Looking for information relating to the Impact on theater and 9-11 event

Hello cleo114~

What an interesting question. I was surprised by my findings:

According to the "New York Theatre Wire," actors, directors, and other
theatre-people were "the hardest hit of all occupational groups in New
York." According to the website, a survey concluded that "overall
earnings are down 46% since the attacks and 13% of artists who rent
are facing eviction." ( http://www.nytheatre-wire.com/ ) This latter
number is significant because the survey also found that artists were
using the home as their place of business 70% of the time.

One actor said: "I may, unfortunately, be forced to move to California
where there are far more work opportunities for me. My talent agents
are closing as a result of the economic decline in Manhattan." Another
commented: "Once 9/11 happened, all callbacks for jobs completely
stopped. I increased my number of applications and footwork, but not a
single call back happened til approximately April 2002. Before 9/11,
callbacks were regular."

Aid has been hard to come by for most people--perhaps particularly
artists. One thespian responded to questions about aid: "Dealing with
the aid agencies was more upsetting, humiliating, insulting, and
time/labor intensive than anything I have experienced in my life."
Another said: "My studio was destroyed on 9/11. I had no income for
four months. The aid organizations acted as if artists are crooks—that
art is a business like a deli."

Also according to this survey, a year after 9/11, "4 out of 5 artists
who responded are still suffering income loss...Prior to the attack in
2001, only one in five artists reported income losses as a result of
the weak economy. No other industry in NYC has reported a September
11th-related income loss this great...Arts sector job loss due to
September 11th is even more severe than overall income loss. It is
important to remember that working artists often have more than one
job, in more than one sector. This may explain why arts related
employment loss was even more severe than arts related income loss.
Four out of five respondents who lost employment after September 11th
lost employment in the arts sector. The majority of this employment
loss occurred in September and October of 2001. The employment loss
was distributed throughout the city. One-third took place in
Manhattan, while almost half occurred in multiple boroughs...Over half
of the artists surveyed have spent down their savings by 40%, with
some having to take money out of their retirement savings. In
addition, 3 out of 5 report that their debts have increased
significantly in the wake of 9/11...Over one-third of all respondents
reported September 11th-related health problems and over half of this
group said that these health problems had affected their ability to
work. One-quarter of respondents did not have health insurance prior
to September 11th. That share increased to 36% after September 11th."
("Artists One Year Later: Survey of 9/11's Economic Impact on
Individual Artists in NYC," by Jonathan Slaff and Carolyn Sévos,
http://www.jsnyc.com/report22.htm )

Some theaters somehow managed to make the tragedy "work" for them. A
good example of this is the Flea Theater, which was located near the
World Trade Center. Before the attacks, the theatre was little
known...but now the experimental theatre is widely recognized. 9/11
shut it down for a month, and attendance was only 5% through the fall.
Then the theatre produced a play relating to the tragedy; it was such
a success that a film version is already in production. ("Building
Community," by Martha Hostetter,
http://www.gothamgazette.com/arts/91102.shtml )

Although initially 9/11 brought very difficult financial times on New
York theatres, by  December of 2002, Broadway theatres had surpassed
the box office sales records for 2001 by a total of 9.5%. More
musicals opened than had opened in ten years. Still, attendance
records were still "slightly" down ("due in part to 9/11"). ("Theatre
League Releases Calendar-Year Stats,"
http://www.livebroadway.com/press-12-26-02-stats.html ) This is quite
positive, when one realizes that according to The League of American
Theatres and Producers, by the end of the first week of the 9/11
attacks, gross box office receipts fell 90%. ("Broadway Community
Takes Lead," http://www.livebroadway.com/press-11-14-01-%20recovery.htm
)

After the 9/11 attacks, fundraising challenges have been intensified
for all theatres, and, according to Ben Cameron, "the decline of
subscriptions and the dependence on single tickets as earned income
grew in ’01. The gap between expenses and earnings—and our increasing
dependence on contributed income—widened. The percentage of theatres
experiencing negative annual shifts in unrestricted net assets
increased from 31 percent in FY ’00 to 44 percent in ’01." However,
Cameron targets the overall economy as the culprit, not just
terrorism. ("When 9/11 Is History," by Ben Cameron,
http://www.tcg.org/am_theatre/at_articles/AT_Volume_19/September02/at_web0902_executive.html
)

Still, it seems that despite the hard times that fell--particularly on
individual artists--after 9/11, things may be looking up. Gradually,
theatres are trying to get back to normal. (Although, as an aside, one
can't help but wonder what the current musician strike will do to
Broadway. Musicals are what generate the largest audiences on
Broadway, and at a time when most musicals don't make a profit, and
artists and theatres are still recovering from 9/11, the lack of
performances brought about by this strike may cause a deafening blow
to Broadway theatre.)


Keywords Used:
Theatre "9-11" effect
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Theatre+%229-11%22+effect&btnG=Google+Search

Theatre economic "9/11" 
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Theatre+economic+%229%2F11%22+&btnG=Google+Search

Broadway strike 9/11
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Broadway+strike+9%2F11

Kriswrite

Hello Cleo114,

I was working on your question earlier today but due to technical
difficulties I was not able to post the answer. In any case I am
posting what I assembled which may prove useful for you. I highly
recommend that you read the complete article at each link I provide.


NJ Representation of National Study of Performing Arts Groups

“This summary offers insight into how the Sept. 11 tragedy affected
New Jersey performing arts groups, most particularly in ticket
sales/earned income.”

ArtPRIDE New Jersey
http://www.artpridenj.com/public/ResourceRoom2/download/AMS%20survey%20NJ%20subset.doc


===========================

National Study of Performing Arts Groups after 9/11
Finds Declining Revenues, Uncertain Funding Climate
November 7, 2001

“Arts Managers report that the impact of terrorist attacks and the
recession are threatening their financial health. The summary report
by AMS issued on November 7, 2001 details losses from cancelled
performances, lower attendance, and looks ahead to the future. 855
arts managers from across the US responded to the survey.”

Download the four page report here:

National Study by AMS Planning & Research 
http://surveys.ams-online.com/impact/impact_results.PDF


===========================

National Endowment for the Arts, Report on the Impact of September
11th on the Nonprofit Cultural Sector, by Daniel Beattie, National
Endowment for the Arts.

 “In the days and weeks immediately following September 11, 2001,
countless arts performances and tours nationwide were reconfigured or
cancelled altogether. These changes were the results of the inability
and/or fear to travel and avoidance of public gatherings, disrupted
marketing or broadcasting schedules, and the general question of the
appropriateness of some types of art programming immediately following
a national tragedy”.
 
National Endowment for the Arts - Report
http://216.239.51.100/search?sourceid=navclient-menuext&q=cache:http%3A//arts.endow.gov/Sept11/Report.html

===========================

Theater and Terrorism -- By Bill Marx

This is an article on the choices facing the theatre community in the
aftermath of September 11th 2001.
"Theaters will either attempt to grapple seriously with what has
happened or they will continue to serve up more forgetful escapism or
left-wing platitudes."
http://web.archive.org/web/20011214034041/http://www.wbur.org/arts/theatre/columns/nov'01/column2.asp


===========================

Downtown Arts Groups in Danger Of Folding - Jun 25, 2002

“Small and midsize arts institutions around the World Trade Center
site are struggling and in danger of folding if they don't get more
disaster funding, a City Hall report charged yesterday. Most of the
cultural groups have relied on aid from private charities because
government funding was cut dramatically after Sept. 11. Donations have
not been enough to make up for money lost, the report says.”
Gotham Gazette http://www.gothamgazette.com/rebuilding_nyc/topics/econrebuild/impact.shtml

===========================

Virginia Louloudes, Executive Director, Alliance of Resident
Theatres/New York: September 11 and the Impact on the Arts

“According to a survey from the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New
York, a service and advocacy organization representing more than 400
not-for-profit theaters and theater-related organizations, the direct
loss of income from box-office revenues, space rentals, and cancelled
bookings and fundraising events as of October 31, 2001, was nearly $5
million, with the projected loss for fiscal year 2002 expected to top
$16.3 million. Indeed, the survival of several smaller downtown
theaters, which were disproportionately affected by the disaster, is
in doubt.”

You may read the interview with Virginia Louloudes where she discusses
September 11th and its impact on her members and their prospects at
the direct link below.

Source: Foundation Center
http://fdncenter.org/pnd/newsmakers/nwsmkr.jhtml;jsessionid=GQTCOILTMG0UMP5QALRSGW15AAAACI2F?id=8300088


===========================

USA Today published a number of articles addressing the theatre and
the events of September 11th.
 
Broadway rebounds 
“Broadway has rebounded a bit, with some productions showing
surprising strength during the second full week of performances
following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.”
http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/2001-10-03-broadway-rebounds.htm

Broadway cares by Elysa Gardner
http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/2001-10-01-broadway-cares.htm


A new stage for Broadway 
http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/2001-09-28-broadway.htm

Broadway box-office receipts climb 
http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/2001-09-26-broadway-box-office.htm

Attacks force Broadway shows to close 
http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/2001-09-18-shows-close.htm#more

Broadway bounces back 
http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/2001-09-17-broadway-returns.htm#more

Terrorist attacks postpone musical 
http://www.usatoday.com/life/2001-09-14-assassins.htm

In a quiet New York, a few shows will reopen
http://www.usatoday.com/life/2001-09-13-new-york-events.htm


===========================

Most companies found single-ticket sales dropped significantly after
September 11."People stayed home to watch television," said the Sydney
Dance Company's general manager, Leigh Small. "They didn't stay home
because they didn't want to spend money on performing arts."

The Sydney Theatre Company saw single-ticket sales halved after the
terror attacks. While business has picked up since, single tickets are
still about 20 per cent below expectations.
http://old.smh.com.au/news/0111/05/entertainment/entertain5.html


Search Criteria:

9-11 and impact on performing arts
“September 11” impact on theatre
The Impact of Sept 11th on the theatre
9/11 and impact on performing arts


I hope this helps you in your research.

Best Regards,
Bobbie7-ga