The REAL case for arts in Virginia

Originally posted by Bruce Miller on 2/25/10 on the Barksdale Buzz:

At least 150 Virginia arts supporters lined the halls of the Virginia Capitol today. It felt like more, but that's how many stickers saying "Save the Arts" were distributed.

However many of us there were, we packed the place, and certainly made a strong statement in favor of continuing state funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

Everywhere we went, smart and well-intentioned individuals asked something like, "Why should the state support the arts when we can't do all that we should be doing for disabled children, for education, for health care for the poor?"

If there were a true choice between these very worthy causes and the minimal financial support required to save the Virginia Commission for the Arts, I too would pick disabled kids, education and health care. The arts will never and should never win the argument that we are "more important" than these very worthy efforts. The case for disabled children, education and health care for the poor has already been argued and won in the hearts and minds of virtually everyone I know. Especially artists.

But in the real world, there is no such choice. Pretending that such a choice exists is an ideological exercise, lacking any foundation in real world economics.

The one choice is this: should Virginia continue to fund the Virginia Commission for the Arts, cutting it proportionally with other agencies, services and efforts, or should the Old Dominion become the first state in the nation to turn its back on its own nonprofit arts industry.

That is the choice. And as we debate the pros and cons, the only truly germane question, given current budget realities, is this: will spending $4 million to maintain the Virginia Commission for the Arts result in a net loss for the state budget or a net gain. If we all agree that we want more money to go to the aforementioned worthy causes (and who doesn't), the question is not whether or not the state should fund the arts, the question is whether such funding will be a sound investment resulting in more revenue to devote to all the things the state is honor-bound to fund.

The Virginia economy, like any large economy, is very inter-connected and complex. An economic impact study conducted in 2000 documents that the nonprofit arts generated $1.1 billion per year in Virginia a decade ago. Wise leaders recognize that the arts are like roads, libraries and state parks. They are among the quality of life components that attract businesses to a community, that attract top students and faculty to universities, that bring out-of-state money into local and state cash registers.

Gone are the days when a thriving American city or town (or state) can be "art free" and still expect to attract jobs. The vast majority of major employers don't move into cities until they determine that a thriving arts and cultural community pre-exists.

They require a robust arts community not only because they want their employees to have something fun to do on Friday night, but also because virtually all business studies indicate that the most educated work forces, the most creative work forces, the work forces most adept at the skills that 21st Century companies need to compete come from communities that are rich in the arts.

Don't believe me? Check out Richard Florida's (PhD, Columbia University) several best-selling business texts: The Rise of the Creative Class, Cities and the Creative Class, and The Flight of the Creative Class. Follow that with a perusal of Daniel Pink's immensely popular A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.

As for small businesses ... the Virginia economy is based on small businesses. Every legislator says so, especially those who favor eliminating the Virginia Commission for the Arts. The ironic thing is that arts organizations ARE small businesses, employing over 20,000 professionals in Virginia each year.

Eliminating the Virginia Commission for the Arts (as has been proposed by the House) will not save money, it will cost money. Lots of money. If you truly want to get more money for your favorite worthy cause--and we all agree that education, health care etc are worthy causes--then do NOT destroy the infrastructure that enables and sustains 20,000 jobs and offers a 275% return on investment.

Virginia's arts organizations have already accepted cuts exceeding 30%. We haven't whined. We haven't cried "Wolf!" We understand that we need to tighten our belts and sacrifice just like everyone else.

All we ask now is for the Virginia legislature in its entirety to go with the budget recommendations of Gov Kaine, Gov McDonnell and the Virginia Senate. Only the House budget recommends eliminating the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

All we ask is that the legislature in its entirety think big picture. Save the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and allow our nonprofit industry to continue to provide tens of thousands of real jobs, lure hundreds of thousands or more jobs into Virginia, support education, and increase tourism.

We know the job of balancing the budget is extremely hard. But please, examine the concrete evidence. Think long term and big picture. The voters of Virginia deserve no less.

--Bruce Miller

P.S. For those who are twittering and facebook messaging that the story is over and the VCA is gone, be patient. The battle will not be fought, won or lost until March 5, and we won't know the result until a few days after. March 5 is when conferees from the House and the Senate begin meeting to duke it out, finding a common ground between their two versions of the budget. The Senate budget proposes the same 16% cut offered by Gov Kaine. The House budget (which passed today along party lines) proposes a 50% cut in year one and elimination in year two. Now is the time to work even harder to convince House conferees to consider the wisdom of maintaining the VCA.

Bruce's letter to the editor

Original post by Bruce Miller on 2/22/10 on The Barksdale Buzz:

I'm absolutely heartsick about today's news from the House Appropriations Committee. Here's a letter I've written to the T-D. I have no idea if it will run, so I'm printing it again here. PLEASE call your legislatures tomorrow. Legislator contact information can be found on the web at http://legis.virginia.gov/1_cit_guide/contacting_my.html.

Editor - Times-Dispatch:

The House Appropriations Committee is proposing the elimination of the Virginia Commission for the Arts. I have been the artistic director of Theatre IV, The Children's Theatre of Virginia, for the last 35 years. In an effort to create significant cost efficiencies, the staff of Theatre IV also has managed Barksdale Theatre for the last 8 1/2 years.

As a nonprofit administrator, I have always been trained to speak publicly only of success. With regard to this new proposal, it would be irresponsible for me to pretend optimism when I know first-hand the certain disaster that will follow the passage of such misguided legislation.

Every day, Theatre IV and Barksdale, two of our state's most exemplary nonprofits, deal with the fact that Virginia historically and consistently funds the arts at a level lower than any state in our region. We continue to serve over 600,000 Virginians annually, despite the fact that the legislature eliminated direct funding of arts organizations four years ago, and over the last two years has already reduced indirect funding (through the Virginia Commission for the Arts) by 30%.

In the last 16 months, Theatre IV and Barksdale have eliminated 6 positions and have plans to eliminate 2 more (20% of our lean work force). We have reduced salaries by up to 17%, cancelled company support of retirement plans, and increased the employee's share of health insurance. To adjust to the eliminated positions, many on our staff work an 80-hour work week just to keep our nonprofit companies alive.

The elimination of state funding to the Virginia Commission for the Arts will cost Theatre IV and Barksdale Theatre an additional loss of $190,000 per year. That will mean the elimination of seven more jobs. Despite all our best efforts, we will not be able to operate under these conditions.

What the House Appropriations Committee is proposing is the elimination of the nonprofit arts infrastructure that tens of thousands of hard-working Virginians have taken decades to build. Hundreds of jobs will be lost, and the economic repercussions will not be positive; they will be disastrous.

To avoid causing lasting harm to economic development, education, tourism and quality of life, please ask your legislators to oppose the current proposal of the House Appropriations Committee.

Sincerely,
Bruce Miller
Artistic Director, Theatre IV and Barksdale Theatre
1901 Belleau Drive
Richmond, VA 23235
(804) 513-6775

VCA in Jeopardy

Friends of Theatre IV and the arts,

This legislative alert went out late last night from Virginians for the Arts. The Virginia Commission for the Arts is in jeopardy and action is needed ASAP to prevent a 50% cut of VCA in 2011 and total elminiation in 2012.

Theatre IV has received VCA funding of approximately $100,000 annually. Cuts to and elimination of VCA would be a huge blow to us and to our colleague arts organizations, both large and small.

Read on for further details....


URGENT: CONTACT YOUR HOUSE OF
DELEGATES REPRESENTATIVE
More Info

The House budget plan released by the House Appropriations Committee on Sunday calls for reducing arts grants through the Virginia Commission for the Arts by 50 percent during FY11 and eliminating the Commission altogether at the end of FY12.

An attempt to abolish the Commission in the early 1990s was rejected by the General Assembly and led to the creation of Virginians for the Arts to serve as a permanent advocacy force. This recommendation by the House committee represents a regrettable step backwards to 1990.

It is critical that arts advocates contact House members and ask them to oppose this recommendation on the floor of the House in the budget debate, which will be held on Thursday, February 25.

Faxes and phone calls are recommended before email. Find contact information for your legislator here.

Talking points are available here on the VFTA website.

Alan D. Albert
Legislative Counsel
Virginians for the Arts

Poetry Out Loud

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation joined together to create Poetry Out Loud, a program that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation.

The program is administered by state arts agencies, in cooperation with a nonprofit organization in each state. This year, Theatre IV received a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts to facilitate the Poetry Out Loud competition in Virginia.

Theatre IV Arts-in-Education Manager Jeanie Rule (left), and Tour Assistant Christna Billew (below right), have done the lion's share of working tirelessly to coordinate the program, which involves working with high school teachers, schools and performance venues to set up regional competitions across the Commonwealth, culminating with the state competition at Theatre IV's Empire Theatre in downtown Richmond. The winners of each statewide competition proceed to the finals at the nation's Capitol in Washington D.C. in April.

The inspiration for this competition is to promote the art of poetry in both the classroom and the community. The program provides an entry point for many students to learn to love poetry and find poems that will stay with them for a lifetime.

A commitment to education is one of the pillars of Theatre IV's mission, and we are thrilled to be at the helm of this wonderful program in Virginia. Interestingly, last year's national competition winner, William Farley, was from Virginia.

As Jeanie said, "I'm a firm believer that lightning CAN strike twice!"

Theatre IV to the rescue!

Breaking news today, as the recently purchased Ukrop's Supermarkets alerted Richmond area Girl Scout troops they were no longer allowed to set up cookie booths outside Ukrop's stores. This after many troops had already made arrangements with Ukrop's as far back as November.

Read the Style Weekly article here.

Never fear, Girl Scouts! Theatre IV is offering the Empire Theatre as a cookie-selling venue to any troops snubbed by Ukrop's-now-Martin's. Troops can set up at performances of Jack and the Beanstalk, March 12 - 21. Contact Judi Crenshaw at j.crenshaw@theatreivrichmond.org to schedule a date!

The Song (or Whatever) of Mulan

Original post by Bruce Miller on The Barksdale Buzz, 2/1/10

Every time I think of The Song of Mulan, I remember what happened eight years ago when we first contracted Paul Deiss to create the show for our touring operation. Schools were crying out for a fun way to support the new SOLs on ancient China, and the epic poem about the young girl who went to war to save her nation from the Mongol (Tartar) horde definitely fit the bill.

It had everything--an inspiring story that illuminates authentic history, a classic work of Chinese literature, and the name recognition that could come only from a recent Disney adaptation.

Paul wrote a beautiful script and score, and when the tour first went on the road, the Richmond Times-Dispatch covered the opening. This was back in the days when we could still get some ink for the arts. There was a beautiful color photo and a sizable caption, all surrounding a prominent headline that proudly proclaimed "Theatre IV Opens The Fish of Mulan."

That's what it said, my friends. We never knew why, but somehow someone in the newsroom changed the title of the play from The Song of Mulan (the actual title of the epic poem, sometimes translated as The Ballad of Mulan) to The Fish of Mulan.

It didn't matter. Then as now, all PR was good PR.

That first tour went so well under Susan Sanford's expert direction, that we soon commissioned Paul to expand his musical into two acts for a mainstage production. Susan again served as director/choreographer, and the show again earned raves from audiences, educators, and critics alike.

Mercedes Schaum created the magnificent sets; Jason Bishop designed a brigade of handsome, authentic costumes; and Steve Koehler worked his usual magic with lights. (Lynne Hartman takes on the lighting responsibilities this time out.)

Now that it's time to revive this Theatre IV favorite, how fortunate we are to have been able to reassemble several members of the original team. (In terms of costumes, Jason has moved to New York, but we have been able to retrieve all his original garments.) Susan Sanford long ago moved to Los Angeles to pursue new career opportunities with her husband, Foster Solomon. But thanks to funding from the Louise Moon Fund, we were able to bring her back to town--a blessing for one and all.

The Louise Moon Fund was created in the late 1990s, shortly before Mrs. Moon died. Throughout her life, she had been a great supporter of the arts. She was on the founding committee of the Richmond Symphony, and she had a long history of support for both Theatre IV and Barksdale.

Before our two nonprofit companies began our strategic partnership in 2001, we worked together to establish the Louise Moon Fund in Mrs. Moon's honor. The fund enabled Barksdale and Theatre IV to bring back to Richmond outstanding theatre artists who had moved on to larger markets. Mrs. Moon had fallen in love this idea after we brought her son, John, back from NYC following his earning his masters in directing from Columbia and his subsequent work with Joseph Papp's Public Theatre.

Susan is only the most recent artist to return due in part to the largesse of Mrs. Moon and her friends.

We have a great new cast for Mulan this year. The titular role is played by Yvonne Samé, recently from the cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Her mother and father are played by Hannah Zold and Jason Marks. Mulan's romantic interest is portrayed by Chris Stewart. Lucas Hall, Audra Honaker, Paul Major and Durron Tyre all provide admirable support in a variety of roles.

If you haven't been out to see this wonderful show, please head on down to Theatre IV's historic Empire Theatre. We'd love to have you join us on our return visit to all the wonders of ancient China.

[ADDITION 2/3/10: Thanks to Steve Koehler and Susan Sanford for politely correcting a mistake I made in the original post. Steve designed the wonderful lights for our first Mulan, and Lynne designed the current revival. One of my favorite lighting moments, which I remember vividly from the first production, is the lighting of the yellow river, where both the painted river and the "live" silk river absolutely glow. Thanks to both Steve and Lynne for the two different productions.]

Just for Fun

Three of the cast members from The Song of Mulan (Jason Marks, Christopher Stewart and Hannah Zold) chose to creatively express their frustrations of having been able to present only one public performance during the run of the show (they also had one show just for elementary students). After all the cancellations, only FIVE performances remain -- one Friday night, three on Saturday, and one Sunday performance. Check out the video, and check out Mulan before it becomes the stuff of legend! ---oh, wait....

Click to view The Snow of Mulan

NOTE: You have to sign in to Facebook to view the video.

Added performance of The Song of Mulan

FINAL WEEKEND!

The Song of Mulan Closes February 14, 2010.

We have added a performance on Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. Great seats are available! Call the box office at (804) 344-8040 for reservations.

Also, if you had tickets to a performance that was canceled due to weather, we can reschedule you for another date. Call the box office at (804) 344-8040.

"Colorful and upbeat"

"Excellent singing"

"Gently funny"

- Richmond Times-Dispatch

Help Theatre IV dig out!

Some are joking that the alternative title of The Song of Mulan should be The Show that Never Was.

With all the cancellations, it's almost true -- we've had two (count 'em, 2!) performances of Mulan since the show's opening on January 29. The most recent storm wiped out all performances over the weekend. That's four cancellations. Add those to the last batch of cancellations from the other storm, and that's a lot of lost revenue. With more snow in the forecast, the outlook for Mulan isn't so sunny.

Our other performing arts colleagues are in the same boat. While the snow is pretty and the kids are loving days off from school, lost revenue due to weather -- particularly in light of existing difficulties during the current economy -- is a challenge that none of us bargained for.

The good news is, you can help! There are two ways you can support Theatre IV as we attempt to dig out from under this financial snow drift:

1. Purchase a "virtual ticket" -- in other words, make a donation to Theatre IV in the amount of the ticket price for a show you may have attended, but was canceled due to snow. For example, the price of a ticket to Mulan is $22, so you would make a $22 donation to cover the lost revenue for that canceled ticket. Your donation is tax-deductible and you can still exchange your ticket for another performance.

2. Donate your ticket back to Theatre IV in lieu of rescheduling. This counts as a tax-deductible donation too, since you received no goods or services in exchange. For example, if you purchased a ticket to a canceled performance of Mulan, you would let the box office know that instead of exchanging your ticket for another performance, you want to donate that canceled ticket to the theatre and then (we hope!) purchase a ticket for a future performance.

To make an online donation at any time to Theatre IV, you can do so securely through Network for Good. Just go to our webiste, www.theatreivrichmond.org, and click "Donate" at the top of the page to be redirected to Network for Good.

If you would rather mail a donation, you can send it to Theatre IV, Attn: Development Office, 114 W. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23220.

Or, you can call us at (804) 783-1688 to make a donation over the phone with a credit card.

We also welcome stock donations and in-kind donations of furniture, clothing/costumes, props, etc.

With your help, we'll weather this storm just as we have weathered all the others for the past 35 years. Most of all, THANK YOU, dear friends, for your steadfast support of Theatre IV! Fingers crossed, we'll see you at the theatre!

On the Road Again: Theatre IV

In case you haven't yet seen it, Theatre IV is featured in the February issue of Virginia Living! The article describes Theatre IV's touring operation in detail. Check it out! http://www.virginialiving.com/articles/on-the-road-again












Gena Hart helping Matt Doss transform into Ben Franklin for the Theatre IV tour production of Ben Franklin and his Kite.

** Weather Update **

This white stuff is making us see red!

Tonight's (Friday, Feb. 5) and both of tomorrow's (Saturday, Feb. 6) performances of The Song of Mulan have been CANCELED due to the snow. We are calling all patrons now to reschedule for future dates. If possible, we will schedule a make-up performance for 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 14. We'll keep you posted.

Stay safe out there, and if ya can't enjoy the show, enjoy the snow!

Back in Action!

Greetings Theatre Lovers!

After a nine month hiatus, the Theatre IV blog is back in action. No, none of us had a baby during that time, although we did produce a lot of wonderful programming!

A quick recap:

May: Our magnificent production of Annie closes. Again, hats off to all the stars involved, both on stage and off! (See photo at left: Alia Bisharat, Shalandis Wheeler Smith, Christopher Stewart, Sarah Day, Gordon Bass, Robin Harris-Jones)

June: Barksdale Theatre’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie opens with gusto on the Empire Theatre stage.

July: The Broadway Today Cabaret: Benefit for the Theatre Artists Fund starring many Theatre IV and Barksdale actors is a huge success, selling out and raising funds for that important cause.

August: Millie closes and the Tour and Production Departments start gearing up for fall arts-in-education tours.

September: Theatre IV withstands another Tourmite invasion! Tour actors converge from far and wide to rehearse for our Virginia school tour and national tour productions.

October: The first show of our 2009-10 Broadway for Families season opens with The Ugly Duckling on the Empire Theatre stage. (See photo at right, Eric Pastore and Aly Wepplo) Fall tours are out the door.

November: Over 300 youngsters and their families swarm Short Pump Town Center for The Sound of Music auditions, with 200 more landing on a waiting list. The day goes off without a hitch, thanks to careful planning by the Marketing and Production Departments.

December: A Christmas Carol opens on the Empire stage. Snow Bear and members of the Carol cast perform for kids at the Children's Hospital's annual holiday party.

January: Theatre IV sends costumed cast members from The Song of Mulan and Buffalo Soldier to escort senators to their chambers at the State Capitol on Arts Advocacy Day. Mulan opens to great reviews.

And here we are at February, Black History Month. Theatre IV is the premier presenter of educational plays and musicals based on prominent African-American figures in our nation’s history, including Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Buffalo Soldier, the first play ever to be presented inside the walls of the Pentagon.

Buffalo Soldier will be on stage at the Empire Theatre February 23-28. The book, music and lyrics for the production, created in association with the Virginia Historical Society, were written by our very own Bruce Craig Miller, co-founder and Artistic Director of Theatre IV.

And for all those sweethearts with kiddies, how about a family outing to the theatre this Valentine's Day? Call 344-8040 for tickets to The Song of Mulan, running now through February 14! (See photo at left: Hannah Zold and Yvonne Same)

SEE YOU AT THE THEATRE!