We are concerned by the news that the Audio Supervisor has been eliminated at the Public. Speaking as designers who have worked at the institution, the support of a very capable leader for a production department with sound-specific skills has enabled us to realize more sophisticated designs on shorter timelines and with smaller budgets than would be otherwise possible. Without an audio supervisor, it will not be possible to achieve the same degree of excellence in design. We urge the Public to reconsider this decision.

In addition to our concerns about the chilling effect that this decision will have on the achievable design goals, we want to make clear that the designers, assistants, and associates who work at the Public will continue to hold to the requirement in the USA-829 off-Broadway agreement which states that “The Employer agrees to engage adequate quality personnel for the proper realization and installation of the designs for the Production.” We will not absorb additional work, and we will not perform the work of production staff. If the design and technical expectations of the Public are to remain constant, the need for qualified production staff will remain crucial.