, and Paula Vogel has issued a statement in support of the students and the work itself being important for young artists. Click here to read more...
Tuyết Thị Phạm Named Associate Artistic Director at Everyman
Tuyết Thị Phạm has joined The Everyman Theatre as Associate Artistic Director and a member of The Resident Company of Artists, the theater company announced today. Phạm is just the second Associate Artistic Director who is also an actor in the Resident Company, making Everyman Theatre one of a select few Regional Theatres to have a resident company of professional artists as part of its mission. Click here to read more...
More Theaters Move Toward Shared Leadership Structure
The San Francisco Chronicle reports on the recent trend among San Francisco theaters - and indeed, theaters across the country - moving away from a traditional top-down structure of leadership to a shared model, often splitting the Artistic Director role into multiple roles. The shift comes as many companies are finding it increasingly difficult to fill the Artistic Director role in a traditional fashion. Click here to read more...
International
Nearly One Third of UK Directors Are Considering Leaving the Field
According to a groundbreaking survey that warns of "poor" compensation and "unethical practices" in the profession, nearly a third of stage directors are "seriously considering" abandoning the field. The information is included in Stage Directors UK's first census of the industry, which covers factors including age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, education, and pay. The organization wants to utilize the data in discussions about fees and working conditions in the future. 523 directors in all, both members and non-members, participated in the study, and 28% of them said they were seriously considering leaving the industry. Click here to read more...
Missed our last few newsletters?
January 3, 2023 - Cara Joy David's Lessons for Theater in 2022
Happy New Year! Early reports indicate that last week was a good one for Broadway Box Offices, and here's a reminder that you can get up to date gross information on BroadwayWorld when the League releases their data, with that data sortable by various factors. With the year coming to a close last week, Cara Joy David offers her thoughts on a few of the lessons that the industry (hopefully) has learned from 2022. We also take a look at some of our regional critics favorite moments from last year. Click here to read more...
December 27, 2022 - NEA Sees Increased Funding, AEA and Broadway League Reach Agreement
Happy Holidays to all! As the year draws to a close, Cara Joy David offers us a preview of some of the decisions facing the Administration Committee of the Tony Awards in regards to the plays of this season. We've also got some good news out of Washington for the industry, as the NEA received increased funding in the most recent budget passed by Congress, a look at the uncertain future of Victory Gardens Theater, and a new 101 article exploring our observations on banner best practices for promoting shows. Click here to read more...
December 19, 2022 - Drabinsky/Osnes Lawsuits, London Offering a Ticket Bank
Amid continued economic uncertainty, a wave of closing notices have hit Broadway - but why aren't audiences coming? In London, in response to the rising cost of living, the government has announced a plan to create the cultural equivalent of a food bank - providing free tickets and access to cultural institutions for those that are struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Cara Joy David offers analysis on two newly recently filed lawsuits. Click here to read more...
December 12, 2022 - Roundabout Going Dark on Broadway
As the end-of-year fundraising pushes are in full swing, a few different stories this week underscore the precarious position the industry finds itself in - new research from IMPACTS highlights the importance of mission in soliciting both donations and membership renewals, the Met works to recover from a cyber attack, and as Cara Joy David reports, Roundabout will be dark on Broadway this Spring. 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.
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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