Matt Martin News

As the year draws to a close, Cara Joy David offers us a preview of some of the decisions facing the Administration Committee of the Tony Awards. We’ve also got good news out of Washington, as the NEA received increased funding in the most recent budget passed by Congress and a look at the uncertain future of Victory Gardens Theater.

Will Victory Gardens ever return following the controversy that unfolded earlier this year? Once one of Chicago's most iconic theatre companies, the future is now unclear as more details are emerging about what exactly went down.

 TheaterWorksUSA in association with The Apollo, will present an invite only staged reading of Jason Reynolds’ New York Times best-selling young adult novel Long Way Down in a compelling new musical by Dahlak Brathwaite and Khiyon Hursey, directed and choreographed by Ken-Matt Martin on November 21 at Pearl Studios.   

Acclaimed director, producer, and advocate Ken-Matt Martin will helm Baltimore Center Stage's Spring 2023 production of Tiny Beautiful Things. Martin replaces previously announced director Stori Ayers. Tiny Beautiful Things begins performances at BCS on March 9, 2023.

vivi rincon pulls no punches in “angela,” her newly released bitter breakup ballad. Reminiscent of the heady heartbreak of Olivia Rodrigo, “angela” channels “what happens when love is transformed into something ugly - anger and hurt.' The release comes with the announcement of the queer singer-songwriter’s debut EP, crash landing.

Philip Ridley writes an atomic bomb of a play and keeps his finger on the release button until Sasha explodes in an earth-shaking climax. Social niceties and typically British politeness masquerade a coarse, brash internal monologue whose quick quips are absolutely annihilating and, frankly, indecently amusing.

Following a tumultuous period for the Victory Gardens Theater, this week the board dismissed the remainder of its staff following the unionization effort. The staff was informed their positions were eliminated due to 'lack of business and operational needs.'

The industry is in a weird spot right now, and the stories in this week’s newsletter highlight the divergent paths different segments of the industry are going down. As the industry recovers and reforms, we’ll continue to see these kinds of divides on the regional level, and we’ll bring you coverage of those divides as they happen.

Staff at Chicago's stories Victory Gardens Theater, which has been engulfed in accusations of 'toxic behavior' and a 'lack of transparency' are seeking union representation. The remaining 16 employees, who remain in a standoff with the theatre's board of directors, have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board.

Our two Industry Trend stories this week take a look at a few of the different ways that people are trying to bring change to the theatre industry: reforming the work environment that has long been problematic, and the way Princeton is working on developing a new audition process to help bring more people into theatre in an educational environment.

New Diorama Theatre in the UK announced an interesting new season: they won’t be producing any shows until 2023. The company wanted to give their artists the opportunity to rest away from the pressures of constantly producing.

A thought experiment from New Zealand examines a potentially new way to not only make arts funding more equitable, but transparent and with the opportunity for potential patrons to find projects to fund. This future thinking in the industry extends throughout the United States as well, as companies re-imagine what entry level programs look like.

Now, in a recent statement, Martin revealed that he will not be returning. In the statement, Martin wrote that he has 'decided that I need to take a break from nonprofit theatre administration and would not immediately return if asked.'

As calls for unpaid internships to come to an end continue, many are re-evaluating their budgets and business models - with some adjusting their production model, and others looking at the financial realities and closing their doors.

Actors’ Equity Association has issued a statement in response to recent events at Victory Gardens Theater.

Season of Concern, the emergency fund for Chicago theater artists, will present a one-night-only benefit performance of Jerry’s Girls, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, concepts by Larry Alford, Wayne Cilento, and Jerry Herman, direction by Ken-Matt Martin, and musical direction by Nigel D. Robinson.

Season of Concern, the emergency fund for Chicago theater artists, will present a one-night-only benefit performance of Jerry’s Girls, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, concepts by Larry Alford, Wayne Cilento, and Jerry Herman, direction by Ken-Matt Martin, and musical direction by Nigel D. Robinson. 

Victory Gardens Theater has announced the cast for the final show in its 2021/22 Mainstage Season, the regional premiere of cullud wattah, written by Erika Dickerson-Despenza and directed by Lili-Anne Brown. cullud wattah runs June 11 – July 17, 2022 at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Theatre Communications Group has announced the recipients of the second round of the 2021-22 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards. The awards, totaling $731,000, allow 16 productions extra time for the development and rehearsal of new plays with the entire creative team, hoping to extend the life of the world premiere play after its first run.

Horton Records announces the signing of acclaimed roots music guitarist/singer Brad Absher and his band, the Superials, and will release their label debut album, Tulsa Tea.