the week of may 9 - 15, 2025
death by a thousand funding cuts
You’re reading Nothing for the Group, a newsletter where one dramaturg rounds up one week in theatre news, reviews, and takes. If you like this sort of thing:
The Friday weekly round-up is always free, but if you’d like to sustain this project (and get access to occasional bonus content), you can upgrade to a paid tier. (You can also support via Venmo @halvorsen or Paypal.)
To learn more about this newsletter, read the About & FAQ.
To submit a press release or production information, read the submission guidelines.
To say hi, you can email me or follow Nothing for the Group on Instagram.
Graphic Design: Elizabeth Morton | Editorial Support: Ryan Adelsheim
this week’s five-alarm fire: The NEA
Back in February, I wrote about the NEA’s updated grant guidelines, which forbid “using federal funds to promote gender ideology and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).”
The ACLU promptly sued on behalf of several arts organizations. In response, the NEA suspended its certification requirement that artists promise not to "promote gender ideology" when applying for funding—but maintained broader eligibility criteria that could still disqualify such projects.
In April, a Rhode Island federal court acknowledged that these guidelines likely "violate First Amendment rights" and exceed the agency's authority, yet declined to intervene while the NEA reconsidered the ban.
Here’s the rundown of the latest chaos and lies:
Last Friday, Trump released his 2026 budget proposal, recommending the complete elimination of the NEA in order to “reduce waste and unnecessary governmental entities.”
Your regular reminder that the NEA’s $210 million budget constitutes 0.0031% of the federal budget. (Meanwhile, Trump’s FY26 proposal includes $1.01 trillion in defense spending, a 13% increase.)This is not our first rodeo: Trump attempted to axe the NEA in 2017 and was thwarted by bipartisan support. Congress rejected similar budget cuts in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Even last summer, the Republican-majority House voted to protect NEA funding.
Within hours of Trump releasing his budget proposal, the NEA notified arts organizations across the country that it was withdrawing FY25 grant offers and terminating awards in progress. The agency had been expected to provide $3.73 million this year to 148 theatres.
The cancellation of already awarded grants is a particularly brutal form of bureaucratic cruelty. Dozens of theatres are losing critical support for productions that, in many cases, have already opened, run, and closed. These organizations must now retroactively finance completed projects.
Artist Annie Dorsen created a crowd-sourced NEA Grant Termination Tracker to illustrate the devastating scope of these cuts. As of this writing, the database has 422 entries totaling over $12 million in rescinded funding.
The NEA announced that it would shift its resources to support projects “reflecting the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the president, [including] celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence, fostering AI competency, empowering houses of worship to serve communities, assisting with disaster recovery, fostering skilled trade jobs, making America healthy again, supporting the military and veterans, supporting Tribal communities, making the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and supporting the economic development of Asian American communities.”
Nothing spikes my blood pressure like government propaganda! As Diep Tran cited in her excellent reporting for Playbill, the LA-based East West Players, a theatre which exclusively produces work centering on the Asian American experience, had a $20,000 grant rescinded despite that final clause. (American Theatre’s Daniella Ignacio and Rob Weinert-Kendt noted similar situations in their recent reporting.)
I could also write an entire dissertation on the scam to “make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful” but I will spare you the full extent of my disenfranchised rage. It’s so demoralizing to live in such close proximity to power without voting representation—and to share my beloved city with these craven losers.On Monday, ten senior officials at the NEA announced their resignations, including Greg Reiner, the agency’s long-time director of theatre and musical theatre.
Since 2016, whenever Trump's fascist vision board sends me spiraling, I try to match my response to my reality. Swamped with work? I donate. Light on funds? I volunteer time and labor. Both busy and broke? I'm probably working in non-profit theater. (Zing!) Here are some action steps, tailored to your existential bandwidth:
Donate to and/or attend a theatre whose work you value
Self-explanatory!
Call your elected officials (unless you live in DC)
Do you have senators and congresspeople with full voting privileges? LUCKY YOU. Call and demand they fight to restore the NEA’s funding:
Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
TCG and 5 Calls provide calling scripts and talking points. Here are my favorite ones:
Arts and culture contribute over $1.2 trillion to the economy (4.2% of GDP)
This exceeds contributions from the agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, mining, outdoor recreation, and transportation industries
The arts & culture sector employs over 5.4 million people
35% of NEA grants serve high-poverty urban and rural communities
For state-specific data on the arts’ economic value and employement, use this interactive map.
If you leave a voicemail, include your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.
icymi: bills, bills, bills
This month’s money diary is from a former Kennedy Center staffer:
In honor of Bills, Bills, Bills’ upcoming three-year anniversary (!), Jenna and I are also crowd-sourcing contributions for a special column: What financial wisdom have you learned while navigating the economic absurdity of a creative career in late capitalism? Tell us about the budgeting app that actually worked, the splurge that was worth every penny, or the money advice that changed your artistic life. We’ll compile our favorite answers (anonymously) in an upcoming edition:
world premieres
Bob Martin and Adam Guettel’s Millions starts performances May 9th at The Alliance. The “heartwarming new musical about two brothers, their newly widowed father, a train robber, and (possibly) a miracle” is directed by Bartlett Sher.
Christin Eve Cato’s O.K.! runs May 10 - June 8 at INTAR Theatre in NYC. Melisso Crespo directs the new work set at a regional theatre in Oklahoma as an actress’ “castmates come to her rescue when she receives a disturbing phone call [90 minutes before curtain] that sends her spiraling—due to the state's recent abortion ban, her upcoming appointment has been canceled indefinitely.”
Deepak Kumar’s House of India starts performances May 10th at The Old Globe in San Diego. The “heartwarming comedy with a vibrant cast of characters who work to build a restaurant, a legacy, and a new kind of American Dream” is directed by Zi Alikhan.
Unbecoming Tragedy: A Ritual Journey Toward Destiny starts performances May 11th at Long Wharf Theatre @ Yale Off-Broadway Theatre. The “powerful tale of redemption, identity, and the transformative power of storytelling” is presented in partnership with Collective Consciousness Theatre.
Happenstance Theater’s JUXTAPOSE: A Theatrical Shadowbox runs May 15-25 at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier, MD. Inspired in part by the work of artist Joseph Cornell, the “theatrical assemblage set in a magical-realist tenement building features five eccentric characters trying to co-exist during the sixth mass extinction.”
Matthew Weiner’s John Wilkes Booth: One Night Only! starts performances May 15th at Baltimore Center Stage. Stevie Walker-Webb directs the “audacious look at the tangled history of John Wilkes Booth, Baltimore, and the plots to kidnap and assassinate Abraham Lincoln.”
productions
David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face starts performances May 10th at Shotgun Players in Berkeley, CA. Inspired by the real-life controversy over the casting of Broadway’s Miss Saigon, Daniel J. Eslick directs the “sharp-witted, semi-autobiographical comedy following playwright DHH as he accidentally casts a white actor in an Asian role.”
Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson runs May 11 – June 22 at Portland Center Stage in a co-pro with Boom Arts. The “tour-de-force one-person farce exploring the bounds of an artist’s identity (with the help of an ever-growing pile of wigs)” is directed by Eric Michaud.
Celine Song’s Endlings starts performances May 13th at Hedgerow Theatre Company in Media, PA. Kalina Ko directs the “playful satire following two generations of Korean women grappling with the weight of their pasts, the loss of their cultural heritage, and the complexities of identity, all while confronting the haunting question of what it means to be remembered.”
Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice starts performances May 13th Off Broadway at Signature Theatre. The “innovative reimagining of one of Ruhl’s most beloved plays, inspired by a classic myth” is directed by Les Waters.
Twelfth Night runs May 13 - June 22 at The Folger Theatre in Washington, DC. Mei Ann Teo directs the “playful interpretation of a beloved Shakespeare comedy that brings gender fluidity, mistaken identities, and what it means to move between worlds into a joyful discovery of love.”
Donald Margulies’ Lunar Eclipse starts performances May 14th Off-Broadway at Second Stage. The “funny, moving, universal story of a couple reckoning with the time they’ve spent on earth and the time they have left” is directed by Kate Whoriskey.
Hansol Jung’s Merry Me runs May 15 – June 8 at Diversionary Theatre in San Diego. Vanessa Stalling directs the “madcap and mischievous mashup of ancient mythology and restoration comedy—and ode to female pleasure.”
Zoë Geltman’s A(U)NTS! is now running through May 24th at The Brick in Brooklyn. The “gleefully, disgustingly and biologically serious exploration of how the largely childless, largely female, rigorously organized societies of tiny insects known as ants can model a different life for human women” is directed by Julia Sirna-Frest.
festivals
Milo Cramer’s Business Ideas runs May 14 - 27 at the Wild Project as part of Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks. Laura Dupper directs the “rags-to-rags comedy about desperation and service work.”
May Treuhalft-Ali's The 49th Annual Twins Day Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio will have a reading on May 15th as part of Cleveland Play House’s New Ground Festival. The story follows “three sets of twins [at the titular festival] as they navigate making their way through a world with someone who looks the same.”
workshops & readings
J.C. Pankratz’s Mortals will have a reading on May 13th at The Playwrights Center in Minneapolis. The new work depicts two siblings “igniting an ideological small-town war when they follow their grandma's end-of-life wish to be transformed into mushrooms.”
Layla Khoshnoudi’s I'm Not Even Half will have a reading on May 12th as part of the Starr Reading Series at The Bushwick Starr. The solo show is the “story of a woman's road to recovery after a possibly-brain-altering car accident dovetails with the Women Life Freedom movement in Iran, inciting a period of intense self-reflection.”
Tommy Endter’s Into Your Hands and Valen-Marie Santos’ Perreo will have readings on May 12 & 13 as part of the EWG Spotlight Series at The Public Theater. Into Your Hands follows “Kenneth Grey returning to their reservation after a six-year-long stay in a psychiatric ward”; Perreo tells the story of an “aspiring reggaetonera going viral.”
Leos Ensemble Theatre will present a staged reading of Alex Ledgewood’s Ten Arguments on May 13th at Redtwist Theatre in Chicago. Nick Leos directs the biting satire described as “digital-age MadTV collabing with The Colored Museum shoved through the filter of your uncle's conspiracy posts.”
2025-26 season updates
The O’Neill Playwrights Conference announced its summer line-up. The Waterford, CT new play development center will present readings of Haruna Lee’s 49 Days, Phanésia Pharel’s DEAD GIRL'S QUINCEAÑERA, Tony Meneses’ The Tale of Two Marcos, and Eleanor Burgess' The Ingenue. Adam Rapp will be the artist-in-residence.
Signature Theatre announced its 2025-26 season. The Arlington, VA company will produce Sheldon Epps & Cheryl L. West’s Play On! (directed by Lili-Anne Brown), Miriam Battye’s Strategic Love Play (directed by Matthew Gardiner), Fiddler on the Roof (directed by Joe Calarco), Rebecca Simmonds and Jack Miles’ musical In Clay, Ryan Miller and Nick Blaemire’s musical Safety Not Guaranteed, Pippin (directed by Matthew Gardiner), and Shayan Lotfi’s What Became of Us (directed by Ethan Heard).
The Denver Center announced its upcoming season. The line-up includes Mark St. Germain’s The Happiest Man on Earth (directed by Ron Lagomarsino), Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (directed by Chris Coleman), Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s musical Next to Normal (directed by Nancy Keystone), Sanaz Toossi’s English (directed by Hamid Deghani), Matthew López’s Somewhere (directed by Laurie Woolery), and two world premieres: Terence Anthony’s Godspeed (directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg) and Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler’s Cowboys and East Indians (directed by Chris Coleman).
Theater Mu announced its 2025-26 season. The Minneapolis theatre will produce the New Eyes Fesitval (script coordination by Jane Peña) and two world premieres: a world premiere by Samah Meghjee’s Maybe You Could Love Me (directed by Katie Bradley) and Katie Ka Vang’s Hmong Futures (directed by Lily Tung Crystal).
Cleveland Play House announced its 2025-26 season. The line-up includes Thornton Wilder’s Our Town (directed by Mary Zimmerman), Donald Steven Olson and Mark Nadler’s musical The Christine Jorgensen Show (directed by Michael Barakiva), Eboni Booth’s Primary Trust, Ranjit Bolt’s translation of Molière’s Tartuffe (directed by Barakiva), and one more production TBA.
Center Theatre Group announced its 2025-26 season. The Los Angeles theatre will produce David West Read and Max Martin’s & Juliet (directed by Luke Sheppard), Jocelyn Bioh’s Jaja’s African Hair Braiding (directed by Whitney White), Levi Holloway’s Paranormal Activity (directed by Felix Barrett), David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s Here Lies Love (directed by Snehal Desai), Eboni Booth’s Primary Trust (directed by Knud Adams), and Mamma Mia! (directed by Phyllida Lloyd).
South Coast Repertory announced its 2025-26 season. The Costa Mesa, CA theatre’s line-up includes Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux’s Million Dollar Quartet (directed by James Moye), Lloyd Suh’s The Heart Sellers (directed by Jennifer Chang), Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (directed by Lisa Rothe), Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage (directed by Marco Barricelli), Karen Zacarías and Deborah Wicks La Puma’s musical Cinderella: A Salsa Fairy Tale (directed by Sara Guerrero), and the world premiere of Reggie D. White’s Fremont Ave. (directed by Lili-Anne Brown, co-pro with Arena Stage).
New York Theatre Workshop announced its 2025-26 season. The Off Broadway company will produce three world premieres: Damon Cardasis, James Ijames, Sia & Honey Dijon’s musical Saturday Church (directed by Whitney White and choreographed by Darrell Grand Moultrie); Lucas Hnath’s new version of Molière’s Tartuffe (directed by Sarah Benson); and The Bengsons’ My Joy Is Heavy (directed by Rachel Chavkin and choreographed by Steph Paul).
award season
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Purpose is the winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Third time’s the charm: Jacobs-Jenkins was a finalist in 2016 for Gloria and 2018 for Everybody. This year’s finalists were Cole Escola's Oh, Mary! and Itamar Moses' The Ally.
In other Pulitzer news, New York Magazine’s Sara Holdren was shortlisted for her theatre criticism. (Long overdue, in my opinion!) I was also very happy to see Rita Bullwinkel’s Headshot honored in the Fiction category—I burned through that fleet, kinetic, tender novel last year. (Teen girls boxing! The interiority is unmatched!)Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Purpose won the 2025 Steinberg/ACTA Award. The award, which includes a $25,000 cash prize, recognizes an outstanding script that premiered in a professional production outside of New York City in 2024. (Purpose debuted at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago before its Broadway transfer.)
Raja Feather Kelly, Aya Ogawa, and Kaneza Schaal received 2025 Doris Duke Artist Awards. The largest prize for theatre, jazz, and dance artists in the US awards each winner $525,000 over seven years and an incentive of up to $25,000 to save for retirement.
The 2025 Lucille Lortel Awards were announced. Arlekin Players' Our Class won four awards, including Outstanding Revival. Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich’s Here There Are Blueberries received Outstanding Play; Dave Malloy’s Three Houses won Outstanding Musical. (The awards honor Off-Broadway productions that opened between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.)
thank you for the action steps re: NEA.
I hope you'll continue to update as we learn more about how to lobby for these organizations and raise awareness. I'm surprised at how little media outlets are covering this.