donshewey.substack.com: Oskar Eustis has been artistic director of the Public Theater for 21 years and recently announced that he will be stepping down from his position as of July 31, 2028. In an interview with the New York Times, asked about the state of American theater, he said, “I think the American nonprofit theater movement is over,” citing the financial challenges that plague a business model conceived decades ago that hasn’t kept up with the current economy.
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I was having a conversation the other day about how unsustainable the nonprofit theater model is. The model may have worked at one time, but it simply, in most cases, is not feasible for many theaters in many communities. One big problem is that these theaters eventually need to find benefactors. These benefactors then hold a big sway over what shows are put on each season. I understand that theater costs are so high because we as a general rule have been paying people what they are worth, but the high ticket costs are also what is hitting Broadway in the knees and leaving it crippled. I have heard mixed things about theater in times of crises. The theater industry and the arts in general are a good way to see at a glance how the economy is doing. I think that it is very telling that we are at a point where theater and the arts are declining.
I found the opening of the article was a stark opening with the quote from Oskar Eustis, artistic director of the Public Theater for 21 years, who said: “I think the American nonprofit theater movement is over.” That line really caught my attention because it's so blunt and final. What makes it interesting is that the author uses this quote to look back at 1985, a time when things felt much more hopeful. Back then, the NEA was giving out grants to help theater ensembles grow, and Martenson even said the goal was to create real, lasting change instead of just "a temporary blip." Knowing what's happened since then, it's hard not to compare the two moments. It makes me think about how funding and good intentions don't always guarantee long-term success. Even with a solid plan in place, outside pressures like changing politics or shrinking budgets can slowly undo years of progress.
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