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O C TO B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 9 BY R E S C R I P T E D
Why They Walked – Members of the Cast of
‘Starcatcher’ at Citadel Theatre Speak Out
October 23, 2019

Our Dear Chicago Theatre Community,

We write to you to share that we, the cast of Peter and the Starcatcher directed by
Jeremy Aluma and produced by Citadel Theatre, concluded three weeks ago that due to
persistent and pervasive problems with the production, our relationship with Citadel
was no longer sustainable. Our production was scheduled to run from September 18th
to October 20th, but after eight public performances and much deliberation, it became
clear that in view of the circumstances, we could no longer continue in the production.

Our most significant problems included a toxic culture of leadership regarding actors
and their concerns, physically dangerous set conditions even after informing Citadel of
our needs throughout our rehearsal process, insufficient responses to actors injured
during rehearsal and performance, and mischaracterizations of events in production
reports. Unfortunately, the production team seemed unwilling to promptly
acknowledge some of these conditions, unable to address them in a timely manner, or
in some instances, unable to correct them in a fully safe manner. We would like to share
our experiences with the Chicago Theatre Community in the spirit of transparency,
accountability, education, and growth. We hope that this information and its disclosure
will empower other actors and ensembles and will serve as a reminder to theatre
professionals and companies that harm comes in many forms, but remedy can be found
through collaborative dialogue, humility, and effort.

How do you convey weeks of unnecessary tension and fear undergone in a theatre: a
space where creativity, collaboration, and expression should be found? We sacrificed,
fought, and cried throughout this process. This anguish was present in our attempts to
articulate our experiences in this letter. The heartbreak is there still. We would rather be
spending time as an ensemble doing the play we created together. This letter is hard,
but it is necessary. We owe it to our community, and we owe it to each other.
We showed up for each other. We listened to each other. We stood up for each other.

Two of our fellow cast members suffered concussions on the set. The production
team’s response to the first concussion revealed a general lack of preparedness to
address and resolve instances of injury and exhibited the first signs of a troubling
pattern of behavior. We sent a letter of concern requesting the opening of the show be
postponed until lingering safety issues were addressed properly. In response to that
letter, a safety meeting between the production team and the cast took place at our
next rehearsal. At this meeting, Production Manager Jay Montgomery displayed gender
bias and sexism while attempting to silence the expression of our reasonable disquiet.
After some discussion, members of the production team and cast finally took hammer,
drill, padding, and sandpaper to visible hazards, and our immediate physical problems
were addressed. When the second concussion occurred, our concern heightened,
especially when it was later revealed that production reports written by Stage Manager
Samantha Tink contained incorrect and mischaracterizing information regarding the
handling of this injury and a related incident in performance.

The two injured actors were the first to leave our production. We convened as a cast to
discuss if we could continue in this play with our safety and well-being intact and
whether it would be practical to do so. Through the difficult discussion, twelve of the
remaining fifteen cast members expressed a desire to continue performing the show,
only on the condition that Citadel take certain steps towards rebuilding trust (included
below). Three members of the cast voiced that they could not continue with the
production in good conscience whether or not Citadel was able to rebuild trust, given its
treatment of the two actors who had already left. In the end, it became apparent that
twelve cast members was an insufficient number of actors to maintain our production,
initially intended for 17 performers. From a practical perspective, the time no longer
existed in our schedules to rebuild with this change, and from an emotional perspective,
we were a broken cast. We didn’t want to create a new play; we wanted to do our play.
Throughout our time at Citadel, we tried to save our show and to save ourselves from
unnecessary pain. We eventually realized that we could not do both.

We are amazed and saddened by how radically the culture shifted during this project
from a creative and hopeful one — supported by the promise of the professional
standards we expected of an emerging Equity theatre — to the uncomfortable and
unprofessional working standard and culture of Citadel.

Citadel Theatre is operating under a Tier N – Actors’ Equity Association contract. This
means that Citadel must employ two people (one stage manager and one actor) under
AEA contracts for a cast otherwise made up of non-Equity actors and must follow the
rules and protocols of Actors’ Equity. We believe that if Citadel’s Tier N – AEA contract
had not been in place, our circumstances would have been even more challenging for
the ensemble as a whole and especially for the physically injured actors. Actors’ Equity
was one of our best advocates throughout this process, communicating to the
producers when normal communication of safety concerns through stage
management failed.

What follows is an overview of the grievances which contributed to the erosion of trust
and an unsustainable working environment between the cast and production team.
Harm and abuse add up. Eventually, trust is lost.

Events and Concerns that Factored into our Decision:

Physical hazards on the set went unaddressed by production for days at a time,
including but not limited to: splintering wooden platforms and railings, protruding
screws and nails, unpadded and insufficiently marked obstructions
Some safety concerns and requests went unaddressed for several weeks, including but
not limited to: raised platforms built with techniques that were not up to construction
standard and thereby unsafe, providing knee pads, and sanding the stage/space
Unprofessional handling of injured actors
Problems with Workers’ Compensation, including the theatre’s insurance policy
lapsing and false information being sent to the insurance company
Gaslighting, mischaracterization, and intimidation rather than professional
communication from members of the production team, including the Director
A breach of contract regarding the Sexual Harassment Policy: the next step in the
reporting structure beyond reporting to the Managing Director was to report to the
Board of Directors. There was no Managing Director. The Artistic Leadership, including
Artistic Director Scott Phelps, inhibited the sharing of contact information for the Board
of Directors, breaking this chain further.
A lack of understanding from Citadel of the dangers felt by the cast in response to the
work culture and the physical space, including but not limited to:
Adversarial behavior from Citadel and its staff
Pervasive, reactive attitude towards safety and injury, as opposed to preventative or
protective
Implying that compensating the injured was an inconvenience
Concerns neglected until Actors’ Equity was involved
Incomplete understanding and insufficient provisions for understudy protocols,
including planned/scheduled replacements
Citadel did not schedule understudy rehearsals.
Citadel failed to offer or arrange put-in rehearsals for understudies until September
28th (the day of our departure).
Production report issues
Lack of transparency
Incorrect and intentionally biased mischaracterization of events
Blatantly wrong information regarding a medical emergency

We also offer a list of suggestions which we hope Citadel will adopt. Many of the items
on the following list are standards we expect to find in the culture and structure of a
professional theatre. When we found these absent at Citadel, we realized the
importance of such assurances to an environment of working trust.

Suggested Pathways to Rebuilding Trust:

A qualified Stage Manager

Transparent, reliable, and accountable communication between production and
actors
Clear protocol and rehearsal practices for understudy rehearsals and put-in
rehearsals
Performance reports sent to actors
Authority to demand that safety adjustments be made in a reasonable amount of
time or to navigate alternatives until adjustments are made
A designated advocate for actors and respectful dialogue that acknowledges a
collaborative relationship between actors, the stage management team, and the
producing theatre
Proof of insurance in the form of Certificates for General Liability and Workers’
Compensation Insurance
Proof that Workers’ Compensation claims are in process and are filed promptly and
accurately (copies to the claimant)
Transparent and explicit instructions on how to properly file and report Workers’
Compensation claims
Sexual harassment prevention and implicit biases need to be addressed by retraining
staff. The following are examples of these trainings:
Kirwan Institute – Implicit Bias Module Series
Compliance Training Group
Harvard: Project Implicit (Especially complete the tests regarding gender and race)
Adopting the “Oops/Ouch” protocol offered by the Chicago Theatre Standards in order
to learn how to apologize and take accountability in moments of miscommunication,
harm, and distrust.

We articulated both lists to the best of our ability in our meeting with Citadel leadership,
including Acting Production Manager Ellen Phelps, on September 28th, and we
reiterated these points in a private letter sent on October 5th. On October 15th, the
Director requested a mediated discussion with the cast to hear our grievances and
move towards reconciliation. This process is ongoing.

On their website, Citadel Theatre’s mission states, “Citadel seeks to provide a home for
an audience that wants to experience powerful works of insight and complexity, works
that illuminate the challenges and joys of the human experience. In doing this Citadel
seeks to provide a creative haven for passionate, visionary directors, writers, actors and
designers dedicated to maintaining the highest standard of professionalism.”

We hope that one day Citadel can rise to the mission they have set for themselves. We
hope that our broken relationship with Citadel will be part of a rebuilding and reworking
of the company. We hope that they will reexamine their culture, structure, and protocol
and ask themselves if it meets the “highest standard of professionalism” held by the
Chicago Theatre Community.

Our deeper message is this: despite our unknowns and in the face of multiple risks, we
stood up for each other. We did it with a letter. We did it with a safety meeting. We did it
every time we entered the theatre together. Eventually, some of us did it by resigning
from the show, opening us all to these broader considerations. Through our acts of
compassion, resilience, sacrifice, and camaraderie, we gave each other the courage
needed to reach our conclusion.

Sincerely,

Members of the Cast of Peter and the Starcatcher

Rescripted believes in uplifting the voices of Chicago’s theatre practitioners. We

understand that our artists are the most vulnerable and yet forward-facing elements of
these productions. Therefore we stand in solidarity with our community in naming
these malpractices and offering concrete solutions.

C H I C A G O , C H I C A G O E S S AY S

A B U S E , A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y , C H I C A G O , C I TA D E L T H E AT R E , E M PAT H Y , H A R R A S S M E N T ,
J U S T I C E , R E S C R I P T E D , R E S O L U T I O N , R E S T O R AT I V E J U S T I C E , S O C I A L J U S T I C E ,
T H E AT R E

13 Replies to “Why They Walked – Members of the Cast of

‘Starcatcher’ at Citadel Theatre Speak Out”

Ceci
O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 9 AT 6 : 4 7 P M

I worked for them a few years back running props and the guy running the whole
operation repeatedly joked off signing my contract saying that of course he would do it
and to stop bothering him about it, and then when my time working for them was
wrapping up used not having signed the contract as an excuse to not pay me. It was only
when my stage manager stepped in and threatened to jeopardize their certifications that
he begrudgingly paid me in cash from the till. Almost $100 was in singles. I was the failsafe
in case they couldn’t afford everyone. I would absolutely never work for them again.

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Ceci
O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 9 AT 6 : 5 0 P M

Oh, and I forgot to mention… They omitted my name from the program and all official
paperwork to make sure there was no proof I was involved.

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Carmen Risi
O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 9 AT 8 : 4 8 P M

As a member of their Joseph cast from last year, I must say this sounds EXACTLY like
what we went through.

I don’t want to see Citadel cancelled; I want to see them do better.

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Brian Munroe
O C T O B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 9 AT 6 : 2 9 P M

As I was reading this I swore it was a story I had heard in 2018. Now I know why

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Erin
O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 9 AT 8 : 5 9 P M

I hear you about much of your frustration, but I have to say that as an Equity stage
manager myself I have not included actors on performance reports, nor know of others
who do. Even when we have acting notes to give for maintenance of a show, they don’t
necessarily go into the report either, unless it’s affecting technical issues. Proper accident
reports should be filed, and those should be run by the injured parties. A theatre may have
their own form, and then Equity has a separate form they like to have. That should be the
documentation as to how an injury occurred, separate from anything in a performance or
rehearsal report, for worker’s comp and other purposes.

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Kent Joseph
O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 9 AT 1 0 : 5 7 P M

I would like to know who was the master carpenter and scenic designer for this
production? Their name should not be omitted. Not only for accountability but for those of
us in the theatre community that may wish to avoid working with people that have such
little concern for the actors using their set.

Also, is this letter speaking for all members of the cast?

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KJ
O C T O B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 AT 1 1 : 5 2 P M

Reviews exist of their initial performances and Eric Luchen has pictures of the set design
on his website.

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NKIGreco
O C T O B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 AT 1 : 3 8 A M

Wow–now I’ve heard the whole story. There are several theatres in the suburban area that
need to heed these rules as well. So many accidents, no one to speak for the actors, and
no one to turn to or listen to our plea. This includes not only unsafe sets and inadequate
management, but understudy needs, rehearsals, and most especially, the call back and
time that is wasted for prospective actors. Having people sit for hours, then having them
read once is entirely unacceptable.

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Carmen Risi
O C T O B E R 2 5 , 2 0 1 9 AT 6 : 0 4 P M

I agree; that was very frustrating in the callback process. It’s not necessary and should be
better.

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Heather
O C T O B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 AT 1 : 3 1 P M

I am sorry to hear of this. My daughter was in a show last year at The Citadel and we had a
wonderful experience with Samantha, Ellen and Scott. She is now in Annie and so far they
have treated all with respect and attention to safety of the kids.

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John F. Camajani
O C T O B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 AT 6 : 1 3 P M

These issues listed by the cast should have been dealt with immediately one by one and a
verifiable solution obtained. Ignoring a plea for help from ANYONE is unconscionable and
should be avoided at all costs. While I would like to hear the management side of the
issue, those who stood up for themselves should be commended for doing so and in so
doing they may have saved a life judging by the list of hazards onstage.
“Communication is the key to Success.” You can Google me if you want to know what I do
for a living. 40+ years in the theater biz. Thank you. John

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Monona Rossol
O C T O B E R 2 5 , 2 0 1 9 AT 9 : 4 8 P M

The description of the attitude toward safety and the response to accidents is typical of
what I have seen for many decades. But this generation of young people are different.
They talk about the problem together. They support each other. And they stand up
together. I’m proud I have lived long enough to see this generation of young people.

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Rescripted
O C T O B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 9 AT 7 : 0 2 P M

Hello all,

Comments have been suspended on this post due to an alarming amount of fake and
edited comments. Nothing new will be approved until the matter is sorted. If members of
the board at Citadel Theatre would like to reach us we are available at
rescriptedreviews@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Rescripted

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