AMERICAN THEATRE: The City Theatre board of directors has announced the elevation of current staff members Clare Drobot and Monteze Freeland to the position of co-artistic directors. They will serve alongside Marc Masterson, who has held the title of singular artistic director since 2018.
3 comments:
This is definitely a creative idea for leadership. The fact that it is structured more like a team and less like a singular head could bring about challenges, but mostly I think it could be of benefit. First of all, it combines the opinions and creativity of three extensively qualified individuals who have varying identities. This could bring about a solid amount of nuance throughout season and production planning processes. But one other aspect that could prove to be vital is allowing for more of a work-life balance. Doctors do it all the time--they have partners or group practices where they could cover for each other when needed. In a workplace where individuals are notoriously overworked, this could be a unique idea that inspires other organizations. It even reminds me a bit of the project manager structure for Carnegie Scenic. As long as communication is kept sharp and consistent amongst the team members, it could be really cool.
This is such an exciting news. I was working as a production assistant for City Theater's latest show, The Rivers Don't Know and had a chance to work with both Clare and Monteze and I love the both of them. With Clare especially, who worked relentlessly to get The Rivers Dont Know on the stage a story about migrant lives in Pittsburgh, i am aware how much diverse voices mean to her and it is just such a great feeling to think that someone to whom diverse voices matter is at a place where they can influence decisions and try to set the theater apart from its previous practices where traditionally white voices and concerns have been adhered to. I really really love the fact that they have decided to split the position amongst three people, because that just opens a whole world of new opinions, new perspectives and new ways of leading an organization, allowing for it to grow further.
City Theatre’s adoption of a three-way leadership model is not only an equitable step, it is a brilliant one. The Board of Directors have announced the promotion of current staff members Clare Drobot and Monteze Freeland to the position of co-artistic directors along with Marc Masterson, who has held the position of singular artistic direction since 2018. By restructuring to challenge and evolve away from the traditional hierarchies so present within theatre, this is one example of City Theatre’s commitment to the guidelines We See You, White American Theatre’s demands set out. This choice not only sets an example for other theatres to follow suit, especially if this is a successful endeavor, but within City Theatre itself, ensures that greater diversity, a more diverse set of people and perspectives, are empowered and uplifted. Theatre is nothing if not different people coming together to collaborate and create one thing, and it is so inspiring that City Theatre has taken this step regarding their top leadership as well.
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