Peter DuBois has stepped down from his position as artistic director at Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, Massachusetts. The change in leadership follows a number of complaints by staffers regarding a lack of diversity and inclusiveness, salary discrepancies, and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
DuBois submitted his resignation to Huntington's Board of Trustees Chairman David Epstein and President Sharon Malt. While they did not give an official reason for the departure, The Boston Globe reports that a September 25 email to the board from a collective of employees cited “deep concerns” about “retaliation from supervisors and an overall lack of accountability in leadership” and asking, “Why has [DuBois] not been put on administrative leave?” A spokesperson confirmed an investigation into the issue was launched, but did not comment on the results.
“[T]he myriad challenges around the pandemic have illuminated concerns about the theatre’s workplace environment and issues of structural imbalance,” the board leaders wrote in a joint statement. “We are taking the time during this period where we are unable to produce theatre to reflect on how to improve our organization, open the lines of communication, including greater dialogue with our BIPOC staff and artists, and become a more equitable institution.”
The board will begin setting parameters for the search to find a new artistic director in the coming weeks.
