Seattle Theatre Group announces staff cuts in wake of coronavirus shutdowns

Seattle Theatre Group, operator of three major Seattle performance venues, will reduce staffing and delay the announcement of its 2020-2021 performing arts season lineup, the organization announced Thursday.

According to the release, STG’s total staffing will be reduced from 206 to 61 employees. All told, about 70% of STG’s staff will be furloughed, including both part-time and full-time employees, STG spokesperson Emily Krahn said Thursday. Full-time staffers affected by the furloughs will maintain access to employee benefits. STG will also cut the pay of employees whose annual salaries exceed $60,000.

STG’s theaters — the Paramount, Moore and Neptune — have been shuttered since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, with 141 performances canceled and 135 delayed. During this time, STG executive director Josh LaBelle said in the news release, the company had been able to maintain full staffing through donations, savings and a loan through the federal Paycheck Protection Program.

“Like many institutions, we have reached a point in which we must reduce expenses and conserve resources in an effort to ensure long-term financial stability of our three historic theatres … and our ability to return to serving this great community, in full, once this crisis allows us to,” LaBelle said in the statement.

According to the news release, STG plans to prioritize racial equity programs during the company’s extended closure, “taking this time to reset and emerge as an organization with a far greater commitment to our Black community and all communities of color.”

STG’s planned concerts and comedy performances will be rescheduled individually in compliance with public health recommendations, while announcement of its 2020-21 Performing Arts Season, which features many artists, companies and tours, will be delayed, according to the news release

The upcoming Broadway at The Paramount series has already been rescheduled, with the first performance of the 2020-2021 series, “My Fair Lady,” planned for March 2021.