York Theater artistic director exits after ‘hurtful’ diversity comments

Long time leader York Theater Companya small New York nonprofit known for its focus on musical theater, admits to making “hurtful” comments about diversity that he says prompted his abrupt departure from the organization.

James Morgan, who has been York’s artistic director since 1979 and has been with the company for 50 years, issued a letter on Monday saying he had a stroke in 2022, and attributed his behavior to that medical incident. .

“During a recent staff meeting, I responded to one of my colleagues’ concerns about the diversity of our audience in an inappropriate and hurtful way,” Morgan wrote in the letter. “The words came out — in a loud voice that was a side effect of the stroke — differently than I meant them.”

The York is a boutique firm founded in 1969, operating out of a church on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. During fiscal year 2023, its annual budget was $2.2 million, according to a filing with the Internal Revenue Service. Morgan earned a salary of $95,000.

On Friday at 5 p.m., the company issued a press release saying that Morgan had “resigned his duties effective immediately.” Jim Kierstead, Chairman of the Board, raised the issue of diversity in his statement in the press release, saying, “We will soon be announcing plans for a future filled with diversity, talent and musical theater in order to continue our long legacy of supporting artists.” From all backgrounds.”

It soon became clear that Morgan’s departure was preceded by the resignation of Gerry McIntyre, the theatre’s associate artistic director.

In a letter distributed to board members and posted on Facebook, McIntyre said his resignation came after he “noticed a lack of people of color or any youth demographic” at two shows he saw in one day in York recently. , so he raised the lack of diversity in the audience at a staff video meeting. He said Morgan “started yelling at me.”

One show McIntyre attended, in which he said he witnessed an audience that lacked diversity, was a one-night production of a Noel Coward work; “I want you to find anyone who wants it except this audience,” McIntyre quoted Morgan as saying. McIntyre added: “I thought to myself, ‘So people of color don’t like or know Noel Coward?’ His comment immediately struck me as racist.

Neither McIntyre nor Morgan immediately responded to requests for comment, but Morgan said in his letter: “There is no doubt that I was defensive. I have tried to make diversity a consideration in everything we do — our programs, our communication, our hiring, our everything. Are we late? In coming to the table? Yes. We could have – should we have – always done more. So, I feel very sad because the words that came out of my mouth reflected exactly how I felt.

He added: “I also learned that my aphasia, an after-effect of stroke, had caused hurt and misunderstanding among staff. I should have realized this sooner. Whether it was out of ego or stubbornness – or perhaps just ignorance – “I didn’t do that and I apologize.”