Lessons from the Pandemic: Episode 3 – Professor Gregory Poggi

Gregory Poggi is a retired university Chair and professor who has taught arts administration at both Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Prior to his distinguished academic career, he led three important theatre companies in the USA and Canada. We talked to Dr. Poggi about adjusting to an online teaching world and some of the challenges of running arts organizations during the pandemic.

Let’s start with a short bio/background.

Well, I got my PhD in Theatre history from Indiana University. After that, I spent some time in the United Kingdom studying and I was struck by how all the cities and towns I visited had producing theatres. When I returned to the US, I started to think about starting a theatre in Indianapolis, where I was living. I got together with two friends from graduate school – Ed Stern and Ben Mordecai, and we founded the Indiana Repertory Theatre. It will celebrate its 50^th Anniversary this year. After Indiana, I ran a large producing theatre in Canada – the Manitoba Theatre Centre, and then ran the Philadelphia Drama Guild for 11 years. At that point in my life, I was tired of selling tickets and raising money and so began to investigate teaching at a university. I was hired at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and I headed up a program there in Arts Administration. I ran that program for 15 years and it was very successful. I then went to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where I was the Chair of Theatre and Drama. I also started a program in Arts Administration and Entrepreneurship. I retired from UofM in June of 2020 and then agreed to return to SMU for a year as Chair of the Arts Administration program while they reorganized. I recently retired for a second time in July.

For most of the pandemic, you were at the University of Michigan. What was the process like in that large, well-funded environment as you started to contemplate shutting down classes, or at least moving everything on-line?

The University of Michigan is an extremely well-run organization and both students and faculty adapted very well to ZOOM teaching. Most of the students were on campus or close to campus, so  we also, if the students were in a performing track, could do some socially distanced performances in one of our theatres. We also streamed those productions to a limited audience. The students today are extremely tech savvy and so it wasn’t difficult for them to pivot to online teaching.

Running an arts organization in a pandemic has had all sorts of challenges. Some arts organizations have shut down, but others have done well. Is there a commonality here for successful organizations?

Well, I think that the commonality is that the successful organizations have continued, despite the pandemic to continue to raise money. Lincoln Center just announced a $20 million gift from philanthropists Lynne and Richard Pasculano – one of its largest in its history – to address the problem of attracting new audiences during the pandemic and encouraging collaboration between the Center’s resident companies.  The best of the arts managers have refocused their organizations to create opportunities for new types of programming, and new opportunities for donors to become engaged with an organization. They had to find new ways of creatively moving their companies forward despite overwhelming difficulties. The best managers were able to do this.

As someone with a lot of practical arts management experience, I wonder if you found yourself wanting to “get into the trenches” to help alumni or colleagues through some of their challenges? Were people asking for your advice?

I worked in the academic world training arts managers for some 30 years, so there are a lot of alumni from both SMA and the University of Michigan that keep in touch. There have been lots of calls, emails, and zoom requests from a broad assortment of those folks. I have tried to be as helpful as I could. There are lessons to be learned about communicating with donors, staff, board members, funders and subscribers and single ticket buyers. Managers are really being called upon to think outside the box, and generally be creative under very difficult circumstances.

Is there a “silver lining” in all of this? What pandemic lessons can be learned in managing arts organizations in non-pandemic times?

I really don’t know. I think its way to soon to see that the long-term impact of all of this is going to be on the field. This is a unique and difficult time, and it may be several years before we see the real impact of the pandemic on the arts. Some organizations have responded quicker than others and are exploring all sorts of alternate programming, including hybrid versions of live and streamed productions. I wouldn’t be surprised if streamed programming became more of a regular aspect of arts programming going forward. I’m sure that something is going to emerge from this, I just have no way of knowing what that might be.

Did you ever have a moment when you thought – “I’m glad I don’t have to run an arts organization through this.”

Yes, I did. I really applaud my arts management colleagues for their creative hard work during this time. I can’t imagine going through all of this with staffing concerns, not having earned revenue, trying to raise money, and generally having to maintain some community visibility for an organization. But as for me running an arts organization right now – No Thank You!

Any final thoughts you would like to share?

Well, I would say that this is an extraordinary event in not only the running of performing arts organizations, but in just being a global citizen. The challenges for the arts organizations are immense and it’s a perilous time for most every arts organization around the world. I just hope that the arts can survive.

Also by Ken Neufeld:

Lessons from the Pandemic. Episode 2: Tisa Ho, Executive Director, Hong Kong Arts Festival

Lessons from the Pandemic – and Beyond: an Interview with Pat McDonald