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When we last checked in on the Flea Theater,good things were happening.
A parody Twitter account (now suspended) retweeted accusations going back years; attempts at healing dissolved.
An organizer summed up the current mood: We will burn it all down.
The story of the Flea captures 2020 in a nutshell.
Its a theater enduring a year in which you cant gather and make art.
Its a cultural building facing debts without any income.
Its unjust structures are being challenged by activists as conflicting narratives emerge about the same small set of facts.
And for added piquancy social media has made sure everyone is as angry as possible.
(Theres even a guest appearance by a liberal celebrity couple, commenting at little cost to themselves!)
The Flea is atypical for a downtown theater: Its not a scrappy band-of-brothers collective.
Putting a volunteer company in fancy new surroundings made certain disparities stand out more than ever.
(You do not know how to speak to Black people, shewrote.)
It seemed to be working.
When I say the wordfiredto Smith, he lets out a groan.
One of the requirements of rebuilding the organization was to start clean.
Were going down to the studs, [so] the energy and perspective has to be about rebuilding.
This construction taxes the credulity of the artists I spoke to.
But they did delete their social-media presence before this communication was sent out.
There was a level of awareness; they didnt want to receive hate mail.
The dismissal was also abrupt.
The RACs tone grew brusque.
Artists who have been members of our programs in the past will be invited to apply for this program.
It is signed, With best intentions, The Board.
(Twitter was particularly vicious about this touch.)
Hendryx is more circumspect, though.
A subsequent attempt at talks was met with the same condition.
It includes no hint of the internal tensions, only profound gratitude and overwhelming sentiment.
Despite the letters tone, this was clearly a profound rupture.
Several sources noted that the financial strain at the Flea has reached a frightening point.
The building is valuable, but it doesnt bring in any income.
As the more active and working board that we have become because we are leaner thathasto be our priority.
Theres no other priority!
So what happened in November?
Instead, it was that she has retired and no other real explanation.
But … that was a success.
They were listening to us.
Ironically, it is now ready.
We publicly and collectively decline, they said through theirnew Twitter account.
(They are now calling themselves the Fled.)
The group has one request: Hand over the keys.
He loves the individual organizers, but he doesnt feel represented by them.
He felt the RACs continuing hardball tactics werent the right choice.
They actually are doing stuff, he continues.
They said they were gonna pay them to do all these things.
And RAC was still saying no.
It really felt like a petulant child, and I couldnt be a part of it.
We wont be doing a French Revolution here, one said.
Give them the keys.
Theyve more than earned it, it says.
They sound like enthusiastic, passionate, articulate young theater makers.
Practically, their season would probably be livelier and of more interest than any that the Flea might propose.
Even if it fails it is certain to be interesting.
Besides, interacting with people who operate in bad faith is in itself a form of oppression.
So while the Flea might call it COVID economy, we call it theft.
Give them the keys.
Its also worth noting that, according to the website, they have ceded their emeritus-board-member statuses.
Hendryx and Smith, at least, are still in there swinging.
(Even if the departing board said yes, the banks and the city can say no.)
But there might yet be a middle way.
Thats a dissonance that must be reckoned with, not papered over withfauxsolidarity.
Some relationships are certainly too toxic to maintain, and perhaps everyone involved here should just walk away.
Yet these artists and the Flea dont seem quite done with each other.
