The Eugene O’Neill Fire Is a Wake-Up Call for Broadway’s Aging Theatres

Photo Credit: New York City Department of Buildings

by Chris Peterson

The Broadway production of The Book of Mormon will remain closed at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre until at least May 17th, following a fire at the venue earlier this week.

According to early reports, the fire was electrical in nature and began in or around the theatre’s electrical room, an area most audience members probably never think about but one that is essential to how a Broadway show functions every night. 

The good news, and it is important to start here, is that theatre staff were safely evacuated. One firefighter reportedly suffered minor injuries, and the damage has forced the Tony-winning musical to pause performances while repairs and inspections continue.

My heart goes out to everyone working on that show and in that theatre. While everyone should be grateful this was not worse, it is also fair to start asking questions.

Early reporting should never be treated as a final investigation, and no one should be rushing to assign blame before officials have completed their work. But if the fire did begin in the electrical room, then the conversation cannot stop at “thankfully everyone is okay.” 

How are electrical systems being maintained inside Broadway theatres? How often are lighting positions, spotlight booths, dimmers, wiring, and backstage electrical areas reviewed? Who is responsible for ensuring that older theatres are not just charming and historic, but also safe for the people who work in them every day?

Broadway theatres are old, oddly shaped, heavily retrofitted spaces that have been asked to support decades of changing technology. Modern productions place real demands on those systems. 

That is exactly why safety reviews matter.

This should not become a conversation only when smoke is coming from a theatre roof. It should be ongoing, boring, thorough, and probably more visible than it currently is.

I hope The Book of Mormon is back soon. I hope everyone working there is supported during this closure. And I hope this fire leads to more than repairs at one theatre.

I also hope it leads to a wider conversation about what is happening behind the walls, above the stage, and inside the booths of every theatre where people show up to work.