Power and Structure in Theatre (2019)

For the study "Power and Structure in Theatre. Asymmetries of Power", almost 2,000 theatre workers were interviewed about working conditions in German theatres. The focus was on questions about power and abuse of power, physical and sexual abuse, working hours, pay and social status.

Thomas Schmidt, a professor of theater and orchestra management in Frankfurt am Main and the lead researcher on the study, concludes that there is a “structural abuse of power in German-language theater” and that power is a “standard management tool” (Quote: Interview with nachtkritik).

The study was published by Springer.

The data collected makes it clear that theater professionals at lower levels of the hierarchy are particularly affected by abuse of power—and there are indications of intersections between different dimensions of discrimination, such as gender and class.

Some findings from the study:

Initial Conditions

• Theater management
  • follows the single-artistic-director model, with few exceptions
  • Appointment of artistic directors behind the scenes of cultural policy
  • Over the past ten years, 76 percent of artistic directors appointed were men and 24 percent were women. Only 2 percent of these artistic directors are trained managers; the rest are directors and dramaturgs whose expertise in human resources management varies widely.
• Working Conditions in the Theater
  • Today, theaters are working longer and longer hours and attempting to boost their own productivity through so-called overproduction at the expense of their employees.
  • The Standard Stage Contract (NV-Bühne) allows artistic directors to make flexible artistic decisions, but provides artists with less job security than, for example, employees in administration, the chorus, the orchestra, and technical departments.
  • More than half of all employees work up to ten hours a day. A general trend can be observed: the higher the workload, the more women are employed in the sector. At the same time, it is precisely those who work the most who earn the least.

Experiences of Abuse of Power

About 55 percent of theater professionals have experienced abuse in the workplace—roughly one in two of them on multiple occasions.

These experiences include:

• Demands for unlimited availability in terms of time and location
• Blackmail, threats of termination if one does not perform despite illness
• Pay below the minimum wage or demands for unpaid work
• Withholding of fees and contract signings
• Unlawfully short contract terms
• Failure to honor agreements and verbal contracts
• Threats of termination for trivial reasons, termination without cause, or following criticism and unwelcome questions, such as inquiries about compensation for overtime.
   

Sexual Assault and Violence

In most cases, physical violence is perpetrated by men against women:

• Women are the primary victims of violence in theaters.
• In environments where violence occurs, women are not adequately protected by theater management, colleagues, or oversight bodies.
• Sexism and the systematic devaluation of women are part of everyday life in the theater.
• Sick female performers are pressured to perform.
• There are still cases of termination due to pregnancy.

Sexualized violence often begins with negative sexual descriptions of the body. Sexual innuendo and lewd insults also occur, suggesting a work culture that considers itself permissive but lacks clear rules regarding sexual boundary violations. Study participants also report explicit sexual propositions and advances from leaders or directors, as well as unwanted touching. Those who reject these propositions face negative consequences: for example, publicly voiced and damaging doubts about their artistic abilities, the withdrawal of promised engagements, or the non-renewal of contracts.

Criticism of the single-director model

One of the key findings of the study is the criticism of the single-director model, which was expressed by the majority of participants.

Some points of criticism regarding this model:

• The system fosters dependencies.
• The power of the directors is not subject to oversight.
• The directors engage in nepotism and, for example, favor their partners.

Critics point to the theater’s double standard: while it addresses social injustices on stage, abuse of power takes place behind the scenes. For this reason, there are calls for flatter hierarchies, structural changes, and a more equitable distribution and oversight of power.