I find it kind of unsettling that the artistic director would say she doesn't know why major changes were made. As you say, that's something that the artistic director should know. And she should be prepared to answer what seems like will be an obvious question at a planned audience talkback.
Coupled with her idea that almost no shows written in the 1990s are acceptable, this incident makes me think that deBessonet's idea of what Encores should be and what her role should be is radically different than Jack Viertel's. And I think radically different from what most long-term subscribers think. I don't think Encores's mission is to "correct" shows from the recent past. deBessonet doesn't seem like the right choice for Encores.
