Master electrician B.H. spent three seasons as the part-time lighting supervisor at Dupont Circle’s Keegan Theatre. He made a modest salary, but he loved the job.

That is, until June 2024, when B.H., who asked to be identified by his initials out of concern for future employment, was informed via email that his position was being eliminated for the 2024–25 season in an effort to save time and money. Instead, he was offered work on a contract basis to create a single repertory plot for the entire season, with subsequent lighting design work on a show-by-show basis.

The theater offered B.H. $2,500 to design the primary lighting plot, where most of the lighting fixtures stay in the same place throughout the season—regardless of the show—limiting design options; he was offered an additional

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