Industry Pro Newsletter: Finding Artistic Rest, Susan Booth Returns to the Goodman

New Diorama Theatre in the UK announced an interesting new season: they won't be producing any shows until 2023. While we have seen a slew of these kinds of announcements for financial reasons as companies reorganize, this was for a different reason. The company wanted to give their artists the opportunity to rest away from the pressures of constantly producing. They also raised funds for it like they would any other productions season, meaning that not only is everyone getting rest - they're being compensated so they can actually rest and dream about the next creative steps for the company. This story stands in contrast to another story in the newsletter today - allegations at Adventure Theatre Company in DC of unsafe work conditions, primarily resulting from an over-scheduled season. How can New Diorama's example be followed to give artists more time and space to be creative?

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Industry Trends

Netflix Files Suit Against Bear and Barlow, Creators of Unauthorized Bridgerton Musical

Despite warnings from the Streaming company that owns the copyright on derivative works of the television series, the pair chose to move forward with a concert version at the Kennedy Center. When news of the concert became public, Netflix offered to negotiate a licensing arrangement, which the pair declined. Click here to read more...

A Different Framework When it Comes to Marketing

Marketing the arts is a different kind of beast than marketing most other goods and services - the experience itself requires managing the evidence for why a potential audience member should spend their evening coming to see this particular production. ArtsJournal explores the different lenses marketers should use to build campaigns. Click here to read more...

Educational Theatre Association Names Award Winners

11 Educators and 4 schools were named recipients of the various awards given out by the organization. Each carries with it its own unique set of prizes and honors individual teachers, administrators, and schools. Click here to read more...

Broadway/New York

Applications Now Open for NYC Women's Fund for Media, Music and Theatre Grants

Up to $2 Million is available for finishing funds on projects that are led by women artists in New York. This is the fourth round of grants being awarded by the fund that is administered by the New York Foundation for the Arts. Click here to read more...

Zoning Change Could Impact Broadway's Bottom Line

An updated zoning law regarding the set cost of the air rights above Broadway theatre's could lead to those theatre owners making less money - and less money being contributed to the Theater Subdistrict Fund, which distributes funds to support the development of new shows, attract audiences, and more. Click here to read more...

To Kill a Mockingbird Will Not Reopen

According to reports, despite having resigned from the Broadway League and allegedly stepping away, the decision was made by Scott Rudin and ultimately delivered to the creative team by Director Bartlett Sherr and Playwright Aaron Sorkin. Click here to read more...

Regional

Susan Booth Named New Artistic Director at The Goodman

Most recently the Artistic Director at Alliance Theatre, Booth will return to the Goodman where she served as the Director of New Play Development from 1993-2001 before taking the helm at Alliance, where she has been for the past 21 years. The Alliance won the Regional Tony Award in 2007 under her leadership. Click here to read more...

Cursed Child's Multi-Year Run at The Curran Set to End

The open ended run will close in early September, which leaves a real estate opening for one of San Francisco's premiere venues for daring, open ended runs of some of the more challenging pieces of commercial theatre. Click here to read more...

Staff at DC's Adventure Theatre Allege Unfair Pay, Work Conditions

According to an unsigned letter issued by staff members of Adventure Theatre Company, the working conditions at the company can be described as not only over-taxing on staff members, but dangerous to artists. Multiple complaints have been filed with Not in Our House DC, and numberous attempts have been made to have open discussions with the Board of Directors to bring about change. Click here to read more...

International

New Diorama Theatre Announces New Season: No Productions

The UK based company announced that they would be going on a designed hiatus for the remainder of 2022, having raised funds to provide a moment of artistic rest for their staff and resident companies. The plan is a radical departure from the standard industry thinking. Click here to read more...

Prima Facie in Cinemas is Big Success

The biggest digital theatre release in the UK since March 2020, Prima Facie from NT Live has already brought in more than £2 million, with continued demand showing there is still a desire for digital theatre presentations. Click here to read more...

Work of Art, A New Australian Musical Gets Developmental Performance

The musical explores the creation of the Sydney Opera House, following the little known story of the two architects an their journey to building a true work of art. Click here to read more...

Missed our last few newsletters?

July 25, 2022 - An Industry in Reform - Internships and a New Vision for Funding

A thought experiment from New Zealand examines a potentially new way to not only make arts funding more equitable, but transparent and with the opportunity for potential patrons to find projects to fund. This future thinking in the industry continues to extend throughout the United States as well, as companies continue to re-imagine what their entry level programs look like. However, the Paradise Square situation and the way in which Ken-Matt Martin was pushed out at Victory Gardens continue to highlight the long road ahead of an industry in reform. Click here to read more...

July 18, 2022 - Unions Get to Work, How EST Has Been Making Changes

Unions have been a central narrative of much of 2022 across many industries, and they took center stage last week in the performing arts industry as two Unions, Actors Equity and United Scenic Artists filed suit against the producers of Paradise Square. Across the river in New Jersey, the American Guild of Variety Artists added a new workplace to their list of members as the performers of Medieval Times voted to join. These stories, paired with other stories this week about institutional soul searching, are strongly demonstrative of the industry itself taking a large step forward in what feels like allowable practice, and towards what the new normal can be. Click here to read more...

July 11, 2022 - The Paradox of Pay Equity, COVID Spread in NYC High Once Again

As new leadership takes the helm at many companies across the United States, they are not only trying to steer the artistic ship, but to point the company in the right direction in terms of workplace conditions. As calls for unpaid internships to come to an end continue, many are re-evaluating their budgets and business models - with some adjusting their production model, and others looking at the financial realities and closing their doors. As the industry continues to make reforms, those reforms won't come without some pain. Hopefully, that pain leads to a brighter tomorrow for arts workers across the board. 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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