Portland Monthly: If it’s true that the more things change, the more they stay the same, then Portland’s cultural ecosystem is in for a lot of same old, same old. Since 2021, the Oregon Ballet Theatre, Portland Opera, Oregon Symphony, Regional Arts & Culture Council, and Artists Repertory Theatre have all seen shakeups at the highest levels of artistic leadership—and those are just the heavy hitters. Toss in handovers at smaller organizations like Corrib Theatre and the Portland Actors Conservatory, plus a pandemic (perhaps you’ve heard?), and it’s hard not to see 2022 as a major fork in the road for Portland’s arts ecosystem.
2 comments:
COVID presents a fork in the road because it is such a time of change, especially with the damage done to the arts, in its current, physical iteration. In Portland, not only have they been affected by the pandemic, the numerous major theatres, such as the Oregon Ballet Theatre, Portland Opera, Oregon Symphony, Regional Arts & Culture Council, and Artists Repertory Theatre have been affected by leadership changes, as well as smaller theatres in the area. This is largely in response to the rise in visibility of DEI efforts, in addition to the simple reason of people retiring or ending tenure. Going forth, many of these companies are keeping diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind as they search for new members of their organisations. These transitory periods are periods where there is greater opportunity for change, with the platforming of new voices and new ideas. This is a fork in the road, and the Portland art scene has a chance to change for the better.
Honestly, I think this is exciting news for Portland, and I plan on keeping an eye on the goings on in this scene as the situation progresses. Something I’ve thought a lot about recently is management positions in theater and how they are coveted by people who want steady jobs that are still theater jobs, but honestly I think all theater jobs should be short and transient, including managerial positions so that a company can introduce many different visions of leadership depending on the season. I think this could also help avoid the issue of horrible people finding their way into positions like this and clinging onto them for decades which annoys me to no end. Anyway, I hope portland blooms into an even more crazy theater utopia because of this than it already is and I truly wish them the best in their future portlandian endeavors because portland is the coolest ever.
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