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A beloved behind-the-scenes crew member hamiltonBroadway hit with bang by superstar playwright lin-manuel mirandaSays she was brutally sidelined by show producers after stage 3 boob escape cancer,
Kimberly Mark, a 53-year-old theater dresser who worked for alan cumming In Cabaret before being brought hamilton a decade ago By Leslie Odom Jr. — who played Aaron Burr in the Tony-, Grammy- and Pulitzer Prize-winning production — details his firing in an explosive disability discrimination trial recipient Independent,
Broadway dressers are responsible for overseeing a specific actor’s costumes, including maintaining them, preparing them for performance, and facilitating quick wardrobe changes during the show.
After four surgeries, 12 weeks Chemotherapy And after five weeks of radiation, Mark was told by higher authorities that “it’s okay.”[d] According to the complaint, Mark was actually an “exemplary” employee.
The New Jersey resident was well-liked by both the cast and crew Miranda herself responded warmly“Kimmiyyyy ❤️❤️❤️,” June 2025’s Instagram post highlighted Mark’s longtime service to the show.
He was fired soon after.
“The date of her termination coincided with the anniversary of her recovery from cancer, turning what should have been a milestone of strength and survival into a source of pain and humiliation,” Mark’s complaint states. ,[She] “Now she connects that anniversary with the end of her 28-year career on Broadway and the loss of the professional community that had long supported her.”
Attorney Kenneth McCallion, a former federal prosecutor who filed the suit on Mark’s behalf, declined to comment on the case beyond what is included in court filings.
hamilton The campaign team, as well as Miranda’s personal publicist, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday. (The lawsuit does not name Miranda personally as a defendant.)
Over the course of his career, Mark “has earned a reputation as a highly skilled, reliable and trustworthy professional in the Broadway industry,” working as a dresser on over 30 shows. Complaint They say.
But hamiltonMark was tasked with dressing the two lead actors during each show, the complaint states, adding that he performed the role “diligently, competently, and without complaint or discipline.”
In September 2022, Mark was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancerThe complaint continues. As she underwent surgery, chemo and radiation, Mark was given medication that caused joint pain, stiffness, fatigue and cognitive problems, according to the complaint filed Wednesday in New York State Supreme Court.
Mark went on unpaid medical leave the following month and returned hamilton In August 2023. He was welcomed warmly by colleagues and had his workload reduced to four shows a week instead of the usual eight, the complaint continues. Although he was still undergoing treatment to keep him well cancer At a minimum, Mark “quickly demonstrated that she could perform all the essential functions of her job under the adjusted schedule,” it says.
This so-called split-track schedule lasted for nearly two years, a setup described in the complaint as “both common and accepted in the Broadway industry.” creator of hamilton The complaint states that “similar arrangements were made for other employees for reasons unrelated to long-term disability”, including members of the props, hair, sound and wardrobe departments.
In June, Mark was called into a meeting with his supervisor and the company manager, “and was told that ‘the job had become too physically demanding for him’ – a comment made in the context of physical limitations.” [Mark] “She continued to experience pain despite her medical treatment and ongoing medication — and her last day of work will be September 7, 2025,” the complaint states. “This claim was inconsistent.” [Mark’s] Actual work performance as she was successfully performing her responsibilities under split-track without any problem.”
According to the complaint, Jodi told Mark that she could stay if he agreed to work all eight shows a week, a condition that would be impossible for him to meet. It stated that a new actor had joined the 12-week show, and he had a contract under which his dresser had to work every show. But, the complaint alleges, management never gave Mark the opportunity to make alternative accommodations, as required by law, which would have allowed him to remain employed.
Mark and his union representative proposed “reasonable alternatives,” the complaint further states, listing options such as allowing Mark to wear his other assigned actor’s clothing during those 12 weeks, or taking temporary leave and resuming his position at the end of three months.
However, according to the complaint, the production “rejected both offers without explanation”.
At the same time, Mark discovered another dresser hamilton Was allowed to remain on the split-track schedule for “non-medical reasons”, which the complaint claims is evidence of the show’s “refusal to continue”. [Mark’s] Split-track was not a neutral policy decision but targeted discrimination [Mark] Because of his disability.”
Mark was an exemplary employee throughout his tenure hamiltonand was recognized by colleagues for her “dedication, positive attitude and professionalism, making her termination even more unjust and unexpected,” the complaint argues.
,[The show’s] decision to terminate [Mark] Her disability and need for accommodations have caused her severe emotional distress, anxiety, and financial hardship,” the complaint concludes. “The loss of her career after nearly three decades in the industry has been devastating, and [Mark] Now facing fewer professional opportunities and economic insecurity at a time when stability is vital to her continued health.
In 2021, hamilton Cast member Suni Reed, who is non-binary, filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Claiming that his contract was not renewed After requesting a gender-neutral dressing room.
Next year, Miranda threatened lawsuit In response to an evangelical church staging an unauthorized anti-LGBT+ production in McAllen, Texas hamiltonIn which the lyrics and dialogue were rewritten to reflect “Christian” themes, including a sermon offering help to people at the end of the show.struggling with homosexuality,
Mark is suing the show’s corporate parent, Hamilton Uptown, LLC, over three causes of action: disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, and retaliation.
His complaint states that the justification he was given for being fired – that the job had become “too physically demanding” for him – “was specious and rooted in unacceptable disability-based stereotypes and assumptions.”
Mark is now demanding reinstatement to his position and asking a judge to declare that his treatment continues hamilton Violated New York City and New York State human rights laws, as well as back wages, lost benefits, attorneys’ fees and court costs, punitive damages, and compensatory damages for emotional distress and mental anguish, will be determined in court.
She is demanding a jury trial.