HowlRound Theatre Commons: Best Available also speaks to the reality that theatre companies are particularly likely to decompose during artistic leadership change. In “Theatre in Crisis,” the editors of American Theatre magazine highlight reductions in programming and increases in theatre closures between 2020 and 2023. They list thirty-five different theatre companies or festivals that closed in that three-year period.
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Reading about Best Available and the real-world parallels in theatre governance felt uncomfortably familiar. As someone interested in a career in arts leadership, this all makes me reflect on the kind of system I want to be part of. Theatre isn't just about what's on stage—it’s the people behind it, beside it, and funding it. Governance should be about shared vision, not control. I want to believe that boards can evolve, but only if they’re willing to get their hands dirty, like Woolly’s did. The arts are fragile. But they’re also alive, and alive things change. We need more governance models that make space for growth, trust, and a future that doesn’t just replicate the past. Because honestly, I don’t want to spend my career chasing Dolores’ approval—I want to help build something new.
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