tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post3454734748004044595..comments2024-01-07T06:59:04.212-05:00Comments on The Playgoer: Playwright Funding We Can Believe In?Playgoerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994724588504353485noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post-35607696256454243622008-10-23T02:06:00.000-04:002008-10-23T02:06:00.000-04:00The article you link to says the Mellon foundation...The article you link to says the Mellon foundation is giving a lot of money to some well-known development organizations.<BR/><BR/>Then a bunch of NY theatres that almost never produce new plays by unknowns. <BR/><BR/>And then, a smattering of theatres in the sticks.<BR/><BR/>Money is money, but who really knows what this will do for anyone. Certainly helps some production groups, but after that....<BR/><BR/>I have to say, the Eustis idea of master playwrights who double as teachers is, well... wouldn't it be better to let them write? Teaching is a whole different ball of wax. And not all playwrights are good at it.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, if you're gonna support playwrights, give the money to playwrights. Directly.<BR/><BR/>And ask organizations like New Dramatists, Clubbed Thumb, SPF, 13P and the playwriting faculties at NYU, Columbia, Yale, UCSD and Brown to help you figure out who those deserving playwrights might be. (I'd suggest the Public, too, but there, apparently, Sondheim and Kushner would probably be given big chunks of dough... because they never get produced.)<BR/><BR/>Of course, if you've been studying the problem for years as the Mellon representative says, well, then you know who needs the money.<BR/><BR/>And if you want productions, then buy a theatre and produce. The Mellon has enough $$$ to do it.<BR/><BR/>Hopefully we do see more productions. But it would be surprising if we did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post-4362633818801898852008-10-22T13:29:00.000-04:002008-10-22T13:29:00.000-04:00I agree with anon above, I have concerns about thi...I agree with anon above, I have concerns about this one. I'm not sure how you address "development hell" by giving $$$ to groups that only develop plays; and what extra $$ will they really have to co-produce(?) full productions with other companies (not to mention they have no experience with full productions or co-producing)? And with the full production companies that are getting money (Signiture, really?), are they really going to be bringing many mid-career (not even emerging ones) playwrights up a notch? How is this not the same old money going to the same old playwrights with just a different packaging?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post-61862609253190751372008-10-21T22:08:00.000-04:002008-10-21T22:08:00.000-04:00Yeah, it's a new program, but it's replacing an ol...Yeah, it's a new program, but it's replacing an old one. Instead of funding tons of theaters, Mellon is suddenly funding only a handful. I'm not sure it's really the best thing for playwrights, to be honest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com