« Starring: Haaz Sleiman, Danai Jekesai Gurira, Hiam Abbass (with apologies to Richard Jenkins) | Main | August: Osage County - Violet Weston vs. Blanche DuBois »

June 09, 2008

Comments

Rolando Teco
1.

I think what we're seeing nationwide is in many ways a direct result of the disappearance of government funding for the Arts. Without "blind" funding (which only govt. funding can ever really be), regional theatres not only have to produce what's more commercial but they are tending to produce what their big funding sources want.

This might explain why at the recent premiere of Anna Deveare Smith's latest play at Long Wharf, there were more than half a dozen direct references in the script to "Yale New Haven Medical Center" and when I flipped open the program at intermission...

Surprise!

Guess who had funded the whole show?

This is one of the more blatant examples I've come across but this works in more insidious ways as well, with foundations only supporting new art that deals with specific issues. One has to wonder, to what extent is the money guiding the commissioning and presentation of new work in this country.

As Gary Garrison might say, "It gives one pause."

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Working...
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been posted. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Working...

Post a comment

Your Information

(Name is required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)

Email subscription form header
the L A T E S T
You'll receive a summary email with links to our most recent posts. (But never more than once per week)
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
Screen Shot 2021-03-07 at 01.15.23
Craft & Career Workshops with Roland Tec
Screen Shot 2021-10-09 at 17.56.18
Blog powered by Typepad

Author Posting Here!

Statcounter

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported

Contribute