Tony-Nominated Costume Designer Accused of Sexual Misconduct

(TW: This column contains descriptions of sexual misconduct)

An NYU design alum is accusing Tony-Nominated costume designer, Michael Krass, of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior while he was Krass’s student at the university’s Playwrights Horizons Theater School(PHTS).

Designer, Randy Ginsburg, posted a detailed account of the alleged incidents in a blog post on Medium.com. In it, he recalls inappropriate behavior in Mr. Krass’s classroom, sexual manipulation, and unwanted kissing. According to the post, he spoke to former colleagues of Mr. Krass at NYU as well as multiple former students. He also mentions his reporting of the incidents to PHTS officials and their lack of response.

Mr. Krass is one of the most successful costume designers on Broadway today. A four-time Tony nominee, his design credits include Hadestown, the 2016 revivals of Noises Off and The Cherry Orchard and What the Constitution Means to Me.

According to the allegations, Mr. Krass’s class discussions often centered on the topic of sex and included exercises where students were required to get naked in front of each other.

Mr. Ginsburg recalls,

“Krass assigned for us to get into groups and arrange a time to get naked and draw each other. He encouraged us to buy some alcohol, and, with a suggestive lilt in his voice, said to “see what happens with each other.” For those who really couldn’t go through with it, he did offer the option of going to the Met Museum to draw a statue — but he presented this alternative with clear shame and disappointment.”

He states that Mr. Krass’s intent was not to practice life drawing, but instead “It was about getting us naked with each other and out of those demonized “comfort zones”.”

I spoke with another former student who confirmed the class exercise. However, she told me that when she declined, she was mocked by Mr. Krass, saying she was “frigid and a prude.”

The blog also details required one on one sessions where Mr. Krass would ask students about intimate details regarding their love lives. “We talked about my shyness and sexual inexperience, which he saw as a hindrance to my artistic development,” Mr. Ginsburg states. “He tried to normalize this kind of talk by asking me which of the other boys in class I thought were cute.”

During one meeting, he alleges that Mr. Krass volunteered to be a matchmaker to connect him to younger students for sex.

Mr. Ginsburg recalls,

“He proposed that what I really needed was to find someone younger to worship me and that skill-based learning had nothing to do with it. Ideally, he said, I could get that person to have sex with me. He offered to play matchmaker, and help me find someone younger since he knew all sorts of intimate details about the incoming freshmen from those private meetings he had with them. He offered to suggest a few who he thought would be a good match for me.”

Mr. Ginsburg then recalls a moment where Mr. Krass tried to kiss him.

“At the very end of the meeting, in a gesture I perceived as trying to mollify my troubles and retaliate against my family’s religious homophobia, Krass put both hands on my shoulders and leaned in to kiss me on the lips. I turned my head and held it firmly in place, insisting that he get my cheek. I felt an immediate sense of violation and betrayal. He was supposed to have my best interests in mind, but instead, he had taken advantage of my trust in a vulnerable moment. “

When later confronted about the unwanted kiss attempt, Mr. Krass allegedly replied,

“I’m so sorry if I crossed boundaries that you feel I have no way of knowing them until you tell them to me. Some students rush to me asking for hugs, some do not wish to be touched. I’m glad you told me. It will not happen again.”

In the aftermath of these alleged incidents, Mr. Ginsburg states he tried to report them to PHTS officials. He first brought it up to someone who worked in the PHTS office but was quickly dismissed.

“Immediately upon sharing my story, he wagged his finger with hostility in my face, repeating “No, no, no,” over and over, interrupting me and refusing to listen further. He made it clear to me that not only would my grievance not be heard but that he wasn’t going to let someone of my low social standing get in the way of the insider crowd.”

He also reported the alleged abuse to his directing teacher, Ruben Polendo, who is now the chair of Drama at Tisch School of the Arts.

He states that Mr. Polendo told him “he wasn’t surprised and that he had to tell Krass off a few times that it wasn’t appropriate for him to be pestering his students that they needed to lose their virginity in order to be better artists.” But according to Mr. Ginsburg, Mr. Polendo suggested that he not report the abuse further and that he might mention it to Helen Cook, the department head at PHTS. Mr. Ginsburg doesn’t know if Mr. Polendo reported the incidents but nothing was done and Mr. Krass remained employed.

The other former student I spoke with also told me she reported the inappropriate behavior, only to be dismissed by officials who praised Mr. Krass’s work.

Years later, when applying for graduate school, Mr. Ginsburg states he met with Ms. Cook to discuss a letter of recommendation. During the meeting, he brought up the allegations and asked if Mr. Krass was still teaching there. According to Ms. Cook, he was not.

Mr. Ginsburg says, “she told me that, “He was just too close with his students, and spent the majority of his social time with them. We never found anything concrete sexually, but we just didn’t want to wait for it to happen.” And then she gave me a curt, perfunctory apology.”

At the end of the meeting, according to Mr. Gindburg, Ms. Cook praised Mr. Krass saying, “But nobody got the kind of work out of you guys that he did!”.

It’s taken a while, but Randy Ginsburg is coming to terms with what happened:

“Those first few days in Krass’s class were just the beginning of a long, complicated cycle of emotional manipulation and self-blame. Nearly 12 years after graduating, I now understand that what happened wasn’t just a teacher being “edgy.” There’s a name for what happened: sexual harassment and abuse.”

We’ve reached out to Mr. Krass, Ms. Cook, Mr. Polendo and NYU/PHTS officials for comment. We will update this piece with any new information.

RAINN is there for survivors of sexual violence every hour of every day. You're not alone. Confidential help is available for free. For the National Sexual Assault Hotline, Call 1-800-656-4673