Get Woke, Go Broke: Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater Company

Breitbart reports that "Steppenwolf said it is laying off 12 percent of its staff, or 13 current employees. The theatre is also eliminating seven open positions" because of financial difficulties caused by rising costs and reduced revenue:

Steppenwolf executive director Brooke Flanagan told The Chicago Tribune that the theater’s subscriber base has cratered from about 10,000 subscribers in pre-pandemic 2019 to about 6,000 today — an approximately 40 percent drop. She also said that single-ticket sales have plummeted 31 percent, even as expenses skyrocketed 19 percent over the same term.

Although correlation does not prove causation, the article notes:

    Flanagan stepped into her position in May 2020, touted as the first woman to serve as executive director in the company’s history. Steppenwolf adopted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles about two years ago, saying in a statement: “We are committed to creating an equitable and diverse workforce and environment on and off stage.” 

    The company also changed its hiring practices, saying it would prioritize “placing people from a variety of lived experiences and ethnicities in the boardroom, in its offices, in the ensemble and in leadership positions.”

    Leaders even pushed for employees and artists to announce their pronouns.

    “At Steppenwolf, we encourage folks to introduce themselves with their gender pronouns when they enter our space, at first rehearsal, in email signatures and more,” they said, adding that it is all part of a company-wide effort to “undo our internalized transphobia.”

The article concludes by noting that other woke theater groups that are not tax-payer supported are also facing financial difficulties.