72 Regional Theaters, One Shared Crisis

How do you stability the calls for of day by day news reporting with bigger-picture tasks?

I’m in all probability going to be doing fewer options about particular person reveals, whereas I deal with extra of those tales in regards to the well being of the sector, however I nonetheless need to write occasional items about artists and artworks. I believe a mixture of tales is what retains a reporter sane.

Do you anticipate doing lots of that reporting in particular person?

I hope so. A few days in the past, I went to see “Evita” at American Repertory Theater exterior of Boston, and over the weekend I went to see a play referred to as “tiny father” at Barrington Stage Company within the Berkshires. On Thursday, I noticed a manufacturing of “Fun Home” on the Studio Theater in Washington, D.C. I’m attempting, to the extent I can, to see issues exterior New York. We must pay extra consideration to nonprofit theaters and theaters exterior New York — as a result of there are actual challenges in these locations we should be telling our readers about.

What was probably the most shocking factor you discovered whereas reporting this text?

I used to be struck by what number of theaters are actually doing coproductions. It’s fairly dramatic: The Shakespeare Theater Company in D.C. had one coproduction out of six reveals earlier than the pandemic, and now no less than 5 out of six will probably be coproductions this coming season. There’s additionally lots of experimentation with collaboration, which is heartening. Theaters that when noticed themselves both as opponents or simply strangers are rather more fascinated by discovering methods to assist each other.

Your article touches on quite a few potential options. Which appear most promising?

There’s a coalition forming of theaters in Connecticut that’s speaking about whether or not the theaters would possibly be capable of share set-building features. Those sorts of approaches might need promise. Plenty of theaters are speaking about the potential for both extra authorities help or for extra foundations to take critically the challenges going through this subject. There’s a shared sense that box-office income, which has by no means been sufficient to maintain these organizations, isn’t going to be a main a part of the answer.

How will we see an impact on Broadway, which is dependent upon nonprofit theaters to develop materials and assist artists?

The scenario means much less work for artists, actors, writers, administrators and designers. Fewer reveals are being staged, and people reveals are sometimes smaller and have shorter runs, which is a problem each for the people who find themselves already established within the subject and the people who find themselves searching for to enter it. There’s simply much less work to go round.