Mo'olelo Performing Arts has announced that it is canceling the remainder of its 2015-16 season. The company's board has also decided to cease operations as of January 1, 2016, "in order to strategically study various sustainable operational/programming models."
The reasons given for these actions were that the first production of the season, Cell, incurred a loss and the company lost a significant grant that it had relied on for years.
Founding artistic director Seema Sueko left Mo'olelo in 2014 for a position at Pasadena Playhouse. Sueko had planned the 2014-15 season, and the board hired Lydia Fort after a national search to replace her. Fort directed the production of Cell that ran in September and early October. In late October, the board announced that Fort was leaving her position.
Mo'olelo focused on performing stories of diverse groups and particularly stories written by and featuring artists of color. The company regularly invested in hiring largely Equity casts for its productions, and those productions were frequently honored with Craig Noel Awards from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. The board's announcement indicated that no change of mission for the company was anticipated.
Bill, in San Diego |
