Nothing for the Group is a weekly newsletter about the American theatre.
Since its launch in July 2020, Nothing for the Group has built an audience of over 10,000 subscribers in all 50 states and 86 countries. It was cited as the "Best Way to Learn About the American Theatre Industry" in the Washington City Paper.
Every Friday, I compile a round-up of industry news, reviews, links, along with my commentary. (I’m a little salty but never mean.) I’m also interested in exploring the power structures and dynamics that create and perpetuate inequity in the industry and dissecting how institutions frame their public narratives.
I spoke about the origin and evolution of Nothing for the Group — and how it has become a core part of my dramaturgical practice — on Rachel Lin’s podcast Upstage Left.
Bills, Bills, Bills
In June 2022, Nothing for the Group launched Bills, Bills, Bills, a monthly series of anonymous money diaries from theatre workers curated by Jenna Clark Embrey. The first installment was featured in The New York Times’ feature on pay equity and salary transparency.
Press
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“Explicit and implicit in Halvorsen’s work are pointed questions for theatrical hiring entities: If your workers are going to have to rely on supplemental income from a family member to survive, who can you hire? And if you think it’s acceptable to pay your workers less than a modest yet adequate standard of living, how much do you value them?”
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“You should read Lauren Halvorsen’s Nothing for the Group newsletter just for the pleasure of Halvorsen’s wry, singular humor.”
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“Passionate, committed, opinionated, and fierce, [Halvorsen] consistently advocates for a new and better vision of theater in America.”
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“Halvorsen breaks down the week’s news with wit and context, while also pointing out the economic realities those working in the theater face. The “This Is Not a Living Wage” feature is so depressing you can only laugh.”
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“A must-read theater newsletter. Halvorsen has her finger on one of the most important reforms any professional company can make: ‘protecting and investing in a theater’s greatest asset: its workers.’”