Theaters Join Blumenthal Bid To ​“Save Our Stages”

65 to 25. 57 to 17.

Those are the staffing-level cuts at two local theaters since the Covid-19 pandemic hit. On Monday, theater managers and advocates joined U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal in calling for help to save their stages.

The group gathered outside the Long Wharf Theatre to discuss the Save our Stages Act, a bill Blumenthal has sponsored. All of the state’s flagship producing theaters — including Goodspeed Musicals, Hartford Stage, Eugene O’Neill, Westport Country Playhouse, Yale Rep, and Long Wharf — were represented at the event.

“I have been to each of these six theaters,” Blumenthal said. ​“They are the cultural jewels of Connecticut.”

Adriane Jefferson, New Haven’s director of cultural affairs, testified to the importance of local theater during times of stress. ​“From facing a pandemic to racial injustice, we’ve been in crisis mode since March,” she said. ​“More than ever, we need the arts to talk about and understand these issues.”

Beyond cultural impact, theaters play a major role in local economies. Jefferson cited a study conducted in 2017 concluding that local theaters ​“brought $800 million of economic activity to Connecticut” alone.

This is because theaters have a ripple effect in multiple directions.

“Local suppliers and businesses help with production,” noted Blumenthal. ​“Meanwhile, other businesses like restaurants and retail benefit from local theaters.”

Since March …

Although theaters received government support, many are on the razor’s edge. Over the summer, they appealed to Gov. Lamont for a $12 million aid infusion.

“It’s been a tough few months,” said Kit Ingui, managing director of the Long Wharf Theatre. ​“We initially shut down for four weeks and kept everyone paid, but we quickly realized that wasn’t feasible.”

Part of the struggle for theaters is the social nature of plays. ​“The theater is a place full of personal contact,” said Florie Seery, managing director at Yale Rep. ​“We just can’t abide by health guidelines if we continue to produce plays normally.” 

Even enthusiastic patrons of theaters are reluctant to attend in-person programming. The Long Wharf Theatre took a survey of its patrons and understandably, ​“many were unwilling to come back for a while,” said Ingui. ​“We would have to spend a lot of money and effort retro-fitting our space to ensure distancing, but we can’t do that if there’s little demand.”

Theaters are also dependent on long-term planning. Production seasons take ​“major investments months in advance before any production even goes on stage,” said Ingui. Before the pandemic hit, Long Wharf Theatre had already announced its lineup for 2021. But with ​“all the uncertainty, we couldn’t make any long term investments,” said Ingui, which is why the season was ultimately cancelled.

Beyond ticket sales, theaters rely on donations. With economic conditions, ​“everyone’s wallets have been tightened,” said Blumenthal. Ingui confirmed that there was a steady stream of donations at the beginning of the pandemic, especially through ticket refund donations for cancelled shows. Since then, ​“there’s definitely been a slowdown as people are realizing this is a long term thing.”

Pandemic-Era Theater

Both for employees and artists, theaters look fundamentally different.

Katrina Lewonczyk, operations manager at Long Wharf, has worked at the theatre for ten years, four in her current position. She is largely responsible for overseeing the physical facilities and administrative capacity.

She used to work with a team of three. After layoffs she was the only one left

“It’s definitely increased my workload,” she said.

Beyond work responsibility, the feel of the theater is different.

“The pandemic has definitely affected morale,” she said. ​“It’s weird to come into work completely empty.”

On the bright side, ​“the new leadership has focused on racial justice as a main priority, and it’s meaningful to participate in that kind of work.”

Beyond everyday operations, some theaters are trying to promote Covid-friendly programming. At Long Wharf Theatre, ​“We’ve begun to implement some digital programming, but we’re really excited about trying community programming in New Haven directly,” said Ingui. ​“We want to be out and about in the city.”

Others are more reluctant. At Yale Rep, ​“we decided not to produce digital programming, although we have online classes” said Scery. ​“Of course, we’re in a bit of a different position because of Yale’s funding.”

Inequities Within Theater

Multiple speakers at the press conference highlighted the unequal effects of the pandemic felt by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color).

“We can’t pretend these inequities don’t exist,” said Jefferson. ​“That’s why we have already begun our Cultural Equity Plan, giving hundreds of thousands in grants to BIPOC artists.”

Additionally, performing artists, who are not full time employees but instead hired by theaters on a contractual basis, are not likely to be counted within theater layoffs. ​“Beyond our main staff, we’ve had to cut contracts with over 200 artists,” said Ingui.

Washington Politics

Save our Stages is gaining momentum. ​“Since the last time I spoke about this bill a week ago, we’ve already got ten more co-sponsors,” said Blumenthal. ​“We’re now up to 60 co-sponsors from both parties — enough to pass in a vote.”

The problem? Getting a vote to happen in the first place. ​“I’ve spoken to [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell and requested for a vote,” said Sen. Blumenthal. ​“Ultimately, he’s able to decide the agenda. And he hasn’t called a vote yet.”

“It’s not just one show at stake,” said Blumenthal. ​“We stand to lose multiple stages, and in turn, the cultural soul of America. To risk theater’s demise is utterly irresponsible.”