How Chicago Reader shut down a theater (for a good reason)
Last week, Chicago Reader released a long, in-depth expose that made a strong case that Darrell W. Cox, the artistic director at Uptown-based Profiles theater, had a history of physically and psychologically abusing women who worked for him. The theater made its reputation with dark, gritty and violent plays, so I suppose it wasn't that shocking when it turned out that some of the violence on stage was more real the anyone suspected - to the point that it resulted in genuine injuries, but the fact that lots of sets were built in unsafe conditions was. And to put a rotten cherry on this depressing clusterfuck sundae, the article explained why Cox got away with it for as long as he did. As rowandoll once explained to me (for an article that, unfortunately, never saw print), actresses have to fight for fewer spots then men get, and they have to prove themselves more. In a tightly-knit Chicago storefront theater community, a word from Cox against an actress that might be willing to speak up would spread quickly, and she might never be able to find work in Chicago again.
I would recommend that you read the article in its entirety, because its difficult, but worthwhile read. It looked even more impressive in print, with big photos and sharp layouts - the sort of thing that harkened back to the Reader's headier days.
The response was swift. On Thursday morning, the Profiles Theater storefront looked like this.
Thank you Cassandra Rose for this excellent photo.
Posted by John Morrison on Thursday, June 9, 2016
And it only kept growing from there.
Over the past two days, a group of artists collaborated on how to send a big message. This is the result of advocacy and...
Posted by Gaby Labotka on Friday, June 10, 2016
As the story spread well beyond Chicago, the city's theater community continued to denounce Cox and Christopher Piatt, one of the co-writers of the Reader piece, wrote about how city theater critics (including himself) missed the troubling signs that might have brought this story to light sooner. Meanwhile, Profiles Theater was dead silent, deleting angry Facebook comments but otherwise not responding to the growing storm.
THen, on Friday, Cox put out a statement and... part of me can't help but be a little impressed with the verbal gymnastics involved. He managed to strongly denounce abuse while, at the same time, deny that the article was true (while carefully not calling the women the Reader interviewed liars). Naturally, Not In Our House, a group of Chicago theater professionals that formed when the world of Cox's abuses started to spread along the actor grapeline, weren't amused.
On Tuesday evening, Profiles Theater announced that it was closing for good, effective immediately. Their official statement didn't address whether the allegations were true, simply saying that "we hope this decision will further the healing process within our community."
On one hand, part of me was sorry for everyone else who worked at the theater. On the other hand... We don't know how many people who currently worked there knew what Cox was doing and did nothing. Plus, this is something that would've followed Profiles forever. It's probably better to close it and start anew.
Part of me wants to celebrate the power of Chicago media, and the power of print - the article is powerful in either format, but it has more impact when people can put it in your hands. Or plaster the storefront with it. But that shouldn't be the biggest takeaway from this.
The article was published just six days after Judge Aaron Persky gave Brock Turner a six-month prison sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman - a sentence that was significantly less than the six-year sentence recommended by the prosecution, and the two-year legal minimum. What was galling was that, unlike in a lot of rape cases, there were two witnesses. Between that and the DNA evidence, there was never a serious doubt that Turner assaulted the victim.
The fallout from the Reader article shows that things don't have to turn out this way. That abuse can and does have consequences.
Hopefully, if something like this happens again, the victims would be more willing to come forward.
I would recommend that you read the article in its entirety, because its difficult, but worthwhile read. It looked even more impressive in print, with big photos and sharp layouts - the sort of thing that harkened back to the Reader's headier days.
The response was swift. On Thursday morning, the Profiles Theater storefront looked like this.
Thank you Cassandra Rose for this excellent photo.
Posted by John Morrison on Thursday, June 9, 2016
And it only kept growing from there.
Over the past two days, a group of artists collaborated on how to send a big message. This is the result of advocacy and...
Posted by Gaby Labotka on Friday, June 10, 2016
As the story spread well beyond Chicago, the city's theater community continued to denounce Cox and Christopher Piatt, one of the co-writers of the Reader piece, wrote about how city theater critics (including himself) missed the troubling signs that might have brought this story to light sooner. Meanwhile, Profiles Theater was dead silent, deleting angry Facebook comments but otherwise not responding to the growing storm.
THen, on Friday, Cox put out a statement and... part of me can't help but be a little impressed with the verbal gymnastics involved. He managed to strongly denounce abuse while, at the same time, deny that the article was true (while carefully not calling the women the Reader interviewed liars). Naturally, Not In Our House, a group of Chicago theater professionals that formed when the world of Cox's abuses started to spread along the actor grapeline, weren't amused.
On Tuesday evening, Profiles Theater announced that it was closing for good, effective immediately. Their official statement didn't address whether the allegations were true, simply saying that "we hope this decision will further the healing process within our community."
On one hand, part of me was sorry for everyone else who worked at the theater. On the other hand... We don't know how many people who currently worked there knew what Cox was doing and did nothing. Plus, this is something that would've followed Profiles forever. It's probably better to close it and start anew.
Part of me wants to celebrate the power of Chicago media, and the power of print - the article is powerful in either format, but it has more impact when people can put it in your hands. Or plaster the storefront with it. But that shouldn't be the biggest takeaway from this.
The article was published just six days after Judge Aaron Persky gave Brock Turner a six-month prison sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman - a sentence that was significantly less than the six-year sentence recommended by the prosecution, and the two-year legal minimum. What was galling was that, unlike in a lot of rape cases, there were two witnesses. Between that and the DNA evidence, there was never a serious doubt that Turner assaulted the victim.
The fallout from the Reader article shows that things don't have to turn out this way. That abuse can and does have consequences.
Hopefully, if something like this happens again, the victims would be more willing to come forward.