“Because the closures and ‘pauses’ have seemed so completely arbitrary, and even based on Charlotte St. Martin’s own insulting comments about understudies, this is about a lack of people to cover positions,” Masse said. “This is a producing responsibility, not an employee responsibility; staffing your show to the level needed to remain open is a management concern.
A source at the Broadway League said: “We felt like the unions laughed at us, and did not listen to what we were proposing. It felt like the unions did not care if more people were put totally out of work or see more shows close. When they started objecting about the booster mandate, it was like, ‘Guys, we don’t have time for this. We are just trying to keep people alive.’ Union leaders are used to negotiating for months and months, creating problems.
Creel said a famous producer had said to him, prior to Broadway’s reopening, that the industry couldn’t afford to open and then close again; only tentpole shows likewith significant corporate financial muscle behind them, thought Creel, were guaranteed to stay open. The next few months were going to be critical, he added. “In traditional times, January is a difficult month anyway, and add that to the lack of tourists in town,” Creel said.We have to fix this industry. It’s really broken.
James Latus, a production stage manager “looking for my next show,” told The Daily Beast he was “really scared” for the theater industry. “I don’t think the state will shut Broadway down, I think producers will shut Broadway down. If too many people are out sick or testing positive, they can’t keep canceling shows. They’ll have to shut down.”
Moreland said COVID had “destroyed” his show, the Omicron variant hitting cast and crew hard. Even before that the company had already been ‘devastated” by not being able to “share in the traditional things that normally build camaraderie and community,” like an opening night party. “I’m very sad we can’t figure out a sustainable model to use when this happens to our companies. I hope we can figure it out. I hope there is a solution that works for everyone.
Masse agrees, and would like a focus on the workers making the shows. “There are shows closing, or already closed, that actually received $10 million from the government in the form of the Shuttered Venues Grants to reopen. I think there is something amiss—and I blame the language of the legislation—that they can burn through that by the required deadline and then just toss their hands up. The grants were intended to reopen the industry, not give a few weeks work to people and then bail.
then go to work
just close Broadway for good
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