Groundhog Week

Ifr Mr. Bariccelli and Ms. Greco went through an interview process without asking to see the financial statements of their companies - and then accepted the jobs anyway, that tells you more than you want to know about the yawning gulf that has opened in arts administration in America, with the "artists" on one side and the "business" people on the other.
There was a time - and not that long ago, certainly this was the case still in the 70s - when the people who ran our institutions -- the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, the Chicago Symphony, the Ravinia Festival, the New York Philharmonic, and even our smaller organizations such as mid-size dance companies and theatre ensembles -- were expected to possess both artistic and business skills; indeed that's how they had risen to the positions they held.
When the corporate model was forced on the arts community - beginning in the late 70s and with increasing pressure in the 80s -- by the National Endowment for the Arts (which saw, presciently, that the day would come when Congress, in its fear of artists and the questions that art must always ask), which made corporate-style organization and governance a prerequisite for receiving NEA grants....well, we all know what has become of that; we see it in action every day.
The split that grew between those who made artistic decisions and those who ran the "business" side of the affairs led to a kind of schizophrenia, and weakened their ability to cope with situations like the one everyone is facing now.
Look around the country - there are many organizations that will weather the crisis, precisely because the different "departments" in their management still know how to communicate with each other.

Both Santa Cruz and Magic have had troubled financial histories. The Magic entered this year with a significant deficit, which has balloned to 600K. Santa Cruz consistently overspent by 500K with the knowledge that UC Santa Cruz, their partners, would cover the deficit. Unfortunately, with the state trying to re-cover from billions of dollars in overspending itself, this is no longer possible. Santa Cruz simply needs to own up to its spending patterns... and the Magic has always struggled with it's income potential vs. costs. With a mid-size theater it is always thus. The good news is that these organizations are being forced to a)reconcile tehir financial dysfunction and b) acknowledge that they are part of a bigger community of supporters who they need to rely on to survive. In both of these cases, that community includes audiences and artists (actors, designers, writers) many of whom have been ignored by these organizations for years.

My biggest concern through all of this is that the companies which have been fiscally responsible and are holding the line against the red ink will lose some crucial support as a result of these "emergencies." Donations and ticket sales are down for everyone right now. So I hope we all remember that just because someone isn't crying "help!" it doesn't mean they don't mean it.

Unless there is a miraculous bailout, North Shore Music Theater in Beverly MA is going under after 53 years. They raised enough funds to recover from a devastating fire 2 years ago, and also have a new AD. NSMT is a nurturer of new musicals and has an extensive program for young people-- it will be a sad loss.
After decades of no new theatres in Boston, 7 were built at the height of the boom. I'm not optimistic about any of them.

Oh if only the red lines magically disappeared for everyone. I wonder what happened - personally knowing an AD who's recently gone to a new theatre, I know that looking at the books is part of the process.

I worry asking for money, give or else, is merely a thumb in the damn gesture. This whole situation is going to get worse before it gets better.