According to IndieWire, Alamo Drafthouse is moving into large-scale layoffs that include key staff, such as creative director Mike Sampson who shared a message on Twitter about being laid off:
Yesterday I, along with many others who were originally furloughed, was officially laid off from Alamo Drafthouse. I very much enjoyed my time there, but I stand proudly alongside those let go, an extremely wonderful group of humans who were the lifeblood of the company.
— Mike Sampson (@mjsamps) July 1, 2020
In a statement, a representative of Alamo said: “As we’ve looked at the road ahead, it’s become increasingly clear that many positions at Alamo Drafthouse would need to be eliminated, changed, or refocused. This is a devastating step to take. It would be impossible to quantify what these Alamo Drafthouse team members have collectively contributed, and we hope that once things have stabilized, we’ll be able to bring many of them back.”
The company announced in March that it would furlough 80% of its corporate staff and virtually all theater staff members as 40 of its theaters were closed. Soon after, founders Tim and Kerrie League announced an emergency relief fund of two weeks’ pay as well as health coverage through the end of April for the furloughed corporate-owned venue and headquarters staff.
RELATED: Alamo Drafthouse Will Require Guests to Wear Masks, AMC Switches Stance
At this time, Alamo has not reopened but will be requiring guests to wear masks once they do. The Texas-based chain is located in 41 complexes in 10 states with amenities including in-theater eating and drinking, specialized programming to supplement studio wide releases, and enhanced audience behavior control.
