Curtains for novel theater: Funding problems shut 30-year UMass venture

By Kristin Palpini
Staff Writer

Published on July 24, 2009

A casualty of recession-forced budget cuts, New WORLD Theater at the University of Massachusetts is closing.

New WORLD Theater, located in the Curry Hicks building, provided a venue for "contemporary theater by artists of color" as well as multicultural educational opportunities, according to its mission statement. Recent shows presented at the theater included the Ngugi Project Reading Circle; "Expatriate," by Lenelle Moise; and "I Land," by Keo Woolford.

Closing the theater appears to have come as a surprise to organizers.

This year, the theater celebrated its 30th anniversary with a "Retrospective Exhibit" at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library from February through April. Earlier this month New WORLD announced that a "first in the nation" Multicultural Theater Practice, a certificate program, would be jointly offered with the UMass theater department in the fall.

Now, the program has been suspended.

"What a travesty," said Willie Hill Jr., director of the UMass Fine Arts Center. "This was an agonizing decision that had to be made as a result of the current budget challenges that we're confronted with on our campus and in the state."

Closing New WORLD is expected to save UMass $116,000, as the university attempts to close a $10 million budget gap by trimming expenses. New WORLD had an annual budget of about $500,000, Hill said, but was heavily subsidized by grants.

Andrea Assaf is the theater's artistic director, with Nadine Mazard serving as interim managing director. The theater was founded by and directed for many years by Roberta Uno.

Hope for renewal

The final curtain may not have dropped on the theater. This fall, Hill said he will form a planning group made up of students, community members and parents to study how the certificate program and New WORLD could be revived. Hill said students had not yet enrolled in the certificate program.

To reopen the theater "the financial picture in the nation and the state, and on our campus, and for the fine arts center would have to change, unless we find some angel," Hill said.

The decision to close New WORLD is effective for this fiscal year, which began July 1, said Edward F. Blaguszewski, director of news and information at UMass. However, some previously scheduled programming will continue at the theater through Sept. 30, said Hill.

"I think everyone feels that the New WORLD Theater was a wonderful contributor to multicultural theater for the last 30 years," said Blaguszewski. "It was a significant contributor and played an important role in theater in the University of Massachusetts, Pioneer Valley, Western Massachusetts and beyond. These are just very difficult times and difficult decisions have to be made. This was one of them."

Closing the theater has resulted in two layoffs, involving a full-time and a part-time position, and a one person was reassigned to other duties within the university, Blaguszewski said.

Hill said he is unsure what will happen to the theater space or grants the theater has received or has applied to receive. Hill may request that grantors allow the theater to keep some money for planning purposes.

"It's a very awkward situation," he said. "This is something beyond our control."

In addition to hosting performances, New WORLD also provided educational opportunities for students and the wider community. Among them were Project 2050, a dialogue and artistic forum based on the projection that people of color will be the majority in America by 2050; the Summer Play Lab for young writers; and the Somali Women's Project, an arts-based economic development program.

Kristin Palpini can be reached at kpalpini@gazettenet.com.