Crisis Communication in Theatre

Abstract

Theatre is known for being an artform that reflects the brutal truths about society, but what happens when society reflects the brutal truth of what is happening inside of those theatres? What is a theatre supposed to do when the crisis of unethical treatment of voiceless workers (a theme so commonly found in art) is caused by the very hands that champion theatre companies? Navigating internal crisis can be daunting for any company to do, but is especially so for theatres that often operate without a large communications team. This paper will shed light on recent and relevant crises happening in theatres all across America, and how the Situational Crisis Communication Theory has and can further help theatres navigate crisis. Through critical analysis of former theatre crises, solutions can be found through the Situational Crisis Communication Theory that can be applied to other theatre organizations.