{"id":90458,"date":"2022-06-14T16:56:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-14T20:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=90458"},"modified":"2022-09-12T11:51:10","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T15:51:10","slug":"broadway-is-back","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2022\/broadway-is-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Broadway is Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin magazine-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-over-image has-media has-box has-media-focus-center-top has-text-position-x-right has-text-position-y-bottom has-quaternary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-scaled.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1342383514-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\"><strong>PHOTO BY ALEXI ROSENFELD\/GETTY IMAGES<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Theatre<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBroadway is Back\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">As casts and crews return to the stage, many productions want to flip the scripts\u2014to right systemic wrongs<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar magazine-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">June 14, 2022<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/authors\/mara-sassoon\/\">Mara Sassoon<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p><strong>Walk around Manhattan\u2019s Theater District these days&nbsp;<\/strong>and it may seem as though nothing has changed since the pandemic forced Broadway to go dark for 18 months beginning in March 2020. In the afternoon, a line of people hoping to snag discount tickets to a show snakes around the TKTS booth and its iconic red steps in the heart of Times Square. That evening, a throng of eager theatergoers waits to be let into the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre to see the Tony Award\u2013winning singer and actor Patti Lupone in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/companymusical.com\/\">revival of&nbsp;<em>Company<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But look a little closer, and it\u2019s clear that things have changed. Many people in the TKTS line wear masks. While they no longer check for proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test as of May 2022, theater personnel at the doors of the Jacobs continue to remind everyone in line that they must wear their masks throughout the entire performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, inside the Jacobs\u2014or any of Broadway\u2019s 41 historic theaters during those magical minutes before the lights dim and the production starts\u2014audience excitement is palpable. A group of friends huddles together in their seats, giddily clutching their playbills and smiling behind their masks for a quick selfie. Others take in the intricate details of the theater. More than once someone says, \u201cI\u2019ve missed this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax magazine-block-editorial-parallax alignfull has-content-box has-box-color-quaternary has-object-cover-center-middle is-style-content-left-overlay\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-media\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-background-image\"><\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-figure js-block-editorial-parallax-active\" data-rellax-speed=\"-5\" data-rellax-percentage=\"0.5\"><picture class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-picture\"><source media=\"(max-height: 480px)\" srcset=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-854x480.jpg\"\/><source media=\"(max-height: 720px)\" srcset=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-1280x720.jpg\"\/><source media=\"(max-height: 768px)\" srcset=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-1366x768.jpg\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-image wp-image-90460\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-992x558.jpg 992w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-1500x844.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-1984x1116.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-1366x768.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15641514-854x480.jpg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/picture><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-content-outer\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-content-inner\">\n<h4>People line up outside the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre for a performance of&nbsp;<em>Company<\/em>&nbsp;in January 2022.&nbsp;Until May 2022, theatergoers had to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to see a Broadway production.&nbsp;An Rong Xu\/the<em> New York Times<\/em><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, things are a little different, but Broadway is back after its longest break ever. A typical season might include 30 to 40 plays and musicals\u2014both originals and revivals\u2014that employ almost 100,000 people locally. The 2018\u20132019 season brought in almost $1.83 billion and was the highest grossing season in Broadway history, according to The Broadway League.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since September 2021, more than 30 productions have opened or reopened, including&nbsp;<em>Company<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>Funny Girl<\/em>, and&nbsp;<em>The Music Man<\/em>. The musical&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mrsdoubtfirebroadway.com\/cast\/\"><em>Mrs. Doubtfire<\/em><\/a>, which had only a few days of Broadway previews before the shutdown, resumed previews in October 2021 and officially opened two months later, although it faced a couple of COVID-related hiatuses and an early closure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been a wild ride,\u201d says Brad Oscar, who played Frank Hillard, the brother of Daniel Hillard (aka Mrs. Doubtfire), in the musical. Oscar (\u201986), a Tony Award\u2013nominated actor who starred as Nostradamus in the original Broadway production of&nbsp;<em>Something Rotten!<\/em>, spoke with&nbsp;<em>CFA&nbsp;<\/em>in December 2021, at the tail end of&nbsp;<em>Mrs. Doubtfire<\/em>\u2019s first four-day hiatus following multiple positive COVID tests in the company. \u201cIt\u2019s frustrating because we\u2019re playing a game of stop and start,\u201d he says. \u201cBut even through these hiccups, we&nbsp;<em>are<\/em>&nbsp;back and we\u2019re going to get through this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote magazine-block-bu-pullquote alignwide is-style-pop has-quaternary-theme has-quaternary-theme-text\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">Jeez Louise, was it emotional. We\u2019re performers, so I think we\u2019re inclined to be perhaps a little more dramatic. But I was unprepared for the swell of emotion being up there together again.<\/div><footer class=\"caption\">Brad Oscar<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the hardships that&nbsp;<em>Mrs. Doubtfire&nbsp;<\/em>and other shows have experienced, many have characterized the pandemic-induced pause Broadway went through as a much-needed opportunity to reconsider its systemic issues, including pay parity and diversity, equity, and inclusion. In November 2021, the&nbsp;<em>New York Times&nbsp;<\/em>reported that some plays and musicals, including&nbsp;<em>The Book of Mormon<\/em>,<em>&nbsp;The Lion King<\/em>, and<em>&nbsp;Hamilton<\/em>, \u201care making script and staging changes to reflect concerns that intensified after last year\u2019s huge wave of protests against racism and police misconduct.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s time the theater and film industries get with the program and realize that there are all sorts of\u00a0truly\u00a0brilliant actors out there who can play any role,\u201d says Tony-winning producer Fred Zollo (CAS\u201975), who coproduced the\u00a0Broadway revival of\u00a0<em>Macbeth<\/em>, starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. The production, which premiered in March 2022, is notable for its inclusive creative team and casting, including actor Amber Gray (\u201904) in the traditionally male role of Banquo, and the nonbinary actor Asia Kate Dillon as Malcolm. \u201cIt\u2019s taken us a very long time\u2014way too long,\u201d says Zollo, \u201cbut we are finally starting to see productions taking this view.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax magazine-block-editorial-parallax alignfull has-background-color-quaternary has-box-color-quaternary has-object-cover-center-middle is-style-content-left-split\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-media\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-background-image\"><\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-figure js-block-editorial-parallax-active\" data-rellax-speed=\"-5\" data-rellax-percentage=\"0.5\"><picture class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-picture\"><source media=\"(max-height: 480px)\" srcset=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-854x480.jpg\"\/><source media=\"(max-height: 720px)\" srcset=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-1280x720.jpg\"\/><source media=\"(max-height: 768px)\" srcset=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-1366x768.jpg\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-image wp-image-90461\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-992x558.jpg 992w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-1500x844.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-1984x1116.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-1366x768.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/h_15621344-854x480.jpg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/picture><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-content-outer\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-parallax-content-inner\">\n<h2>Tony Award\u2013nominated actor Brad Oscar (\u201986), at left, played Frank Hillard in&nbsp;<em>Mrs. Doubtfire<\/em>.&nbsp;Sara Krulwich\/the<em> New York Times<\/em><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3>\u201cIt\u2019s Gonna Be All Right\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A few weeks before&nbsp;<em>Mrs. Doubtfire<\/em>&nbsp;reopened on Broadway in December 2021, the cast appeared on&nbsp;<em>Good Morning America<\/em>&nbsp;to sing one of the show\u2019s playful songs, \u201cBam! You\u2019re Rockin\u2019 Now.\u201d At the end of their performance, they segued into a peppy riff on the musical\u2019s closing number, \u201cAs Long as There Is Love.\u201d Their words rang like a resilient battle cry: \u201cIt\u2019s gonna be all right\u2014as long as there is love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The show finally had its opening night on Broadway on December 5, 2021.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJeez Louise, was it emotional,\u201d Oscar says. \u201cWe\u2019re performers, so I think we\u2019re inclined to be perhaps a little more dramatic. I knew I missed performing because this is such a part of who I am\u2014it feeds my soul. But I was unprepared for the swell of emotion being up there together again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After it returned to Broadway,&nbsp;<em>Mrs. Doubtfire<\/em>&nbsp;followed intense COVID protocols, including working with an outside company to manage its staff testing program, and having two compliance officers at the theater each day to ensure theater staff and audiences adhered to masking, testing, and vaccination requirements. Oscar says he went to the theater every day to get tested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:250px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer alignfull has-secondary-background-color overlap-bottom-150\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube alignwide wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"responsive-video responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mrs. Doubtfire The Musical Comedy Live Broadway Performance November 18, 2021 New York City HD 1080p\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/53jso4KYfWY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Watch Brad Oscar and the cast of&nbsp;<em>Mrs. Doubtfire<\/em>&nbsp;perform on&nbsp;<em>Good Morning America<\/em>&nbsp;in November 2021. Video courtesy of Independent Musicians Foundation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Even so, not long after its short December hiatus, as Omicron cases rose,&nbsp;<em>Mrs. Doubtfire<\/em>\u2019s creative team made the difficult decision to pause the show temporarily, from January 10 until April 14, 2022, promising to rehire everyone who wanted to return after that time. Lead producer Kevin McCollum told the&nbsp;<em>New York Times<\/em>&nbsp;that shutting down the production for that period would ultimately save it from running out of money. The&nbsp;<em>Times&nbsp;<\/em>reported that the show\u2019s expenses ran close to $700,000 per week, regardless of whether performances took place. \u201cMy job is to protect the jobs long-term of those who are working on&nbsp;<em>Mrs. Doubtfire<\/em>, and this is the best way I can do that today,\u201d McCollum told the&nbsp;<em>Times<\/em>. But by mid-May, he announced the show would have to close at the end of the month\u2014three months early\u2014because sales hadn\u2019t improved enough. The musical still has plans for a month of performances in the UK in fall 2022 and a US tour beginning in late 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Coming Back, Moving Forward<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While Broadway shows are still contending with how to handle pandemic-related disruptions, they are also examining how to grapple with some long-standing problems. \u201cWe acknowledged that, yes we\u2019re back, but let\u2019s just not come back to where we were, let\u2019s move forward,\u201d says Oscar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even before the pandemic and the racial reckoning of 2020, the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion was a primary concern for many in the theater industry. The labor union&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.actorsequity.org\/resources\/diversity\/diversity-inclusion-reports\/\">Actors\u2019 Equity has published a series of reports<\/a>&nbsp;on these topics since 2017. In 2020, they released a diversity and inclusion report that looked at the demographics of its members from 2016 through 2019. In an opening letter to the report, Actors\u2019 Equity executive director Mary McColl noted that while there had been some progress, such as more contracts being given nationally to women and people of color, \u201cthese gains have been woefully insufficient, and not uniformly true across the country.\u201d The report found that of the total Equity contracts nationally\u2014including principal, chorus, stage manager, and assistant stage manager contracts\u201463.95 percent were given to people who identify as white. \u201cAmong production contracts,\u201d the report said, \u201cmuch of the increased representation of people of color can be attributed to multiple productions of&nbsp;<em>Hamilton&nbsp;<\/em>alone.\u201d The report also called out that \u201cbarely\u201d one percent of contracts were given to members with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote magazine-block-bu-pullquote alignwide is-style-pop has-secondary-theme has-primary-theme-text\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">The fact that we\u2019re opening the door to writers, actors, and artists from everywhere\u2014it only enriches the theater.<\/div><footer class=\"caption\">Fred Zollo<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think we\u2019ve always been aware of the issues of representation in theater,\u201d says Oscar, \u201cbut it continues to happen. And you think, \u2018How does this continue to happen?\u2019 I\u2019m hopeful that something just broke\u2014in a good way\u2014and we make real change. It broke because it\u2019s been breaking for, well, centuries.\u201d He says&nbsp;<em>Mrs. Doubtfire<\/em>\u2019s creative team made sure that the cast and crew attend a series of diversity trainings before diving into rehearsals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Casting director&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tararubincasting.com\/\">Tara Rubin<\/a>&nbsp;says that representation is at the center of every project she works on now. \u201cIt\u2019s the first conversation we have, and it\u2019s no longer a goal\u2014it\u2019s just a given,\u201d says Rubin (CAS\u201977). \u201cWe didn\u2019t do a good enough job in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Improving representation onstage begins with those who are doing the casting\u2014a field distinctly lacking in diversity, says Rubin. \u201cBut I\u2019d say there is an industry-wide consideration and movement toward improving that,\u201d she says. The professional organization&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.castingsociety.com\/\">Casting Society of America<\/a>&nbsp;launched a training and education program for young people who are interested in the field, with the goal of helping BIPOC students jump-start their careers. Rubin says that she and her colleagues also participate in a mentorship program with the goal of helping underrepresented groups break into the casting world. \u201cWe\u2019re really training our eyes on how we can improve our own industry and create a viable pipeline for people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oscar is upbeat about the changes he\u2019s seen. In the two years prior to the pandemic, he performed in three regional plays that featured \u201cthe most diverse group of actors that I\u2019ve ever worked with. I\u2019m a white, middle-aged, Jewish gay man, but in all three of those productions, I was a minority. And I thought, \u2018Isn\u2019t that cool?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"600\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2022\/08\/Amber-Grey.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90472\"\/><figcaption>The Broadway revival of&nbsp;<em>Macbeth<\/em>&nbsp;is notable for its inclusive casting, including actor Amber Gray (\u201904), in the traditionally male role of Banquo. Greg Allen\/Invision\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Harvey Young, dean of the College of Fine Arts, also says he\u2019s observed \u201ca sea change in artistic leadership [in regional theater], with more women and people of color appointed as executive or artistic directors.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe lineup of plays, playwrights, and productions [in regional theater] has never been more representative of the US,\u201d says Young, a nationally recognized theater educator and a member of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. \u201cThe single \u2018diversity slot\u2019\u2014for a woman and\/or person of color playwright\u2014in a season has multiplied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat hasn\u2019t changed, or has been slow to change, is the makeup of theater audiences,\u201d says Young. \u201cThere is still more outreach needed to make theater accessible and affordable to more people.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some strides in improving accessibility of productions have been made, including presenting shows in new, experimental formats. Young points to the success of&nbsp;<em>Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical&nbsp;<\/em>and the Pulitzer Prize nomination for the online play&nbsp;<em>Circle Jerk&nbsp;<\/em>as signs that people are beginning to embrace alternate ways to attend and experience theater. Jeremy O. Harris, who wrote&nbsp;<em>Slave Play<\/em>, helped produce livestreamed productions of&nbsp;both plays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zollo, the producer of&nbsp;<em>Macbeth<\/em>, has made it a goal to improve the accessibility of his productions. The show had a&nbsp;Macbeth 2022&nbsp;program designed to provide at least 2,022 tickets to students, with the goal of reaching students who are underrepresented on Broadway, including from BIPOC communities and those with disabilities. \u201cWe want[ed] everyone who want[ed] to see this production to have the opportunity to do so,\u201d Zollo says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rubin hopes the industry continues to improve on another pressing issue: pay parity. \u201cI would like to make sure that even though we\u2019ve come back\u2014and we\u2019re all very proud of that, and it\u2019s been incredibly hectic\u2014that we don\u2019t take our eyes off the big prize,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s time to really look at some of our financial models and pay structures for all of the departments in creating a theater production.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Actors\u2019 Equity, in a 2020 hiring bias report that it published in 2022, looked at the industry\u2019s pay statistics in the three months before the pandemic shutdowns and found that \u201cmen still earn more than women on average across nearly every job category, and non-binary members tend to earn less than men or women.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-end-of-article\">Though there is still a long way to go, Zollo, who has produced more than 100 plays and won seven Tonys in his 40-year career, says the initiatives that are being taken lately have given him hope for better inclusivity across all aspects of productions. \u201cThe fact that we\u2019re opening the door to writers, actors, and artists from everywhere\u2014it only enriches the theater.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Walk around Manhattan\u2019s Theater District these days&nbsp;and it may seem as though nothing has changed since the pandemic forced Broadway to go dark for 18 months beginning in March 2020. In the afternoon, a line of people hoping to snag discount tickets to a show snakes around the TKTS booth and its iconic red steps [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1679,"featured_media":91224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[],"bu-publication":[191],"magazine-article-category":[372,378],"magazine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[],"news-topic":[],"bu_edition":[362],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/90458"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1679"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90458"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/90458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92922,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/90458\/revisions\/92922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90458"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=90458"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=90458"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=90458"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=90458"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=90458"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=90458"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=90458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}