Be careful what you say

I remember listening to Obama's Treasury Secretary give an interview.

You could hear the caution in his voice.  He didn't want to talk about any specific bank or financial institution.  He didn't want to elaborate too much on a policy implication.

I'm sure some of that was typical politics.

I'm also sure some of that was his understanding that the words he used to describe a situation mattered a great deal.

If he implied that a particular bank could fail, then the market would act and said bank would fail.

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That's what I think about when I hear about panels called:  Is the Curtain Closing on Live Theatre in America.

Or when I hear the constant talk about the arts "dying".

I always worry that such talk does two things:

1.  It ignores the people that are coming.  Millions of people attend theatre, dance, museums every year.  MILLIONS.  As an industry it feels like we barely acknowledge those people who come because we are obsessed with those who don't.

2.  It encourages possible new audience to stay far, far, away.  I mean if theatre is dying, why should someone check out that new ensemble down the street?  They are going to be gone next week right?

And if classical music is dead, why give the local orchestra any money?

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My point is, generally, people don't like lost causes.

And if we make the arts seem like a lost cause then we could have the unintentional, but very real impact, of speeding up our own demise.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be honest about the challenges our field faces . . . but damn, if you believe most of what you heard/read you would think every dancer performs to empty seats, every theatre is doing dreck for tired, uninspired audiences . . . and that we are doomed, DOOMED, to irrelevance.

And for some of us, those descriptions hold true.

But for some of us . . . it doesn't.

So let's us all try to balance the legit concerns we have with a bit of hope and a  bit of optimism.

People need that from us.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Sterling Lynch]

Well put.

The best way to get the best performance out of a performer, an employee, or a student is to identify what s/he is doing well and to help them see what is possible.

We as a community will do much better for ourselves by identifying what is working and reminding ourselves that anything is possible.