separated from the theater in 1993. The school assumed the lease of the theater space, then subleased the space back to the theater. The only show that the Circle hosted in 1993 was Wilder, Wilder, Wilder, a trio of Wilder plays that lasted for 44 performances. Afterward, the Circle was dark for over a year; a planned engagement of the play Belmont Avenue Social Club during late 1993 had been canceled. Many of the Circle's board members blamed Mann for selecting shows that did not appeal to audiences and claimed that he was too focused on a "theatrical community that was rooted in the past". As a direct consequence, the Circle had failed to compete with newer nonprofit theater companies such as Second Stage Theater, Lincoln Center Theater, or the Manhattan Theatre Club. The number of subscribers had decreased to about 5,400 by 1994. New leadership Harvey Seifter took over as the theater's executive director in March 1994. The Circle's artistic managers sought to revive the theater by establishing a $500,000 production fund, hiring a second artistic director to assist Mann, and creating partnerships with other theatrical companies. Josephine Abady was hired as the second artistic director in August 1994; she was to take over as the theater's sole artistic director when Mann stepped down. Abady planned to book both revivals and newer plays at the theater, and she wished to attract additional subscribers to compete with other nonprofit theaters. Although the Circle had received millions of dollars in grants during that season, Abady estimated that it would take eight years for the Circle to record a net profit. The Circle also started offering discounted tickets to attract younger patrons, since, at the time, the median subscriber was 53 years old. The theater reopened with three plays during the 1994–1995 season: The Shadow Box, Uncle Vanya, and The Rose Tattoo. During the 1995–1996 season, the theater hosted the plays Garden District, Holiday, Bus Stop, and Tartuffe. By then, the Circle had 7,000 subscribers. Nonetheless, many of the theater's board members were unhappy with Abady's leadership, as the theater's debt had increased by $241,000 during that season. Libin and Mann also challenged the way Abady handled the theater's finances. That August, Pacino returned to the theater in Hughie. Hughie was initially supposed to have fewer regular performances than previews, but the play was extended several times, ultimately running until November 1996.