I heartily recommend you check out Grantsmakers in the Arts (GIA)’s new “Talk Back” series. The inaugural week of blogs is being hosted by my colleague Isaac Butler, of Parabasis fame. Isaac holds his finger more firmly on the issues of American Theatre than any other individual I know. He is keeping the Outrageous Fortune discussion alive when most artistic administrators are hoping that a year’s worth of neglect has helped it die the death of a rag doll.
This from his “kick-off howdy” blog:
… One of the greatest challenges facing theatre right now from … is that there is very little interaction between artists and funders that is not mediated by large institutions that have as their top priority perpetuating and growing themselves….
And this from the first day’s edition “How do We Know What to Reform”:
…The demand for premieres is not driven by audiences. There’s no evidence that audiences respond (positively or negatively) to premieres. The emphasis on premieres comes from funding guidelines and donor desires. In an effort to get more theaters to do more new plays, funders have inadvertently created a world where those plays can’t get done a second time.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. (And I am frankly too sick and tired of late to try, though I am finding Isaac’s tireless enthusiasm irksomely re-inspiring.)
So check it out and join in. Unless, of course, you think all is well.
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