Industry Pro Newsletter: Disneyland Parade and Character Performers Seek Union Protections

Charleston Stage has a new Managing Director, and Dallas Theater Center has a new interim Artistic Director. Along with these movements of the regional leadership carousel, Seattle Opera has introduced a new Artistic Ambassador, a role designed to help bridge the gap between the stage and the community, and foster new audiences for an art form that is often seen as having a high barrier to entry.

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Employment Opportunity

Director of Production - Oregon Shakespeare Festival

The Director of Production will oversee the management of the creative teams, OSF Production staff, the design process, and build the implementation, run, and transfer of OSF projects. Reporting to the Artistic Director, this position will provide overall supervision to the Production department and associated stakeholders, including creative team members, scenery, stage operations, props, costumes, wardrobe and hair, lighting, video, and sound.

Industry Trends

Disneyland Parades Characters, Cast Members File with the NLRB for Union Representation
The parade and character performers at Disneyland Resort in California have filed with NLRB to be represented in collective bargaining by Actors Equity Association. While some performers at Disneyland are currently covered by a union agreement, the character and parade performers have not been up until this point.

Video: Kate Baldwin and More on the Future of the American Theatre

Kate Baldwin and others explore the past and future for women in the American theatre. The discussion delves into key topics such as inclusivity, sustainability, and the evolving landscape of theatrical productions. As the theatre community looks ahead, stakeholders collaborate to shape a vibrant and resilient future for the American stage.

Broadway/New York

Industry Trends Weekly: Who Decides the Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards? By Cara Joy David

This week for the award show series, I look at two award shows that do not consider Broadway: the Lucille Lortel Awards and the Obie Awards. 

The Lucille Lortel Awards are the only awards to deal with solely off-Broadway. The Lortels, which feature performance nominations irrespective of gender, have fairly typical categories. Nominations have already been announced with winners coming May 5. 

Unlike the other shows I’ve covered, the Lortels have one committee–this season it has 22 members–that does both the nominating and voting for the competitive categories. (An Administrative Committee decides three honorary awards.) The nominating/voting committee is made up of representatives of the Off-Broadway League, Actors’ Equity Association, Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, United Scenic Artists, the Lucille Lortel Theatre, in addition to theater journalists, academics, and other off-Broadway professionals. Members are required to see all the eligible shows. This season there were 75 eligible productions. In order for a show to be eligible, it has to be presented by a member of the Off-Broadway League and meet certain criteria related to performance number, invitations to committee members, etc. So, basically, Tony rules, except for off-Broadway.

Shows register for Lortel eligibility and, when they do, they provide a list of all the people eligible in each of the award show categories. “That information is compiled into a series of very long lists,” said George Forbes, Executive Director of the Lortel Foundations. “Those lists are all sent to the nominators. The nominators are then asked to provide us with up to two choices for each category.”

Each nominator’s top two choices form a short list that serves as the jumping-off point for the nomination meeting. According to Forbes, when the conversation begins for each category, nominators are given the option of adding to the list. Each nominator is asked to speak about their nomination choices. Then there is a vote. Every nominator gets to vote for up to the ultimate number of nominees in a given category (so seven for performance categories, five for most others). According to Forbes, these are tallied to come up with the nominees. If there are ties for the final slots, there are runoffs until the final list is compiled. The process is all done on Google Forms, enabling quick vote tabulation and form modification.

This same group votes for the winners. They can vote for up to three choices on a weighted weighted ballot with their first choice getting three points, the second choice getting two, third choice getting one point. Top point-getters win. If there is a tie, more than one person gets the honor. 

The group finds out the winners at the award show. “We're surprised," Forbes said. “Could you imagine how awful it would be if I knew in advance? I'm out there talking to everybody and wishing them luck. I'm not a good liar.”

The Obies, which are now presented solely by the American Theatre Wing (which co-presents the Tonys), have a looser process with categories varying from year to year. There are no nominations–each season multiple winners are announced in whatever category the judges choose to award Obies in that season. Earlier this year, the Obies announced it would begin eschewing an awards ceremony and instead bestow winners with grants ranging from $1,000-5,000. The Obies are also different for another reason: eligibility for the Obies doesn’t end until the end of August this year, so they are not given during the spring award crunch. 

Off and off-off-Broadway productions submit for consideration to the Obies and fill out a form, similar to the Lortels. This season the judging committee is writer/director/performer Aya Ogawa, writer/performer David Greenspan, Playbill Editor in Chief Diep Tran, actor Heather Alicia Simms, writer/performer Modesto “Flako” Jimenez, wig designer and performer Nikiya Mathis, writer/performer Ryan J. Haddad, director Taylor Reynolds, scenic designer Wilson Chin, and playwright Haruna Lee. These folks don’t have to see every eligible show, but they each see many. They meet several times over the season to discuss what should be recognized. Their discussion forms a ballot and then that ballot is used to decide the winners in the competitive categories.  

Given that the award shows that include Broadway often focus on Broadway, these award shows are important in honoring the rest of the theatrical landscape.

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Will Celebrate the Circle in the Square Theatre Next Month

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts will celebrate the Circle in the Square Theatre next month. The event honors the theatre's rich history and contributions to the performing arts landscape. Attendees can expect exhibitions, presentations, and archival displays showcasing memorable productions and performances.

New York Phil Suspends Two Musicians Over Past Allegations

Last week, the New York Philharmonic announced the suspensions of principal Oboist Liang Wang and associate principal trumpet Matthew Muckey. The suspensions come following a recent report in New York magazine about an incident that occurred in Vail, Colorado during a tour in 2010.

Regional 

American Theatre: Timothy Rogers Named Charleston Stage Managing Director

Timothy Rogers is appointed as the managing director of Charleston Stage. Rogers brings extensive experience and leadership to the role, having previously served in various capacities within the theatre industry. As managing director, he will oversee operations and strategic initiatives to advance Charleston Stage's mission and artistic vision. Rogers' appointment signifies a new chapter for Charleston Stage as it continues to enrich the cultural landscape of the region.

Seattle Times: Seattle Opera Hires First Artistic Ambassador

Kenneth Kellogg has been appointed Seattle Opera’s Artistic Ambassador - the opera singer will use the new position to engage with audiences in post-show events, as well as other community events to continue building a bridge between the performances on stage and the community that the Opera hopes to serve.

American Theatre: Jonathan Norton Named Interim Artistic Director of Dallas Theater Center

Norton, already the company’s resident playwright, succeeds former Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty (who was promoted to Executive Director), and recently departed artists producer Sarahbeth Grossman. The company will launch a national search for a permanent Artistic Director in the fall.

International

Trial of Russian Theater Director & Playwright Charged with ‘Terrorism’ Will Move Forward

The Moscow Times has reported that the case against theater director Yevgenia Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk is set to move forward as the indictment has been finalized. The pair were arrested in May 2023 and have been held in pre-trial detention. They are being charged with “justifying terrorism” due to their play Finist the Brave Falcon.

Missed our last few newsletters?

April 15, 2024 - Concord Theatricals' Catalog Now On Stage Mag
As news of additional cuts comes from more councils in the UK, in the US, a new piece of legislation looks to support the still struggling live entertainment industry as it emerges into the new normal. As further evidence of the need for such action, we’ve got stories about layoffs at a New Jersey NPR station, as well as another urgest fundraising plea, this one in the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 8, 2024 - New Study Looks to the Preparedness of Arts Orgs to Face Future Challenges

In a sign of an industry on the rebound, Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles is getting ready to announce a return of programming at the Mark Taper Forum, where production was paused last year while the organization went through a budget crunch. Additionally, following the casting of a Black actress in the role of Juliet, an upcoming West End production of Romeo and Juliet from the Jamie Lloyd Company started dealing with racist backlash online - we’ll show you how the company responded.

April 1, 2024 - Grants and Government Spending Impact on Arts Budgets

This week, stories abound about the impact funding can have on the arts - from the UK, an editorial about how the collapse of funding for the creative industry was predictable, with lessons that reach far beyond the UK. In the US, we have stories of both large gifts making a huge impact - including no-cost rentals at 59E59 - as well as the impact of changes to the way Florida is apportioning their arts budget at the state level.

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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