"Empty chairs at empty tables": How COVID-19 has changed the role of the artistic director: Envisioning the future

ABSTRACT

The role of the theatrical artistic director has long been considered one of the primary leadership roles that connect audiences with artistic work. Their role within the industry allows them to act as both a manager of the business and artistic aspects of producing live theatre. Their creativity and decision making help in creating artistic opportunity for theatre artists, which ultimately can result in their employment. In recent years the global health crisis known as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the US government to mandate shutdowns and restrictions on businesses that require close human-to-human contact. Because of these shutdowns and the movement of theatres across the US towards theatrical adaptation the need for artistic directors to be creative decision makers is more important than ever for the vast amount of theatre artists who found themselves unemployed because of the pandemic. Previous studies and literature concerning the role of the artistic director have been extremely limited and evaluating them during this time is of paramount importance for understanding them further. The purpose of this qualitative study was to uncover how the role of the artistic director has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as determine what was learned that could be translated into the theatrical landscape in the future. The researcher interviewed artistic directors from across the United States. Data collected revealed a deep connection between the theatrical art form and the ways in which decisions are made, as well as a robust amount of meaningful theatrical adaptations. Findings from this study may be useful in better understanding the decisions and adaptations that emerged, as well as what the future may hold for the American theatre. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)