Director claims Chicago’s Lyric sacked him for being male

The stagebdirector Jose Maria Condemi, who is running the San Francisco Opera Centennial Season Gala this weekend, has accused the Lyric Opera of dumping him for a female director and then proceeding regardless with his production for Verdi’s Ernani.

There has been no response from the Lyric.

Here’s his complaint:

I was not planning to post about this but I feel I have no option now, given people have asked me about it, are wondering or even making up reasons or explanations. The gist is: in back in 2009, Lyric Opera of Chicago honored me with the offer to create a brand new production of Verdi’s Ernani. As the director, it was my job to come up with the concept, work with my designers, make decisions about every aspect of its presentation (from sets to costumes, props and lights) and, ultimately, be responsible for the overall artistic product. The final show was beautiful and well received. Everybody was happy. Right before COVID hit us, it was supposed to be presented by the San Francisco Opera (with me directing, of course). This made sense, given I have a right of first refusal to direct it (standard in the case of new productions and very much how the business operates)
Fast forward to January this year, when I get a call from one of Lyric’s top tier managers who informed me that Lyric was going to open the season with my production of Ernani but that they were going to go with another director, even while using the previous physical production as I created it. Upon me reminding them of my right of first refusal, I was told that the company believed they did not have the obligation to engage me. Confused, I looked up the original contract and the right attached to it. To my dismay, I learned that my manager at the time did a lousy job and, while I do have a valid right of first refusal, it was written poorly. Basically, it indicates companies renting my production are obligated to hire me but it does not specify the obvious (and also standard practice) that the ORIGINATING company should also be held to the same requirement.
I will spare the details but suffice to say that the person representing Lyric who called me, several times and with clearly pointed emphasis said “we are going to go with a…FEMALE director”, which is what they have done. I have nothing against this director and, in fact, my response to him was “if you so value female directors and this particular person, then give her her own new production, not a recycling of mine!”. I found this aspect particularly rich, given (at the time), Lyric had a banner at the top of their website touting their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Maybe it should have read “we include by excluding?”
The facts are: it was the intent of Lyric’s management at the time of my original engagement that I should direct every future revival (and rentals) , as proven by the fact they did offer and issue a right of first refusal. And the current administration is taking advantage of a clerical error in my contract to BLATANTLY discriminate against me by not hiring me.
Over the last weeks, I have watched with grief as photos of MY production, showing MY ideas on display have been shared by esteemed colleagues and publicly showcased by Lyric, with not even a mention of my name on the website, promotional materials, etc. I have done, many a time, new stagings on existing sets but, at least, companies had the decency of including something like “Original staging by Jean Pierre Ponnelle. Director Jose Maria Condemi”. Not Lyric and not the current administration. Had Lyric offered me a program credit and a royalty for the use of my artistic ideas, I would have been somehow satisfied. But the uncompromising and, frankly, superior tone they used in our interactions leaves me with no choice than to expose what happened.
Of course, my Union (AGMA) has proven useless so far. I dare to say they don’t even UNDERSTAND the issue at stake and the egregious breach of intellectual and artistic property being enacted. Lyric’s lame and cowardly position has been that “this will be a new staging on an existing physical production”. Having done several of these myself, I know well that there is not such a thing. Sure, their director of choice can change Elvira’s entrance from the left to the right, add a prop, change a costume or two or she can have this scene staged differently than I did it. Nevertheless, no amount of “new staging” will cancel the fact that the audience will STILL see my ideas and concept, as manifested in the physical production, on display. All that AGMA has offered to do is obtain an archival video of the “new staging” and compare it with my original one, before committing to taking action. Of course, there WILL be changes but they will amount to nothing more than a distinction without a difference.
I should also add that, when I informed the Lyric top tier manager that I intended to explore my options around this, he issued a thinly veiled “threat” in the form of (and I quote directly from his Email): “I continue to be of the mindset that it is not in either of our best interest to argue”. Given Lyric clearly did not and does not intend to have a working relationship with me, I took this to mean that he could jeopardize my standing with other companies. It will be interesting to see what would happen if he does indeed speak ill of me or attempts to “cancel” me in anyway. My ears are open and I have friends in many companies.
I have nothing against the artists and staff working on the show, many of whom are dear friends. But what Lyric Opera of Chicago and its current administration has done to me should not be left unaddressed. The fact they do have the legal right not to engage me doesn’t make it right. Their position is based on a clerical error and what they are doing is unethical. If you are a singer, imagine if they released a commercial recording a performance you gave but refuse to credit you or even pay you for the use because…well, they don’t have to based on an error. That is precisely what I happening here and it is a sad reflection of the state of the business but, more crucially, of how little protected we directors are when it comes to our ideas and artistry.
I wish the cast a wonderful opening night on Friday, including to the new director who is a wonderful one and lovely person. She is not to blame and, I’m sure, had no idea of any of this.