I'm not usually one to complain about work. Wait, I lied.I should first begin by saying I design costumes at a local theatre for a "living" (along with attending school). Just recently I have been informed that if our theatre does not turn around and start making a bigger profit, the theatres doors will permanently close in three months. GREAT. Right around Christmas time. That's AWE-some. This "threat" just so happened right after the General Manager put in his resignation so he could persue teaching. Odd I thought, I never knew the theatre was in such dire straits since we just closed our blockbuster summer show, which sold out the house just about every night, and there were no royalties to pay.
But what do I know, I am just the costumer.
Next, I find out that we are changing the chain-of-command, and the board of directors elects one of their own to be General Manager, and elects a new Artistic Director (who used to be the Production Manager and is now promoted to be the boss).
OK. Again, odd.
Well, he promptly moves into my old bosses office, about a week after his resignation and before my boss' last day (even before he has the chance to pack up his desk). To top it off he calls me into "his office" and tells me they have to cut my hours down to twenty a week due to budget cuts. (I heard he was getting a raise and they had to cut others paychecks so they could give him more money...that is just a rumor though.) Sucks, but I can't really complain because since school has started back up I haven't been working more than twenty. He also threatened to put me on a weekly "salary", but that didn't happen. Phew! I also just found out today that my old boss is no longer allowed to hang-out at the theatre anymore.WH-WHAT!? He is scheduled to direct quite a few shows in the upcomming season! Plus there is a cafe, what if he feels like eating lunch in there? He is not allowed? LAME!
All I can say is it now feels so empty without him around, he was the theatres heartbeat. I really hope the theatre doesn't close its doors, I really hate job searching and I really love this one.
1 comment:
The theatre has always been in financial trouble, but they never publicized it because they didn't want to break morale.
But every theatre is in financial trouble and they are no worse than any other (and better than most).
The theatre's problem is not from ticket sales or class size, but from a lack of big money donors. They have lots of little donors, but no big money.
As a non-profit, it is expected that the theatre survive half from its own means and the other half from donations... and while the theatre has provided its share, it has not come from the other side.
And so they feel the need to change the ratio... that the theatre should make more lime 90% of the money and donations be more like 10% (this is probably an exagerration on my part, but its meant to give you an idea).
And maybe that is what is necessary. Maybe budget cuts all around are needed. But then I think that burden should be shared by everyone from the bottom to the top.
Why should some people be getting more money for what they do at the sacrifice of others getting less?
I think the theatre will survive. It still has key donors who want to make it work under the new structure and are going to invest in it with the cuts.
I hope it doesn't lose its heart. I hope as they decide to run it more in a business fashion that they also recognize the human factor that has gone into that place over the past few years.
In its early days, it had turned into a business and it got to a point where the person in charge scared everyone off with their "this is a business" attitude, sacrificing the art for saving a penny here and there.
I hope the new order remembers that.
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