Woolly Mammoth calls for theaters nationwide to trust and protect artists

This summer, a Chicago theater stunned the industry by firing its artistic director and entire staff, and reportedly making plans to discontinue producing new work. Now, in a highly unusual act, an influential Washington theater is asking other companies to publicly reaffirm their commitment to their artists.

That the board of D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company felt the need to make such an appeal attests to the turbulent times for the nation’s theater companies. The pandemic shutdown weakened the financial underpinnings of many, and a less than robust return of audiences — some estimates put the drop at 20 to 25 percent of theatergoers — has unnerved the industry.