Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:
I enjoy live theater. Well, some of it. I go for entertainment, not consciousness-raising (I get enough of that from the newspapers, television, internet, Bar Association, Academy awards . . . I’m inundated with people wanting to raise my consciousness to the point where all I want is a couple of hours of escape).
So what does the Guthrie offer this season? A Winter Sale, buy 4 plays for as little as $80, choose from among:
The Royal Family, a comedic valentine to the theater, loosely based on the Barrymore family.
King Lear, Shakespeare’s epic tragedy
The Bluest Eye, a moving adaptation of Toni Morrison’s novel exploring the destructive power of racist society
Refugia, a relevant and evocative world premiere exploring exile, borders and displacement of people.
Sunday in the Park with George, Sondheim’s artistic masterpiece featuring songs I’ve never heard of.
Native Gardens, a hilarious hot button comedy exposing notions of race, taste and privilege.
So that’s one classic, two musicals that may be okay, and three consciousness-raisers. Leaving aside the fact that $80 gets me a seat in Area 4 (worst seats in the house) on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (slowest days of the week), I know I’m not willing to pay that kind of money to be harangued about racism, refugees or privilege. So who is?
Behold, the Guthrie’s list of corporate sponsors. And notice who’s number one, giving over $250,000 per year to fund this dreck? That’s right – you, the taxpayer.
Joe Doakes
Some animals are more equal.
You can learn a lot from SiTD. For example, today I learned (from JD) that humanity has never created a work of art that was not financed by the state.
The More You Know™
eTASS. Please point to a passage, paragraph, sentence or word in JD’s post that supports yet another one of your strawman creations. Comprehension, you have none.
Emery,
Pretty sure that’s not what Joe said.
To get back on track, I’m always SO happy to see Minnesota’s poor and middle class getting to pay for the entertainment of the rich. Almost as happy as when the poor and middle class get to pay for the businesses of the rich, for hybrid and electric cars for the rich, for solar panels for the rich, daycare for the children of the rich, transit to get maids and gardeners to rich peoples’ homes……and all with the full support of the Democratic Party, which for some bizarre reason thinks all this is compatible with their stated purpose of “sanding for the poor.”
Oh, you can still have your “arts”; you just have to pay for them yourself. I know. It’s a tough life.
Hmm. No answer. Put up a strawman and refuse to bugg… I mean defend it. And just a week ago eTASS was DEMANDING his questions be answered! Pure braindead libturd modus operandi.
You appear to be the in house SiTD Russian Troll.
JPA: Pravda is reporting Comrade Putin nominated Trump as employee of the year. ;^)
Oh, you can still have your “arts”; you just have to pay for them yourself. I know. It’s a tough life.
Agreed. Since we started funding arts through the sales tax, I’ve noticed that it seems to be more politically driven, and if one desires truly good art, one does need to pay for it out of one’s own pocket. I attended one “Prairie Fire Theater” event and ended up walking out. It was really, really bad.
The trouble is that “bad money pushes out good”, which is another way of saying that mediocre theater/etc., is going to reduce the chances for privately funded, good theater to get going.
Hmm, still no answer. Just another buggered strawman and more proof that you cannot fix stupid.
BB: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting would be privatized, while the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities would be eliminated entirely. I’m not so sure that would be a negative.
Trump has suggested he will put an end to the national endowment for the arts. Your ticket to the Piss Jesus exhibit just went through the roof SSOLSEmery…but it will still be totally worth the price, I’m sure.
Did I mention I could saw a Johnny Cash tribute band @ the Ironwood Theater in Ironwood, Michigan last week?
Emery; and Big Bird would be served for Thanksgiving dinner? Yay!
http://bikebubba.blogspot.com/2008/11/happy-thanksgiving.html
Seriously, lots of good to be done by getting government out of the arts and entertainment.
Is it me, or did eTASS just admit to going Jason in Michigan? Not surprised.
In the Olden Times, public art was paid for by wealthy patrons, who may or may not have held a public office. About a century ago, when the Progressive wave began to break upon an unsuspecting humanity, a conscious decision was made by the elites to transition to state-financed art.
This had the effect of making public art a closed circle: artists and scholars of art decide what art should be public art. In the Old Days the wealthy art patrons wanted their ‘investment’ in public art to bring them public renown through the ages. The bureaucrats who finance public art today (with taxpayer dollars) hold the taxpayer in contempt. They are concerned only with the regard of their peers, who are very much like themselves.
FY 2017 Grantees
Operating Support
Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis (Group 1)
$ 1,053,958
Nuts
Hennepin Theatre Trust, Minneapolis (Group 1)
$ 791,418 = Sesame Street Live! & The Naked Magicians
His first signature was to raise interest rates on first time home buyers.
The saddest part of the election was both parties looking backwards with nostalgia, one to 1968, and one to 1984. We need to stop electing baby-boomers, and for that matter, stop listening to them.
Now that we have all availed ourselves of the facts about that ‘interest rate hike”, are you going to retract your “alternative facts” version? No? Did not think so.