Articles

What the Lizzo allegations show about harassment in entertainment - by Leah Carroll // BBC Worklife
”Shane, who organized A.R.T./New York's sexual harassment training, feels rules need to be put in place to safeguard workers and establish best practices. He says an ongoing dialogue about what constitutes harassment, bias and abuse is important for all industries, especially those whose guardrails may be fuzzier than others, such as the creative arts.

“Working in the performing arts is unique,” says Shane. “But just because you might have to share a dressing room or hotel room with a co-worker or boss doesn’t mean that harassment should be allowed to continue.”

Most importantly, he says, “We need to normalise saying no, normalise affirmative consent, so that when someone says yes it actually means something.” In other words, workers of all stripes should be allowed to create and express clear boundaries without fear they’ll be fired.

Yet Shane remains optimistic workers can make progress, especially as allegations of lesser-known forms of workplace harassment come to light. “People working in performing arts are creative people. I believe they can come up with creative solutions.”

Theaters fight to survive in an unsteady environment - by Trina Mannino // WNET’s All-Arts
Moreover, shifting attitudes on adequate compensation and working conditions, as a result of the pandemic and the 2020 racial reckoning, have caused labor costs and other expenses to increase.

“We see companies making the really important decision for them to produce theater that is human-centered and value-aligned,” said David E. Shane, director of program services at The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York. Shane explained that one way that could look is longer rehearsal periods. “Which for many organizations means longer rentals, so more money in order to stretch out their rehearsal time.”

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