deadline.com: The Atlantic Theater Company, one of Off Broadway‘s most celebrated theaters, has officially closed two new, previewing productions – Eliya Smith’s Grief Camp and Mona Pirnot’s I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan – amidst an ongoing strike by the stagehands union IATSE.
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I found myself thinking about how technology and infrastructure shape the arts, especially in theater. For example, in theater, the use of lighting and sound is constantly evolving. I can imagine how the infrastructure described in the article allows for new possibilities in these areas. A flexible setup means artists can experiment with immersive soundscapes or dynamic lighting designs without being held back by outdated systems. It’s exciting to think about how this could inspire creativity. What really caught my attention was the thoughtfulness behind the design. The idea of planning for the future, like including extra fiber for new technologies, feels like a lesson in patience and foresight. It made me think about the parallels in costume design, where creating adaptable pieces can save time and resources for future productions.
The closure of two shows stands as a testament to the power of unions and the idea that if workers stand together, they can enact great change. Off-Broadway theatre makers have the same right to fair pay and safe conditions as Broadway theatre makers do. Reading how both sides blamed the other for the failure of negotiations was disheartening, but I suppose working to dispel animosity is part of the process. I sincerely hope that IATSE and the Atlantic Theatre Company can come to a mutually beneficial and satisfactory agreement. It is sad that Grief Camp and I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan have closed and the work of the actors, directors, playwrights, technicians, and designers will not be seen, but I hope that they will have a chance to reopen soon in the future. I believe that there is an agreement that can be reached, and hope that when it is agreed upon that the stories of these plays get told in the end.
That's crazy that two shows closed because of the stagehand strikes. It is a testament to the power that stagehands and the union holds! The show cannot go on without the stagehands, and yet they seem to not get that much appreciation, financially or otherwise. A lot of people don't even know about the stagehand job. I am sure there is a solution both parties can feel good about. I wish there was just more money in this industry so that it wouldn't even be a question of paying the stagehands well and giving them good working conditions. Then again, there are plenty of industries with a LOT of money and the workers are treated horrifically. I'm glad that the union is so strong in theater. I feel like a lot of jobs these days don't have as much of a union presence, but for some reason the union for theater workers and performers are incredibly strong. I wonder what the historical reasons are behind that. I would be interested to know more about that for sure.
It is so important that we pay attention to issues like this. It can be so easy for large companies to take advantage of it's workers and force them to work in bad conditions or without proper compensation. The ability for workers to join together and unionize, and give themselves the power to negotiate and advocate for themselves is super important. The article suggested that the reason for the unionization was a lack of adequate healthcare for the workers. Healthcare is such an important thing to have, especially in a career where injury can come pretty easily. I personally feel that the offer of 13% increased wages and benefits is not enough for the workers. Atlantic Theatre closing two of their shows already shows how much they need the stagehands that are currently striking. Because of this, if Atlantic does not quickly come up with a quality offer for the stagehands, they will likely take a large financial hit.
Unions have always been a prominent aspect within the theater industry and I don't think they will ever go away. In the theatrical industry there is a deep level of emotion and personal connection between the creators and the audience. I believe this makes it extremely difficult to manage contracts and salaries because everyone involved in a production is there because they love art. Not many people accidentally find themselves working in the world of theater and more specifically making a career out of it. Contracts can also become challenging when employees are only a part of the playhouse for the duration of a show or season. It can be challenging to constitute what might be considered equal pay when you take into account the many of the down periods in between jobs that are common in the theater industry. IATSE, being the biggest union in the theater world, will continue to be seen in the news for their efforts to guarantee adequate pay for stagehands and actors but no matter the amount of eyes brought to the subject it will always be a problem.
Strikes like these are a reminder of why we have unions like these in the first place. It helps show us how much power we as individuals have when we group together to fight against unacceptable treatment in the workplace. It is unfortunate that those shows had to close in the manner in which they did but I think the loss of revenue will be a real lesson for the theatre since at the end of the day money is what really talks. It really is quite ironic how much power a group of technicians hold over a production when the whole point of us is to not be seen and to go unnoticed by the audience. It just goes to show how much everyone really relies on each other in theatre and the show can’t go on without everyone being treated equally. The fact that employees still have to negotiate for healthcare coverage is really unfortunate.
I followed the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes a few years ago, and witnessed my mom’s teaching union strike for a month and half at the beginning of the school year around the same time. After reading this article and learning about the current strike, I’ve noticed that while strikes can end with a positive outcome for the workers on strike (for example, my mom’s union) without much of a loss of productivity or income, entertainment industry strikes seems to result in a high number of productions being cut that otherwise would not have been cut. Shadow and Bone comes to mind, as I was disappointed when that show was canceled after two seasons, and the spin off that had already been written was also scrapped, both due to a loss of income during the strike. I find it upsetting that while fighting for their rights, the hard work of the Atlantic’s stagehands is being thrown away. Unfortunately, it seems like a side effect of the reality of the industry, and how a stop in production can affect it.
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