Industry Pro Newsletter: Baltimore Center Stage Announces Layoffs, League President's Abrupt Departure Raises Questions
Gala Hispanic Theatre in DC is dealing with the fallout of a hack of their bank account.
By: Alex Freeman Jan. 22, 2024
January is often a rough month in the theater industry - there are fewer shows running, audiences are reluctant to venture out into the winter weather, there is typically a slate of Broadway closings, and companies are taking stock of their financial situation following the closure of (typically) popular holiday productions. This week brings us a lot of stories along those lines, both from the United States and across the globe, where one company in Australia is questioning how impact is measured after losing their funding.
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Industry Trends
Photos: Go Inside the Next of Stage Finale at 54 Below
It was an emotional and inspiring afternoon at 54 Below last Sunday, as the Next on Stage finale happened live. Take a look at our photos from the event, and then make sure and check out the replay video if you haven’t yet had a chance to see these powerful performances.
Broadway/New York
Industry Trends Weekly: League President's Abrupt Departure Leaves Industry Talking by Cara Joy David
Last week, the Broadway League announced that Charlotte St. Martin would be “retiring” after 18 years. An email from St. Martin went out to League members shortly before the public announcement. And I’m not sure I’ve ever received quite so many theater-related communications before noon.
Although she will “serve in an advisory position for special events through the 2024 Tony Awards,” St. Martin is leaving her position effective February 16, 2024, which is soon. Jed Bernstein, the last League head, announced his departure in September with an end-of-the-season effective date. Regional theater leaders, without immediate next jobs, usually also announce departures tagged to season ends. So, needless to say, most were surprised and rumors have been making the rounds. But to publish them would be irresponsible. Instead, I’m going to discuss more general realities.
Established in 1930, the Broadway League (which has had a few names) has had six heads (now called “President,” previously called “Executive Director”), including St. Martin; average tenure 15 years, four months. The Broadway League is a trade association. Basically what that means is it is an organization founded and funded by businesses related to Broadway. Its purported job is to “increase interest in commercial theatre throughout North America.” It co-sponsors the Tonys. Its foundation arm presents the Jimmy Awards. I can list more. Honestly, a lot of what it does is herd cattle. It keeps the official opening nights calendar. It tries to organize industry-wide responses when crappy things happen—from the passing of a community member to the pandemic. It negotiates with unions so the standard contracts are the same for all League members. It lobbies the government. It shepherds DEI efforts, though the head of those initiatives, Gennean M. Scott, left last week.
The League operates with varying degrees of success. It’s also an easy target. Ticket prices increase, blame the League. Refund/exchange policies decrease, blame the League. I’m still angry about the botched relaunch ad campaign. However, as it is a trade association, not a traditional company, the President of it doesn’t actually run Broadway; that person in theory is more a steward of the Broadway brand. Some of the things we think a League head should be able to do—insist on a light dimming, for example—are not totally within that person’s power. And while it is definitely fair to place part of the blame for Broadway's poor attendance figures on the trade organization designed to promote it (and I do), no one credited the League during the 2018-2019 season with its record-breaking attendance.
St. Martin does oversee the League’s own initiatives. For example, I’ve heard her speak passionately about Broadway Bridges and the League’s High School Broadway Shadowing Program, two cool programs created during her tenure.
Whether the League's chief executive should be an industry person has always been debated. Broadway is too insider. That favors bringing someone from the outside, with ideas that have perhaps worked in other industries. Also, it is partially a role focused on branding, not something theater producers are particularly known to be spectacular at. Neither St. Martin nor Bernstein were theater producers before they got their League positions. St. Martin came from the hospitality industry, having worked her way up the ladder at Loews Hotels, where she was for almost 30 years; Bernstein was an advertising guy. (I wasn’t around when Bernstein started, but I’ve heard, while some balked at his structural overhaul of the organization, he was more embraced in his early years than St. Martin was in hers. St. Martin was the first female head of a male-dominated organization and also has a southern accent, neither of which worked to her advantage I suspect. The criticisms of her now might be valid, the snarky remarks I heard about her right away were less appropriate.) Although there are reasons for giving the role to a non-industry person, St. Martin’s non-theater background was frequently brought up as a negative, especially as she made several interview comments in recent years that led to criticism both on social media and behind closed doors. Story continues, click here.
Broadway League Chief Diversity Officer Gennean Scott Resigns
In her resignation post on Instagram, Scott quoted her own state of the industry speech from the League’s previous diversity summit, posing questions about her own role within the structure of Broadway. She notes that she is transitioning to another national role outside of Broadway, but does not name the new role.
Regional
Washingtonian: DC's Historic Gala Hispanic Theater Fears Curtain Call After Theft
Due to a hack of the theater’s bank account, $250,000 sits in limbo for Gala Hispanic Theater - leaving the theater in a shaky financial position while the investigation into the crime plays out. However, despite the situation, they are still opening their next show on time.
Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Center Stage Announces Layoffs and Salary Reductions
In announcing the cuts, BCS Managing Director Adam Frank cited the death of the subscription model as one of the primary culprits. The article also describes the particular squeeze that mid-sized groups are feeling - without a large donor base but high production costs, they can struggle to weather the storm, whereas larger companies with bigger donor bases have more protection, and smaller groups can be more nimble.
After four decades of contributing to comedy and classes, ImprovBoston announces its closure as a nonprofit. The article explores the circumstances leading to this decision and reflects on the institution's enduring impact on the world of improv.
American Theatre: Trisha Kirk Named Managing Director of the Guthrie Theater
Trisha Kirk steps into the role of Managing Director at the Guthrie Theater full time, bringing her wealth of experience to this prestigious position. Since September, she has served as the Interim Managing Director, and has been on staff at the Guthrie since 1985.
International
The Guardian: Booing in the Theatre: Is It a Good Thing or a Sign of Audience Outrage?
The article provocatively examines the practice of booing in the theatre, probing whether it serves as a constructive expression or a manifestation of audience outrage. It engages in the debate surrounding this phenomenon and explores its potential impact on the theatrical experience.
ArtsHub: Why Did This Multi-Arts Organisation Lose Its Federal Arts Funding?
Investigating the loss of federal arts funding for a multi-arts organization, the article scrutinizes the reasons behind this decision. It explores the potential repercussions for the organization and delves into the broader implications for the arts sector, shedding light on the complexities of funding challenges.
Missed our last few newsletters?
January 16, 2024 - Suburban Theatre Audiences Are Still Missing in NYC and Beyond
Cara Joy David explores the concerning trend that suburban audiences are less willing to travel into the city center - whether that is in New York, Chicago, or beyond - to see shows due to a perceived increase in crime in the city, leaving audiences feeling less safe getting in and out of shows. In the UK, funding cuts force theatres to innovate in other ways to stave off closure and grow their audience, and the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis has a new Artistic Director.
January 8, 2024 - Hopes for 2024, National Theatre Wales 100% Funding Cut
Happy New Year! This week, Cara Joy David looks back at the stage door experience at a few of the musicals currently running on Broadway, we check in with various insiders hopes for Broadway in 2024, and we look at Dallas and Denver - where the recovery has taken different paths. Across the pond, The National Theatre Wales deals with a complete funding cut from their arts council.
Before we dive in, a quick programming note - this will be our last Industry newsletter of the year. Cheers to all of you for reading along with us this year, and we look forward to continuing to support the best practices of the wider industry in 2024! A few exciting data points to close out the year - the first being that Broadway audiences this past season were younger and more diverse than in seasons past. This is a bright spot in a season that saw a bumpy box office. A new study from SMU DataArts also looked at the amount of funding that went out to arts and culture organizations during the pandemic and the impact of the unprecedented governmental support.
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