Eric Schaeffer steps down from Signature Theatre (Virginia) amid sexual assault allegations

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/24/20 at 3:08pm

Wow.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Signature-Theatre-Co-Founder-Eric-Schaeffer-Has-Stepped-Down-Amid-Allegations-of-Sexual-Assault-20200624

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/24/20 at 3:26pm

Sounds correct. 

[morosco]

Posted: 6/24/20 at 4:23pm

Not surprised.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 6/24/20 at 10:09pm

Sounds like this was one of those terrible “open secrets”. Happy to see the first of many steps towards justice for the victims.

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/24/20 at 11:28pm

Do you think they will be able to find another middle aged white man to take over?  I'm worried. 

[broadwaydreamer24601]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 4:48am

Annoyed that some news outlets are choosing to glorify and up-play his Broadway credits rather than depict him as the predator that he is. Broadway.com did not even mention sexual assault in their headline. Despicable. Another old white man being praised for his accomplishments and not being reprimanded for his disgusting acts.

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 5:20am

broadwaydreamer24601 said: "Annoyed that some news outlets are choosing to glorify and up-play his Broadway credits rather than depict him as the predator that he is. Broadway.com did not even mention sexual assault in their headline. Despicable. Another old white man being praised for his accomplishments and not being reprimanded for his disgusting acts."

Even his farewell speech was a gloating tribute to his accomplishments and triumphs. 

This is becoming the new normal. 

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 8:16am

This article paints a more thorough picture of the history of allegations against Eric, the culture he fostered at Signature, and how senior staff and board were actively complicit in minimizing his actions and keeping him in his position of power. Hopefully this is the start of a reckoning in DC theater, because Eric is not the only one.

And yes, the arrogance and tone-deafness of his resignation statement are breathtaking.

https://wamu.org/story/20/06/24/signature-theatres-co-founder-eric-schaeffer-steps-down-following-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct/

[raddersons]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 9:47am

Bye Eric!

Makes me think about that NYT story that was rumored a few years ago back when the Me Too movement was growing... 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 9:58am

The independent investigators hired found the filed complaints unfounded - take it as you will  - so I suppose since that's the case, it makes sense Broadway sites wouldn't mention them in news reports of his resignation.

Signature's statement on the accusations

I've seen some members of the theatre community expressing dismay at the "resignation" so I think more folks than we realize choose to side with Schaeffer and Signature's findings.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 10:28am

everythingtaboo said: "The independent investigators hired found the filed complaints unfounded - take it as you will "

There were no "investigators." They tasked a lawyer to investigate, and that lawyer failed to interview witnesses who had relevant information. Justice should be blind, but investigators cannot be. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around...

[WayTooBroadway]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 10:44am

HogansHero said: "everythingtaboo said: "The independent investigators hired found the filed complaints unfounded - take it as you will "

There were no "investigators." They tasked a lawyer to investigate, and that lawyer failed to interview witnesses who had relevant information. Justice should be blind, but investigators cannot be. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around..."

Yes, yes, yes.

 

[BJR]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 11:21am

Haven't we learned yet an organization can't hire its own law firm and expect to get criticism? Oldest cover play in the books.

And yeah, I'd heard it before, firsthand. Not sure the extent or how open a secret, but there were stories.

[dlohearn]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 12:33pm

There are many screen shots of other men coming forward on Thomas Keegan's facebook page (public).

Most upsetting is the complicity of the staff. All of this came out after they posted about their concern for social justice in the past few weeks...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 1:42pm

dlohearn said: "There are many screen shots of other men coming forward on Thomas Keegan's facebook page (public)."

https://www.facebook.com/thomasrkeegan

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 3:35pm

Iain Armitages(who is apparently Eric’s godson) parents have been using Iains Instagram page to portray Eric in a positive light. I find this to be absolutely disgusting and selfish. They should not be using their child’s platform to further their own agenda.... If you don’t remember who Iain is he was famous for his Iain loves theatre reviews and he plays Sheldon on Young Sheldon. His parents are Euan Morton who plays KG3 in Hamilton and Lee Armitage who is the daughter of former diplomat Richard L Armitage.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 3:58pm

They've also been deleting comments.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 4:09pm

LizzieCurry said: "They've also been deleting comments."

Not only that. They have also been blocking anyone who comments negatively about Eric.

[morosco]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 4:16pm

https://www.facebook.com/thomasrkeegan

Looks like Keegan's facebook page has been deleted.

 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 4:17pm

morosco said: "https://www.facebook.com/thomasrkeegan

Looks like Keegan's facebook page has been deleted.

Nope.  Still there.

 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 4:20pm

It works for me. Would there be a reason you might've blocked, morosco? (I don't mean that with any malice.)

[joevitus]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 4:23pm

Always glad to see a predator lose status, but the comments about how "disgusting" he is for not owning that he's a predator, and friends of his trying to make him look better...I mean, what world do you live in? OF COURSE guilty people most often insist on their innocence, and their friends try to balance the picture. That's reality. Only in little school lessons on fair play do people always cop to their wrongs, and their friends demand their wrongs be highlighted. Most people defend themselves. Most people have at least a few friends who will defend them. I'm not sure why this inspired disgust. The important thing is to distinguish between a snow job and the actual facts, not to get outraged when the guilty refuse to acknowledge their guilt.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 4:37pm

LizzieCurry said: "It works for me. Would there be a reason you might'veblocked, morosco? (I don't mean that with any malice.)"

 

I was logged out of my Facebook when I clicked the link, and it didn't work for me. But when I logged in, it worked. Morosco, if you don't have a Facebook, you might not be able to see it. 

[morosco]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 4:39pm

I was logged out of my Facebook when I clicked the link, and it didn't work for me. But when I logged in, it worked. Morosco, if you don't have a Facebook, you might not be able to see it.

Ah. That explains it. I don't have a Facebook. Sorry for the confusion on my part.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 5:00pm

joevitus said: "Always glad to see a predator lose status, but the comments about how "disgusting" he is for not owning that he's a predator, and friends of his trying to make him look better...I mean, what world do you live in? OF COURSE guilty people most often insist on their innocence, and their friends try to balance the picture. That's reality. Only in little school lessons on fair play do people always cop to their wrongs, and their friends demand their wrongs be highlighted. Most people defend themselves. Most people have at least a few friends who will defend them. I'm not sure why this inspired disgust. The important thing is to distinguish between a snow job and the actual facts, not to get outraged when the guilty refuse to acknowledge their guilt."

I understand this, but my comment was about how disgusting it was that Iains parents were hiding behind his Instagram account to support Eric. That’s wrong. If they want to come out in support of Eric they should use their personal accounts. Not their child’s.

Updated On: 6/25/20 at 05:00 PM