By: Coco Xu
Due to the lingering economic problems from the aftermath of the pandemic, the renowned theater nonprofit Soho Rep is forced to move out of its current location in Tribeca. The theater will now share space with Playwrights Horizons, another nonprofit based in Midtown. They will stay there until they manage to come up with a long-term plan for?.
The decision is yet another manifestation of the challenges nonprofits face in the shadow of the pandemic, many of which involve rising rent and audiences’ unwillingness to see shows in person after theaters opened up online streaming options during COVID. Another nonprofit, Second Stage Theater, is leaving Times Square and moving in with Signature Theater. Why?
“It shouldn’t be news to anyone that nonprofit theaters are struggling acutely, and the costs of maintaining a theater company, even at a significantly reduced scale, are skyrocketing,” said Adam Greenfield, the artistic director of Playwrights Horizons. “New approaches to how theaters work have become a mandate.”
Soho Rep is a small nonprofit that was established in 1975. It functions on a $2.8 million budget, three directors, five full-time employees, and a 65-seat theater. Even though it is small, it is nothing short of spectacular, being the first to stage the 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning “Fairview” by Jackie Sibblies Drury and 2024 Pulitzer finalist “Public Obscenities” by Shayok Misha Chowdhury. It plans to stage its last performance, “Give Me Carmelita Tropicana!,” this fall.
The nonprofit had previously moved out of its current location in 2016 and then returned. Due to increasing rent, building repair expenses, and an inability to generate enough revenue simply due to how small the theater is, the directors say that they “really need to leave.”
Soho Rep’s current chosen course of action is to stage two shows each season for two or three seasons at Playwright’s Horizon’s 128-seat theater, and will explore other theater locations on its way to decide a place to stay in the long-term.
“We want to approach this as an opportunity to experiment,” said Caleb Hammons, one of Soho Rep’s directors.
So for now, let’s sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.