In our trade, we spend quite a lot of time fascinated about the now. The urgency of scarce funding, political whims, and butts in seats typically doesn’t enable for a lot dreaming. Nevertheless, with this future-focused situation, I invite you all to dream of a brighter tomorrow for the American theatre. As that is my final letter to you all because the interim CEO for TCG, I wish to take a minute to share some ideas in regards to the future that I see for our lovely ecosystem—and to share a few of my historical past, in order that we don’t proceed to make the identical errors I’ve witnessed within the final 20 years.
For the previous few years, I’ve acted as a contract strategic useful resource for theatres in transition and have operated as a fractional C-suite government for organizations. I’ve been jokingly referring to my latest life as firefighting for American theatre, extinguishing the organizational, monetary, and personnel crises that are all too pervasive on this occupation. Whereas the highs of transformation have introduced immense pleasure, I even have had my very own share of experiences with the very ugly, dangerous underbelly of this trade. I carry the burns from working with a few of our scorchiest folks. But regardless of these scars, I’ve renewed hope and pleasure for our collective future.
One of many ways in which TCG is positioned to help our ecosystem, as all of us rise from the previous few years of chaos, is by continued funding in skilled and management improvement for theatre employees in any respect ranges.
I envision an ecosystem the place we construct up organizational leaders who’ve precise expertise working integrous folks and tradition departments earlier than ascending to government director roles; of us who will construct humane working environments, pay equitably and transparently, and honor one another’s variations; of us who can learn a steadiness sheet, suppose strategically about an organization’s holistic property, and pivot accordingly.
I dream of an ecosystem the place I cease listening to tales from theatre employees, principally BIPOC people—normally, disproportionately Black girls—about navigating wrongful severance or termination conditions with what can solely be categorized because the lowest-common-denominator sort of managers on the opposite facet of their conditions. This sample should cease.
As our ecosystem’s collective phoenix rises, it’ll don’t have any use for dangerous nonsense. What if all organizational leaders realized you shouldn’t solely ask, “Is that this authorized?” in a single’s choice making, but in addition, “Is it compassionate?” and “Is that this moral?” (Thanks, Father or mother Artist Advocacy League for Performing Arts + Media (PAAL) for this framework!) You may completely leverage staff’ property, maintain of us accountable, make exhausting choices (like restructures), and nonetheless be a good human being.
My hope for our collective future is one which I’ve for my youthful self, a Latine child from a Los Angeles suburb the place theatre actually saved my life. As a result of she deserves to see herself not solely on the levels however all over the place in between. And since she deserves to know and imagine in her fierceness and smarts all through her life, not solely after she turned 40 and had been scorched or gaslit too many instances from this trade’s forged of characters.
Making a manner for extra folks to dwell their wildest goals is what I can be attempting to perform with the time I’ve on this planet. I hope you’ll be a part of me on this subsequent stage of metamorphosis for our ecosystem. It’s an thrilling one filled with alternative and hope. Pa’lante!
Karena Fiorenza is interim CEO of TCG.
