Where Do Broken Hearts and Intellectual Copyright Go? The Ponderings of a Dumped Artistic Director

HowlRound: In January 2016, I went about the afternoon at my theatre company like any other Thursday. I answered emails, had a quick catch up with the associate producer, and then attended the weekly sales meeting. For almost an hour, we discussed strategies for the upcoming spring repertoire. Our fall had huge audience numbers, a hit show was extending, and we were continuing to analyze how our holiday production grossed more than $100,000 past it’s box office goal. When the meeting completed, the executive director and I prepared to leave for what I thought was a pre-board meeting “prep meeting.” I got my coat, packed up my briefcase, and used the rest room before finding the executive director in front of the building. It was at this point I discovered I wasn’t going to the meeting I thought I was and, was actually, about to reenact a scene from the George Clooney movie Up in the Air.