Second Stage becomes first Broadway nonprofit in decades to name new leader
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, November 14, 2024


Second Stage becomes first Broadway nonprofit in decades to name new leader
Laura Dreyfuss, left, and Ben Platt in the musical “Dear Evan Hansen” at the Second Stage Theater in New York, March 25, 2016. Platt, the 29-year-old actor, best known for his Tony-winning turn in “Dear Evan Hansen,” is returning to the stage at New York City Center. (Sara Krulwich/The New York Times)

by Michael Paulson



NEW YORK, NY.- Second Stage Theater, one of the four nonprofit organizations with Broadway houses, on Thursday named a new artistic director as the sector braces for a wave of leadership turnover.

Founded in 1979 and distinguished by its commitment to presenting work by living American writers, Second Stage said that its board had chosen Evan Cabnet as its next artistic director. Cabnet is currently the artistic director of LCT3, Lincoln Center Theater’s program for emerging writers, directors and designers. Cabnet will succeed Carole Rothman, one of the theater’s founders, who led the organization for 45 years and is stepping down in August.

Second Stage has a proud history of presenting acclaimed work, including the Pulitzer-winning shows “Between Riverside and Crazy,” “Water by the Spoonful” and “Next to Normal.” Its plays and musicals have won multiple other honors; most recently, the organization’s production of “Appropriate” won this year’s Tony Award for best play revival.

Second Stage owns Broadway’s smallest house, the 600-seat Hayes Theater. Like many nonprofit theaters, Second Stage has reduced its footprint since the pandemic — it let go of its off-off-Broadway space on the Upper West Side, and at the end of this year is letting go of its off-Broadway venue in Times Square, although it plans to continue to produce such work in other spaces, starting next spring at the Pershing Square Signature Center. The organization has 47 staffers and an annual budget of $27 million; this season it is planning to stage two Broadway shows, two off-Broadway shows and a Next Stage Festival for early-career work.

The leadership of the four Broadway nonprofits has not changed for decades, and the industry is closely watching to see how a new generation of leaders might differ from its predecessors. Two of the other nonprofits will also be looking for new artistic leaders: Lincoln Center Theater’s producing artistic director, André Bishop, is ending his 33-year tenure next spring, and Roundabout Theater Company’s artistic director and CEO, Todd Haimes, died last year after 40 years at that organization. (The fourth Broadway nonprofit, Manhattan Theater Club, is led by Lynne Meadow, who has been that organization’s artistic director for 52 years.)

Cabnet, 46, is a Philadelphia native who has lived in New York since 1996 and resides in Brooklyn. He has led LCT3 since 2016; previously he was a freelance director and an artistic associate at Roundabout. He will start his new job on Sept. 1; the first season to feature shows he chooses will begin in the fall of 2025. In an interview, he talked about his plans; these are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Q: Why did you want this job?

A: My commitment is, and has always been, to new work, and contemporary American work, and new voices, and the alignment of my personal mission and the institution’s mission felt like an extraordinarily good fit. I am excited not only to work with new and emerging talent but also to be a champion of more established writers, and to be able to revive recent plays that are worth another look.

Q: Second Stage has had this commitment to living American writers. Do you intend to maintain that commitment?

A: Yes. Carole’s legacy is extraordinary — it’s unrivaled. And it’s my hope, it’s my task, it’s my dream to uphold and honor that legacy. The mission will remain the same.

Q: I’m assuming you did some due diligence before taking this position. What is your sense of the health of Second Stage?

A: It’s an extraordinarily healthy organization.

Q: But, like many nonprofits, they’re doing fewer shows than they were, and they’ve let go of the off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway venues.

A: Look, there are challenges across the not-for-profit theater world. The first thing I always look at is the quality of work on the stages — that’s always the most important thing — and if you look at what Second Stage has done, especially in the last couple seasons, it’s extraordinary. And the truth is theater has always had challenges — I don’t see it as any more challenging than before the pandemic, it’s just a different set [of challenges].

Q: Should Second Stage have a permanent off-Broadway home?

A: The amount of moving parts that have to go into a decision like that include information that I don’t have yet. What I can say is that it’s less about real estate, and more about what kind of work we’re producing, who are the artists that we’re championing, and what kind of audiences we’re welcoming.

Q: This will be your first job where you’re responsible for programming a Broadway stage.

A: It’s thrilling. What we have learned recently is that there’s a real appetite for serious American plays on Broadway. I don’t say “serious” like they all need to be tragedies, but I mean formidable. We have proven this. And this is very much in alignment with what I’ve been doing for a long time.

Q: Do you think Second Stage is becoming a primarily Broadway company, or what’s your level of interest in the off-Broadway part of the operations?

A: We treat all of our initiatives equally. There are the established writers and the established plays that we will produce in the Hayes; there are midcareer or maybe emerging artists that we’ll be producing off-Broadway; and the Next Stage Festival will give opportunities to writers who have never been produced at that level. We don’t play favorites. All of them are the most important, and all of them get an equal amount of our attention.

Q: Do you feel like the country is awash with excellent work, so you have amazing options, or do you feel like there’s a large number of nonprofits grappling for a handful of excellent shows?

A: There are so many playwrights in America who are working at such an unbelievably high level and we can see it when we’re looking at not-for-profit seasons all across the city — there is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to great plays. But an extraordinary thing about Second Stage’s mission is the recent revival piece of the puzzle — “Appropriate” is an excellent example of that. Over the last 20, 25 years we’ve seen so many incredible plays produced at institutions that, for whatever reason, had a short run or didn’t get the attention it deserved, and one of the things that Second Stage is well-suited to do is give these plays another life so that they can assume their place as part of the American canon.

Q: What’s your position on movie stars?

A: I always start with the play. We figure out who is the best person for the role, and we go from there. Sometimes it is a famous actor, and sometimes it isn’t.

Q: I associate you with plays. Second Stage has done some important musicals off-Broadway over time [“Dear Evan Hansen,” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Next to Normal”]. Do you have any affection for that art form?

A: Absolutely. I want to consider those projects, and I want that to be part of the lifeblood of the organization moving forward, especially off-Broadway.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.










Today's News

June 29, 2024

Cadogan Gallery to open new Flagship Gallery in Belgravia on 3 October 2024 with Group Exhibition

SJ Auctioneers announces online-only Black Americana, Collectibles, Décor & Silverware auction

Holabird announces highlights included in its American History & Hall of Fame Showcase Auction

Apollo to auction saber of Tsar Nicholas II, first royal sword ever to be offered for public sale

Amsterdam Museum to return a Matisse work sold under duress in World War II

Exhibition brings together an international and intergenerational group of artists

'Haight Street Rat' by famed artist Banksy on view this summer in Cooperstown

Masterpieces from Villa Langmatt on view at the Fondation de l'Hermitage

The Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna dedicates an exhibition to the medal as an artform

Why can't New York make a proper monument to gay history?

Thandi Loewenson wins 2024 Wheelwright Prize

MCA Australia opens 'Past Continuous', a solo exhibition by acclaimed Australian artist Julie Rrap

Photo Elysée opens an exhibition celebrating photographer Sabine Weiss

Galerie Michael Janssen opens 'Anders Kjellesvik's Conceptual Romance'

Barbie that flew on landmark International Space Station mission to go on public display for first time

Exhibition surveys the trailblazing practice of American painter Al Held

Libraries and arts programs spared from cuts in NYC budget deal

Buzz Cason, songwriter best known for 'Everlasting Love,' dies at 84

Cover art for 'Harry Potter' sold at auction for $1.92 million

Second Stage becomes first Broadway nonprofit in decades to name new leader

Museum Frieder Burda opens the exhibition 'I Feel the Earth Whisper'

Overview of Hot Fruits Casino

The Future of Augmented Reality in Online Slot Gaming

Summer Holiday Eye Care Away From 7 Vices

Five Tips to Boost the Aesthetic Appeal of Your Car

Professional Tools for Musicians: Spotify for Artists and more!

Marble Dining Table

From Trail to Summit: Essential Gear for Every Outdoor Adventure

Custom LED Displays: Tailoring Visual Solutions to Your Needs




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful