Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
macbeth
Broadway Star Joined: 5/7/03
#1Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 7:08am
https://x.com/Mr_NaveenKumar/status/2019096455286587642
Naveen Kumar
@Mr_NaveenKumar
I've been laid off from
@washingtonpost
, where serving as theater critic was truly a dream job.
I'm available for opportunities, and truly hope there's a future for arts and theatre coverage in DC and beyond.
#2Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 8:48am
I'm not saying Kumar deserved to be fired. The layoffs are terrible. But it always struck me as odd that the Post hired a critic who lives in New York and writes primarily about Broadway theater, given that DC has such a vibrant resident theater scene of its own. Looking at Kumar's bylines in the three months leading up to his layoff, I see only two DC reviews: GUYS AND DOLLS at Shakespeare Theatre and IN CLAY at Signature (Virginia). Meanwhile, nearly every Broadway opening is covered. Perhaps his lack of connection to the District made him an easy target for a layoff.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
SeanD2
Featured Actor Joined: 5/2/17
#3Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 12:56pm
AC126748 said: "I'm not saying Kumar deserved to be fired. The layoffs are terrible. But it always struck me as odd that the Post hired a critic who lives in New York and writes primarily about Broadway theater, given that DC has such a vibrant resident theater scene of its own. Looking at Kumar's bylines in the three months leading up to his layoff, I see only two DC reviews: GUYS AND DOLLS at Shakespeare Theatre and IN CLAY at Signature (Virginia). Meanwhile, nearly every Broadway opening is covered. Perhaps his lack of connection to the District made him an easy target for a layoff."
I mean Peter Marks always lived in NYC when he was the critic for the Post. But Peter did come down to see a lot (and we often found ourselves at the same performance)
Wayman_Wong
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#4Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 2:45pm
Having gone through a devastating newspaper layoff myself, my heart goes out to all these career journalists (about 300 out of an 800-plus staff).
By the way, ''Heated Rivalry'' is now the hottest TV show and worldwide phenomenon. It happened because showrunner Jacob Tierney read a story about gay romance novels in the Post and was inspired to contact author Rachel Reid.
And now I read the author of that Post article, Rachel Kurzius, has been laid off, too.
#5Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 2:50pm
Jada Yuan's post really upset me this morning.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUWJtUlke0h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
#6Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 2:52pm
The Post laid off their journalists covering the Middle East and I saw posts from a journalist who was currently covering the war in Ukraine learn she was laid off while in the war zone. This story is far bigger in scope than the demise of arts coverage, unfortunately.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
#7Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 2:58pm
SeanD2 said: "AC126748 said: "I'm not saying Kumar deserved to be fired. The layoffs are terrible. But it always struck me as odd that the Post hired a critic who lives in New York and writes primarily about Broadway theater, given that DC has such a vibrant resident theater scene of its own. Looking at Kumar's bylines in the three months leading up to his layoff, I see only two DC reviews: GUYS AND DOLLS at Shakespeare Theatre and IN CLAY at Signature (Virginia). Meanwhile, nearly every Broadway opening is covered. Perhaps his lack of connection to the District made him an easy target for a layoff."
I mean Peter Marks always lived in NYC when he was the critic for the Post. But Peter did come down to see a lot (and we often found ourselves at the same performance)"
Not entirely true. Marks lived in Bethesda for the first decade he worked for the Post, before moving back to New York. And even after he moved back, he still covered Washington theater fairly extensively. He got his fair share of criticism for being NYC-centric, but he made an effort greater than Kumar, who made it clear from the jump that he would be a New York critic writing for a DC paper.
But as others have said, although this is relevant to our little patch on this website, it's only one small strand of a much larger story.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#8Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 3:53pm
Melissa25 said: "Jada Yuan'spost really upset me this morning.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUWJtUlke0h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA=="
"Arts coverage that doesn't involve Trump has been eliminated". This had nothing to do with being "NY centric".
whatever2
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/25/06
#9Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 5:14pm
let's not forget that WaPo lost 10% of its subscriber base over its election endorsement fiasco. this probably contributed to the company's deteriorating financial condition. and, perhaps ironically, the staffing and coverage cuts make it even more unlikely they'll win back many of those former subscribers.
"You, sir, are a moron." (PlayItAgain)
#10Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 7:14pm
SeanD2 said: "AC126748 said: "I'm not saying Kumar deserved to be fired. The layoffs are terrible. But it always struck me as odd that the Post hired a critic who lives in New York and writes primarily about Broadway theater, given that DC has such a vibrant resident theater scene of its own. Looking at Kumar's bylines in the three months leading up to his layoff, I see only two DC reviews: GUYS AND DOLLS at Shakespeare Theatre and IN CLAY at Signature (Virginia). Meanwhile, nearly every Broadway opening is covered. Perhaps his lack of connection to the District made him an easy target for a layoff."
I mean Peter Marks always lived in NYC when he was the critic for the Post. But Peter did come down to see a lot (and we often found ourselves at the same performance)"
Peter Marks lived in DC at least some of the time.
What I want to know is, who is TweetyPie1?
#11Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 8:22pm
Bezos is doing to the paper that broke Watergate what Trump has done to Kennedy Center.
#12Washington Post Layoffs - Dying Arts Coverage
Posted: 2/5/26 at 11:29pm
If anyone wants to take a bit of a deep dive on this subject, not focused on theatre coverage but very relevant to it, I recommend 2 pieces: one on Substack by Nate Silver, from late January on what was about to happen and why, and one in the NewYorker by Ruth Marcus (40 year veteran of the Post), February 4, on what just happened and why.
Two of many takeaways: Silver characterizes the apocalyptic firings as part of an effort at re-branding. Marcus sees it as the consequence of a business-side failure to adapt (rooted in decisions and actions that antedate the Bezos acquisition).
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