Curious.

The news that Chicago is losing the American Theater Company–here’s the Chicago Tribune story–is stunning. Artistic Director Will Davis was let go, and the board has decided to fold the company.

It’s the last paragraph that’s distressing.

Under Davis, the theater took a more experimental turn, far from the pathway of developing new work with commercial potential, and although some of the productions were innovative, audiences dwindled and the financial picture deteriorated further, leading the board of directors to determine that the whole institution no longer was financially viable.

No company this size goes under in a single season. If there was a financial issue that led to this, it was baked in before Davis took over. But sure, let’s blame it on the experimental work of one year.

I feel your loss, Chicago.

Some further words from Kris Vire in Time Out.

And from PerformInk.

Edited to add smart (as usual) words from P. Carl.