tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post1420519627295054217..comments2024-02-27T16:59:54.089-05:00Comments on (The New) Theatre Ideas: On Rocco Landesman and Muhammad YunusUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-31234257024861928492011-01-31T11:31:08.605-05:002011-01-31T11:31:08.605-05:00Scott, But what if the NEA convenes panels of majo...Scott, But what if the NEA convenes panels of major foundations and local/state arts agencies to funnel money into far fewer hands, as Landesman suggests. Is that smart, too? In my post, I note how fortunate we are that the NEA has so little money itself that it can't enforce a death sentence on anyone. But as this interesting post suggests, the little micro-financing grants that the local agencies provide (because they can't give more) can be very useful.Barry Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16025142209441081323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-34326830216702730352011-01-30T19:03:02.757-05:002011-01-30T19:03:02.757-05:00Barry -- I think we need to remember that the NEA ...Barry -- I think we need to remember that the NEA can't kill off theatres, they can just not fund them, which is not the same in any way. If a theatre is that reliant on any individual funder, they have a serious problem. As much as I likely disagree with Rocco's priorities, at the same time I think he is smart to be asking serious questions about how the NEA uses its limited funds. Our job is to make sure that an alternative viewpoint is heard.Scott Waltershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06465161646609405658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-50238293801829817772011-01-30T17:50:14.362-05:002011-01-30T17:50:14.362-05:00If we're going to talk in inappropriate busine...If we're going to talk in inappropriate business language, then I totally approve of the idea of "micro-finance." Brilliant. But doesn't the Orwellian "over-supply" make your skin crawl? Does anyone really believe that killing off some large number of theater companies (presumably the smaller ones with small budgets) would make the rest any more secure, financially? Has anyone calculated the effect on local theater ecologies of the loss of these theaters, which typically serve as training grounds for younger actors or as platforms for new theater voices? I tried to tackle this topic in this post: http://bit.ly/fkKtPN , you're interested.Barry Johnsonhttp://artsdispatch.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-28597295214244557932011-01-29T11:26:00.793-05:002011-01-29T11:26:00.793-05:00Interesting metaphor; that the smaller arts orgs s...Interesting metaphor; that the smaller arts orgs such as Rude Mechs or Stage North or what-not function in sort of a "developing country" subculture - and thus their corresponding funding picture = micro-credit, whereas the larger NFP arts orgs such as Steppenwolf, Playwrights Horizons, etc. are more like main cultures in "industrialized nations," which means the funding model is "taxation."<br /><br />It's very true; smaller grants to smaller orgs is really more in line with what arts funding should be doing - encouraging lots of creativity and experimentation at the fringes rather than supporting large buildings (face it - most of these large orgs are using the money to fund monumentalism). The larger orgs would then have to wean themselves off government funding. As some more cynical among us have been known to say the big ones "drain the swamp" for all the smaller ones.sanctuaryhttp://www.sanctuarytheatre.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-52790609865157706932011-01-28T12:05:08.908-05:002011-01-28T12:05:08.908-05:00Love this: "But doing so would require the de...Love this: "But doing so would require the development of a democratic approach to the arts, rather than a careerist approach based on prestige." <br /><br />That's such a great summation of what's going on in the theatre world right now -- I don't know that you've ever put it as succinctly, Scott. <br /><br />And it's brilliant b/c it IS based on prestige. NO ONE in non-profit theatre is getting rich. Not even the people in charge. Sure, they're not doing BADLY -- but they ain't getting rich. (They may already be rich, which enables them to stick around in a low-paying career with no worries, but that's a different story...) <br /><br />So what do we have? Prestige. The prestige of choosing the hot plays. Of getting a transfer to Broadway. Of going to the right schools. <br /><br />Thanks, Scott, and welcome back. Was nice to see you at the table yesterday.Jacobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16172580706901225571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-88736460131655796132011-01-27T22:31:04.728-05:002011-01-27T22:31:04.728-05:00This is a brilliant idea.This is a brilliant idea.luciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17562286037979044770noreply@blogger.com