8 months ago
Playwrights Horizons Sued Over BIPOC Discount Tickets
A man named Kevin Lynch is suing a theater called Playwrights Horizons because they offered cheaper tickets to people who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) for a specific night.
Lynch, who is white, had to pay full price and thinks this is unfair and against the law.
The theater says the lawsuit has no merit and will fight it in court.
This is part of a bigger discussion about making theater audiences more diverse.
The play in question is called Practice, and it ran from October 30 to December 19.
Playwrights Horizons is being sued for offering discounted tickets to BIPOC audiences for a performance of the play Practice.
The plaintiff, Kevin Lynch, argues that this practice is racially discriminatory and violates federal, state, and city laws.
Lynch paid $90 per ticket, while BIPOC audiences paid $39 per ticket using a discount code.
The lawsuit seeks class certification and unspecified punitive and compensatory damages.
Playwrights Horizons denies the allegations, calling the lawsuit meritless and plans to defend itself in court.
- Who
- Kevin Lynch (plaintiff), Playwrights Horizons (defendant)
- What
- A lawsuit alleging racial discrimination due to discounted tickets for BIPOC audiences
- Where
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- When
- The lawsuit was filed on an unspecified date in December 2023, regarding a November 6 performance
- Why
- The plaintiff argues that race-based pricing is illegal and violates federal, state, and city laws
Playwrights Horizons
Kevin Lynch and Edward Blum
Discriminatory Pricing
Playwrights Horizons
Denies allegations, considers the lawsuit meritless, and plans to defend itself in court.
Kevin Lynch and Edward Blum
Argues that offering discounted tickets to BIPOC audiences is racially discriminatory and violates federal, state, and city laws.
Key facts
- Plaintiff
- Kevin Lynch, a New Jersey composer, producer, and music director
- Defendant
- Playwrights Horizons, an Off-Broadway theater and producer
- Lawyer
- Edward Blum, leading the American Alliance for Equal Rights
- Law Firm
- Consovoy McCarthy, a conservative law firm based in Arlington, Virginia
- Play
- Practice, written by Nazareth Hassan and directed by Keenan Tyler Oliphant
- Discount Details
- BIPOC night tickets: $39 each; Full-price tickets: $90 each
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Quotes
Lawsuit
The legal document filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
“Charging people different prices based on race is illegal”
deadline.com
Playwrights Horizons
A statement provided to the New York Times by the theater company
“This is a meritless lawsuit, and Playwrights Horizons intends to defend itself in court.”
deadline.com
