the week of february 14-18, 2022
990 problems
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in-person theatre
Van Hughes and Nick Blaemire’s Space Dogs is now playing at MCC Theater. The new musical is directed by Ellie Heyman and tells the “the mind-blowing true story of Laika and the Chief Designer — a stray dog and the top-secret Russian scientist who sent her to space during the Cold War.”
The world premiere of Florian Zeller’s The Forest is now playing at London’s Hampstead Theatre. The kaleidoscopic mystery drama is directed by Jonathan Kent.
Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady starts previews at the Public Theater on February 23rd. Directed by Ralph B. Peña, the 1834-set “tale of dark poetic whimsy” is inspired by the true story of 16-year-old Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to step foot in America.
Brian Quijada’s musical Somewhere Over the Border starts performances at Syracuse Stage on February 23rd. Directed by Rebecca Martínez, the world premiere is inspired by the real-life journey of the author’s mother from El Salvador to the US and by L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The world premiere of PearlDamour’s Ocean Filibuster debuts on February 24th at A.R.T. Directed by Katie Pearl and featuring Jennifer Kidwell, the “genre-crashing music theater experience fusing myth, song, stand-up, and science to explore the vast depths crucial to our daily survival” will also be available to stream March 9 - 27.
The new musical Black No More runs through February 27th at The New Group. Inspired by George S. Schuyler’s Afrofuturist novel set during the Harlem Renaissance, the world premiere is directed by Scott Elliott and features a book by John Ridley and music by Tariq Trotter, Anthony Tidd, James Poyser and Daryl Waters.
digital theatre
Diana Oh’s My H8 Letter to the GR8 American Theatre livestreams February 19th at Shotgun Players. Directed by May Liang, the “brutally candid and bitingly funny play about transparency, honesty, and repairing centuries of damage done in the American theatre industry” is also playing in person through Sunday and will be available on demand sometime in March.
the regional theatre game of thrones
Loretta Greco is the new artistic director of the Huntington Theatre. Greco, who previously led the Magic Theatre in San Francisco for twelve years, is the first female AD in the Huntington’s 40-year history. She succeeds Peter DuBois, who resigned in October 2020 after months of staff complaints regarding layoffs, diversity issues, and salary transparency.
Sam Woodhouse is stepping down as artistic director of San Diego REP after 46 years. Woodhouse co-founded the company in 1976.
an update from The Lark
The Lark announced the re-homing of its fellowships and programs. The new play development center announced its surprise closure in October 2021. The company’s various artist residencies and salons will continue at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Playwrights' Center, Queens Theatre, WP Theater, New York Stage and Film, Second Stage Theater, and Manhattan Class Company.
that’s not a living wage
Here are this week’s featured underpaid job listings, paired with the living wage for a 40-hour work week for one adult with no children in that area. (You can read more about the methodology here.)
Going forward, I’m including functional expenses and executive compensation from each theatre’s latest available 990. I think having more context for an organization’s overall finances is useful, even though the numbers may not reflect their current pandemic-affected budgets.
Graphic Designer, Constellation Theatre Company: $40,000
Living Wage for DC: $51,245
Expenses (2020): $825,191 / Executive Compensation: $62,657 (Managing Director)Artistic Associate, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center: $36,000
Living Wage for New London metro area: $41,770
Expenses (2019): $5.75 million / Executive Compensation: $172,379 (Executive Director)Apprentice Program, Capital Stage Company: $250/month, no housing
Living Wage for Sacramento, CA: $38,329
Expenses (2020): $897,488 / Executive Compensation: $56,904 (Producing Artistic Director)Social Media and Digital Marketing Coordinator, Speakeasy Stage: $38,000-$43,000
Living Wage for Boston: $46,902
Expenses (2020): $1.5 million / Executive Compensation: $75,976 (Producing Artistic Director)
