joined the 40-year-old company as acting artistic director last fall and took his permanent position in December. He succeeded artistic director Richard Corley, who was let go by the Rep because, as Isthmus reported last year, his artistic vision was no longer matching up with the company's finances.
Amid the sharp economic downturn, Madison Rep's cancellations are the latest in a series of woes for prominent local arts institutions. Last week Madison Ballet called off the rest of its season. Overture Center let 15 employees go in December. And in November, Madison Rep itself laid off nearly half its staff, and subsequently issued a call for emergency donations in January.
Yes, the arts are suffering, and it's hard to imagine what will decisively stop the suffering short of an economic recovery. And one of those doesn't seem imminent. If you're like me and you watch the local arts scene closely, you have to wonder: Who's next?