www.timesunion.com: Conspicuously absent from the 2023 season at Williamstown Theatre Festival is the middle third of its name: For only the second time since the company’s 1954 founding, there will be no fully staged theater productions. (The first was in 2020, when its shows were available online as audio versions because of early pandemic prohibitions against large in-person gatherings.)
2 comments:
Though I have never heard of Williamstown, I have come to understand that it’s a largely known Summerstock place. I originally came across this article on a theatre facebook page and read what people were saying in the comments. My opinion is, first, I am glad this company is looking at their practices, their beliefs, and how they operate. It is abusive to work in dangerous situations, to not pay interns or make them pay for their learning, to work multiple overnighters. My issue lies with the fact that some of these workers normalized that. It’s honestly time for theatres across the country (even educational) to look at some of their abuses that have been normalized. However- does that mean that these theatres should continue to have a “season” while they change? I don’t think they should do theatre, but I still find a bit of an issue with having people there working while they change.
(I could definitely write a lot more about this but, alas, 150 words)
I am genuinely so glad to hear this. I remember in 2021 when production employees walked out due to how they were treated on the job; I remember the articles that accompanied this event at the time, and the public’s reaction. I’m a bit saddened to see that it has taken this long for the company to appear to attempt to make major changes – however, not pursuing a normal season in order to take action is a very large step that most companies would not take. I do recall being younger and first stepping into the summer employment world and looking to companies such as Williamstown to work at as a young professional, and then learned the reality of how they were treating employees. While I am glad that this company is acting on this issue, there are many others that could use a similar treatment; it is just so common for employees on summer contracts to experience working conditions similar to those that occurred at Williamstown and I hope that this may inspire others to reflect on their own work procedures
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