Very well put. -al --- "Sharon G. Boone" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> --- In [email protected], "sandy" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > I know who he was. One of the Wilson brothers from > the Beach Boys! > > <];~) > > > > Wrong, again! This is August Wilson, one of the > greatest playwrights, > author, Tony Award Winner and American of our time. > > http://www.dartmouth.edu/~awilson/bio.html > > A very distinguished man, who wrote about the "real" > America in all > its' grittiness! A little respect wouldn't hurt. > > > --- In [email protected], Lighty > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > On 10/3/05 4:27 PM, "bluebishop82" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > Gary please don't mistake my question for an > assertion. I've > > taken > > > > no position here. I'm just trying to > understand what you are > > > > saying. I still need an answer. Why does a > place like Great > > > > Adventure thrive financially with no > government subsidy, yet > > > > theaters and art districts, which you maintain > are "big draws" > > need > > > > subsidy? > > > > > > I guess you have to look at the bigger picture. > Why do trashy > > television > > > shows get better ratings than shows that try to > make a > statement? > > Why do > > > trashy novels sell more than pure literature? > > > > > > One could say that in a free market society that > this is a good > > thing; > > > however, why is it that schools will include > great literature in > > their > > > classrooms but ignore the trashy novels that > outsell those books > 6- > > 1? Could > > > it be because it's part of a greater good? I > think so. I think > > that's why > > > the government tries to help businesses get off > of the ground. > > > > > > Let's face it, Six Flags is part of a gigantic > corporation that > > can afford > > > to run tons of ads down the throats of the > masses while a normal > > theatre > > > cannot ever expect to do so. While there is a > lot of costs to > > running an > > > amusement park or a Fortune 500 company, there > are plenty of > costs > > involved > > > in running a theatre (as you, more than most, > are aware of). In > > addition to > > > rent, there are hefty utility costs, salaries to > stagehands, > > directors, > > > actors, lighting crews, stage designers, > marketers, etc. > > Unfortunately, you > > > would be very, very hard-pressed to survive at > $20-$50 ticket > > prices. And > > > that's the rub. > > > > > > Theatre exists to show the good and bad of > society. It is our > > truth teller. > > > It's our pathway from the past to the present > and where we are > > headed. > > > Theatre tries to do this at a price that people > can afford. > > Sometimes it > > > may seem expensive, but when compared to what a > normal business > > would have > > > to charge to make a profit (or just survive) it > is a bargain. > But > > that > > > bargain comes with a price. It means tons of > fundraising, > begging > > everyone > > > from single subscribers to giant corporations to > the government. > > > > > > And the government plays the smallest role of > any of them. It > > plays a > > > necessary role, but a small one. Theatres have > been forced to > find > > > alternative sources for 96-98% of their > operating budget. > > > > > > What does it cost per person to subsidize PBS? > It's a > > meaninglessly small > > > number. I don't care if you never watch PBS, if > you're gonna > > complain about > > > what the government subsidizes towards arts & > culture than you > > better go > > > through the budget and pick out the thousands of > other things > that > > have no > > > bearing on your life and complain about those as > well. > > > > > > Subsidization may sound awful, but it happens in > almost every > > industry. Why > > > do people feel bad about the poor farmer who's > got a decision > > about selling > > > the family farm for a couple of million dollars > to a developer > who > > wants to > > > put up a shopping mall but they hate the fact > that artists are > > being helped? > > > > > > Maybe the problem is that America shoots for the > lowest common > > denominator. > > > We despise our European roots because they still > believe in > things > > like art > > > & culture as defining a society. We fail to > understand how there > > could be > > > Muslims who are so offended by what we call art > these days that > > they want > > > our society to be wiped out. To MOST OF THE > WORLD, arts & > culture > > is how > > > they want to be remembered. I guess Americans > would rather be > > remembered > > > for how well their stock did today. We don't > think of legacies > or > > legends; > > > heroes or people who changed the world. We > think of immediate > > > gratification. > > > > > > August Wilson passed away yesterday. In some > places around the > > world, I > > > expect there is a significant loss being felt. > It's a shame that > > 99% of the > > > people in America have no idea who Wilson was. > And that's why > the > > arts > > > should be subsidized in my opinion. Because men > like August > > Wilson have > > > done so much for society that people SHOULD know > about them > > instead of > > > having them linger in obscurity... While we > linger in ignorance. > > > > > === message truncated === __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/Y2tolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
