Majority of full-time and seasonal staff members at McCarter Theatre to be laid off in May

The majority of full-time staff members and seasonal staff at the McCarter Theatre Center will be laid off on May 15, and employees will continue to receive health insurance through June. The leadership of McCarter Theatre announced the decision Friday evening.

“We also have been able to meet our obligations to the artists involved with the productions and performances that were canceled this season. 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,” reads a letter from Robert Caruso, president of the McCarter Theatre Center’s board of trustees.

The hope is that the move will put the theatre in a stable position when programming can resume.

“The sacrifices we make as an institution and the financial steps we take at this time are vitally important to securing the organization’s future,” Caruso wrote. “By safeguarding our financial position now, we also improve our capacity to open our doors and stages for employees, audiences, students and community partners as soon as it is safe to do so.”

McCarter is still working to engage audiences online during the pandemic via the McCarter@Home  virtual classroom and performance space.

“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,” Caruso wrote.