An investigation found that a “culture of fear” had developed at the International Theater Amsterdam during the years when the star director led the company.
The International Theater Amsterdam said on Wednesday that it had cut ties with Ivo van Hove, the Tony-winning director who led the company for more than 20 years. The breakup was announced just weeks after a report said that a “culture of fear” had developed under van Hove’s leadership and that he allowed bullying to go unchecked.
Although van Hove stepped down as the theater’s artistic director last year, he stayed on as a salaried artistic adviser and was scheduled to create new work. A news release this week said that those collaborations had been terminated, and that the theater’s entire supervisory board had resigned.
“By taking these steps and creating space for restoration and transparency, the interests and feelings of all involved are taken seriously,” Clayde Menso, the International Theater Amsterdam’s managing director, said in a statement.
In July, the International Theater Amsterdam published an independent report that included the results of a survey of 285 current and former employees.
The report detailed incidents of bullying and intimidation, including an actress shouting at a member of the technical staff after an error, and a guest director acting similarly toward actors. Many of the survey’s respondents said they did not feel safe at the company.
Last week, the NRC newspaper published its own investigation into the theater’s backstage culture. In the article, an actress said a colleague had grabbed her by the throat.
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Source: Theater - nytimes.com
