The coronavirus pandemic has forced layoffs at several not-for-profit organizations in Princeton, which includes the McCarter Theatre Center.
The theater’s Board of Trustees and management announced on April 17 that they were laying off a majority of full time and seasonal staff as of May 15.
“We will continue to provide health insurance for those impacted employees through June. We also have been able to meet our obligations to the artists involved with the productions and performances that were canceled this season,” said Robert Caruso, president of McCarter Board of Trustees. “With no clear timeline for restarting performances, and the general uncertainty about the length of social distancing, we believe it is best to focus on the long-term health of the organization.”
He added that the financial steps they take at this time are vitally important to securing the organization’s future.
“We believe these difficult but necessary decisions will put us in a stable position when we are able to resume our programming and bring audiences back to McCarter in the months ahead,” Caruso said. “With the support of our community, we look forward to the day when our stages come alive, and we can gather once again to create the human connections we so desperately need and desire.”
The theater’s staff includes costume makers, stage technicians, sound engineers, carpenters and house services staff.
Since the coronavirus pandemic canceled the rest of the 2019-20 season for the theater, the not-for-profit has developed an online portal to engage supporters and audiences through McCarter@Home, a virtual classroom and performance space.
