“Theater,” said Oscar Wilde is “the greatest of all art forms. The most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”
Risa Shoup, co-executive director of the Alliance of Resident Theatres, (A.R.T./New York)
For half a century the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New York) has been committed to that mantra to help nonprofit theaters make their art and thrive. Since they began in 1972, A.R.T./New York has assisted over 400 member theaters offering key services so they can fulfill and finance their artistic visions and nourish diverse audiences. That means providing all kinds of resources like educational programming, subsidized workspaces, grants and advocacy.
A.R.T./New York’s offerings includes expert-led trainings and workshops. They have roundtables where staff from member theaters come together and learn from each other. Their offerings range from the most practical, like how to read a form 990, to broad and deep training around disability justice and antiracism in the theater.
One of A.R.T./New York’s hallmark programs is the Theatre Administration Consulting Program. “Members come to us when they have challenges, from the most practical, like, “I want to move from cash-based accounting to accrual,” to the most esoteric, like, “I need to redo board governance for my 30-year-old institution, and I have no idea where to begin,” says A.R.T./New York co-executive director Risa Shoup. A.R.T./New York will then match a member theater with a consultant who will help them establish a scope of work. “And then we foot the bill for up to 30 hours of work,” adds Shoup.
Last month Talia Corren was appointed co-executive director at A.R.T./New York to help serve ... [+]
A.R.T./New York’s subsidized workplaces for their members can be found throughout New York City. “That takes the form of offices and rehearsal studios and our two theaters in Hell’s Kitchen,” says Shoup. “Our theaters are the most accessible in the City. Even the techbooths can be accessed by people using a wheelchair.”
In terms of grants, not only does A.R.T./New York provide cash grants to theaters from their own coffers, they also work with the Mellon Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation and New York State Council on the Arts to re-grant funds. Shoup says, “That allows us to provide critical funds to the field that wouldn’t necessarily get there.”
As A.R.T./New York enters this major 50th anniversary milestone the organization recently announced the appointment of Talia Corren as organization's new co-executive director. In their shared leadership Shoup and Corren, who has worked with Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theatre, Soho Rep and Advance NYC, will serve non-profit New York theaters in new ways post-pandemic.
“Our 50th anniversary is the beginning of a new chapter for us in a field that has changed dramatically. There's been so much creative energy moving through our organization as we’ve restructured, and we’re so excited to bring Talia on,” says A.R.T./New York board chair Deadria Harrington. “Her fresh perspective, vision for the organization, and hunger to serve the field and our members is going to create a cauldron of collective dreaming for all of us.”
Jeryl Brunner: What is your vision for A.R.T./New York?
Talia Corren: A successful A.R.T./New York is in many ways measured by a thriving and healthy theater ecosystem. It is important to me that we don’t have a single narrative for what “good theater” is, or a single strategy that we think all companies need to pursue. We talk a lot about self-determination, and resourcing our members with the tools they need to make the work that they want to see. To me, the diversity in content, form, style, structure, and personality of our field is its strength, and I want to make sure that we advocate for that spirit of abundance.
Risa Shoup: My vision is for excellence, compassion, and sustainability in our service provision. That is coupled with a grounding that comes from understanding we cannot solve every problem, and one of the biggest mistakes, that is shockingly easy to make, inadvertently and otherwise, is to imply that you will solve every problem for every member. Instead, if we stay focused on clarity and quality of services offered and consistently hold ourselves accountable to responding to member needs, we will always add value. The services we provide will always be those that ensure the vitality, inclusivity and profundity of theater-making in New York City and throughout the State.
Brunner: So many people long to make theater but feel they don't have the resources, especially in New York City. What would you advise?
Shoup: Balance your focus with what practices are sustainable and what can you achieve TODAY. Don’t get bogged down with what you would do if you had some incredible amount of money or custom-designed facility. What can you do right now that will set you and your collaborators up for success moving forward. Also, challenge your own taste, challenge your assumptions. Theater is uniquely and inherently collaborative, so hold yourselves accountable to being open to new, (to you), techniques, aesthetics, and visions.
Corren: I love Risa’s response. I would add, find a community. Theater is a beautifully collaborative art-form. So look for people who are up to things that excite you, ask for help, and join a community. There are so many ways to contribute and lots of generous people who will make space for you.
Brunner: Why do you believe the theater’s survival is so key, especially now, post-pandemic?
Shoup: I fundamentally believe that theater and all performing arts are magical. They give us the opportunity to fly, to become something else, to see the world through someone else’s eyes. What better way to develop our capacity for empathy? And what could be more important than that in this moment in history? Also, it’s fun. And fun and joy make up the essential fuel for overcoming challenges.
Corren: Absolutely. We need theater in some deep and primal way. Our ability to sit in the dark and imagine worlds together is vital to our civic, emotional, relational, and cultural health. It’s a safe space to feel something dangerous.
