COVID prompts Westport Country Theater to cut shows

WESTPORT — The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused the Westport Country Playhouse to remove two shows from its 2023 season.

The playhouse originally announced a lineup of five shows, but will now produce three: “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” from April 11 through April 29; “Dial ‘M’ for Murder,” from July 11 through July 29; and “School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play,” October 24 through November 11. This removes “Antigone” and “the Cocktail Hour.”

“I’m heartbroken,” Playhouse Artistic Director Mark Lamos said.

The theater was able to offer five shows last year as people began to attend live performances again, but the theater wasn’t able to hit the expected revenue.

“Audiences are coming back slowly and we have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels of participation,” said Playhouse Director of Development and Interim Managing Director Gretchen Wright said. “As a result, in 2022 we successfully produced one musical and four plays but finished with low ticket revenue and a significant deficit — a fate similar to many other theaters in Connecticut.”

Ticket sales only cover 40 percent of a show’s cost, said Anna Czekaj-Farber, the board of trustees’ chair.

Wright said the other 60 percent of funding comes from contributed income, which includes donations, grants and sponsorships, as well as a small amount from people renting space at the theater, concessions, handling fees and other miscellaneous items.

“Contributed income, while we saw a bump in 2020 and 2021 with an increase in emergency government funding and individual donations at the outset of the pandemic — almost an extra $1 milllion in 2021 — has since come back to 2019 levels, but it’s not made up for the gap between increased expenses and the extreme drop in ticket sales and subscriptions,” Wright said. “Coming out of 2022, we know that COVID-related special funding sources have run out, and our individual donors are feeling fatigued.”

Wright said the staff and board of trutees worked together to determine which shows would remain based on “artistry/storytelling; equity; community; education; relationships/creative collaborations; people; financial health; and production costs.”

The group eliminated the shows they determined had the least impact on their artists and audience, and had lower numbers of expected attendees, Wright said.

“The board of trustees have been very engaged in supporting the theater and all the changes, proactively leading the Playhouse to brighter future,” CzekajFarber said. “We are an agile organization and we are trying to adjust to ensure the longevity and health of this important institution that has been a part of our community for more than 90 years.”

Wright said they can also still run the summer internship program and continue community engagement with this season structure.

“We are confident that we are making the prudent decision that would allow us to prosper as we have many exciting plans for the future of this wonderful theater,” Czekaj-Farber said.

“It also creates an evenly spaced season that can get peppered with some additional program offerings that are revenue positive and keep the playhouse in the minds of our community members,” Wright said. “These three shows together maximize our mission in artistry, education, and equity, as well as have the highest potential ticket sales potential, fundraising appeal, and reputational impact.”

Lamos said he was sad to see those two shows ultimately removed.

With “Antigone,” which was commissioned four seasons ago, the writer Kenneth Cavender worked with director David Kennedy to scale down the number of actors in the cast, making it more affordable for the Playhouse, Lumos.

He described “The Cocktail Hour,” as “one of A.R. ‘Pete’ Gurney’s finest comedies.” Lumos said he “was really looking forward to sharing it with our audiences, who have embraced his work for decades.”

Current 2023 season ticket holders have already been contacted by the playhouse’s box office for how to claim the value of the canceled show tickets through gift certificates, refunds or donations.

“That said, I’m really excited about the three productions we will be presenting,” Lamos said.

He called the upcoming shows “wonderful theater for all to enjoy.”