NYC theater leader resigns after ‘hurtful’ comments about lack of diversity in audiences

Aphasia caused by a 2022 stroke is to blame for the longtime leader of York Theatre Company in New York City resigning after comments made about the lack of diversity in the theater’s audience.

James Morgan served as producing artistic director since 1997 and was with the theater for 50 years, but, as reported by The New York Times, acknowledged that the comments he made were “hurtful.”

“During a recent staff meeting, I responded to a colleague’s concerns about the diversity of our audiences in a way that was inappropriate and hurtful,” Morgan wrote in a letter. “The words came out — at a raised volume that has been one of the side effects of the stroke — differently than I intended them.”

Founded in 1969, the York Theatre operates out of a church on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with annual budget in fiscal 2023 of $2.2 million, according to the IRS. Morgan’s salary was $95,000.

York issued a news release on Friday evening that Morgan had “resigned from his duties, effective immediately.”

“We will soon be announcing plans for a future filled with diversity, talent, and musical theater in order to continue our long legacy of supporting artists of all backgrounds,” York Board President Jim Kierstead said in the news release.

York Associate Artistic Director Gerry McIntyre resigned before Morgan after he had noticed a lack of Black theater goers in the audience of two of York’s shows in one day of performances. In a video staff meeting, McIntyre mentioned the lack of diversity and said that Morgan responded by yelling at him.

A one-night production of a Noël Coward production was one of the shows McIntyre referred to as lacking diversity in the audience. McIntyre said Morgan told him: “I want you to find anyone who would like this except this audience.”

“I thought to myself, so people of color don’t like or know Noël Coward? His comment immediately struck me as racist,” McIntyre said.

In a letter, Morgan said he had tried to consider diversity when it came to York programming, outreach and hiring. He admitted the theater company was “late coming to the table.”

“Could we — should we — have been doing more? Always. So, I am heartsick that the words that came out of my mouth reflected the exact opposite of how I feel,” Morgan wrote.

He added that he learned aphasia, an effect of having a stroke in 2022, “has caused hurt and misunderstandings among the staff. I should have realized that sooner. Whether because of ego or stubbornness — or maybe just cluelessness — I didn’t. And I apologize.”