The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 20.0079  Wednesday, 25 February 2009

[1]  From:   John W Kennedy <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
      Date:   Friday, 20 Feb 2009 22:35:03 -0500
      Subj:   SHK 20.0073 A Petition to Appoint a Secretary of the Arts

[2]  From:   Cheryl Newton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
      Date:   Friday, 20 Feb 2009 23:00:56 -0500
      Subj:   SHK 20.0073 A Petition to Appoint a Secretary of the Arts


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:      John W Kennedy <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:      Friday, 20 Feb 2009 22:35:03 -0500
Subject: 20.0073 A Petition to Appoint a Secretary of the Arts
Comment:   Re: SHK 20.0073 A Petition to Appoint a Secretary of the Arts

Ina Centaur <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

 >I heartily agree that the arts/humanities are especially underserved
 >in the US. However, whom would you suggest as a candidate for this
 >position - and what would they do (what could they do, given the
 >constraints of the recession) - and could anything in this
 >department help the inter/national financial crisis?

Wasn't this, in fact, the plot of an early Shirley Temple movie?

Apart from running the National Endowment (which is already an 
independent agency), exactly what would a Department of the Arts do? And 
if the answer is, "Nothing," would the promotion of the Chairman to the 
Cabinet really accomplish anything? Or would a campaign to have the 
NEA's budget raised by Congress actually be more profitable?

[2]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:      Cheryl Newton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:      Friday, 20 Feb 2009 23:00:56 -0500
Subject: 20.0073 A Petition to Appoint a Secretary of the Arts
Comment:   Re: SHK 20.0073 A Petition to Appoint a Secretary of the Arts

Ina Centaur writes,

 >I heartily agree that the arts/humanities are especially underserved
 >in the US. However, whom would you suggest as a candidate for this
 >position - and what would they do (what could they do, given the
 >constraints of the recession) -- and could anything in this department
 >help the inter/national financial crisis?

Public funding for Chautauqua type events: community theater, county 
orchestras, public lectures. Money could go into the infrastructure of 
building or renovating sites, paying directors, conductors, 
choreographers or visiting lecturers, budgeting for costumes & sets. 
Local actors, musicians, dancers etc could volunteer their time as they 
do now in community theater. By the feds subsidizing some costs, ticket 
prices could be lower for adults, and appropriate programs for children 
could offer kids free admission. This is something that would be 
inexpensive by government standards while giving a small boost to local 
economy, encouraging community service, and promoting educational 
opportunities.

On a larger scale, undertake something similar to the BBC's production 
of all of Shakespeare's plays. Choose 2 or 3 dz "best of" American plays 
using professional actors (maybe at union scale as their contribution to 
the project) and create a touring company, again at modest ticket 
prices, & in addition create a film version for sale. It would be 
interesting to briefly discuss candidates for the "best of" list, if 
Hardy doesn't mind us straying off course temporarily. (hmm - Maybe a US 
50 list.).

~Cheryl Newton

[Editor's Note: I believe a discussion of the 50 best American plays 
would be an appropriate thread for the list if members express interest 
in the topic.

PS: Since I am striving to be more active as moderator, I want it known 
that I am ignoring without comment submissions I deem offensive. I am 
under no obligation to "publish" every post submitted to me. And I will 
not let arguments that I am not being fair or balanced sway me to 
distribute incendiary, reactionary, or racist remarks from anyone trying 
to use SHAKSPER as a battlefield in the culture wars. -Hardy]

_______________________________________________________________
S H A K S P E R: The Global Shakespeare Discussion List
Hardy M. Cook, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The S H A K S P E R Web Site <http://www.shaksper.net>

DISCLAIMER: Although SHAKSPER is a moderated discussion list, the 
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