9.5 Theses for the Reformation of American Theater
These 9.5 theses on the reformation of American theater were taped to the door of the Public Theater this evening. Right after Sticky.
9.5 Theses for the Reformation of American Theater
In response to the decreasing influence of theater in our country, the following measures are designed to encourage greater growth in popular, commercial theater by ensuring that non profit theaters truly fulfil their role as charities, not competitors to producers engaged in the free market. The excesses of these charities require a reformation of theater in America, the following theses represent a start in that direction.
1. No theater company accepting direct federal funds should present any show which average tax payers cannot reasonably and regularly afford to attend.
2. No theater company accepting individual donations which decrease the federal government's revenues should present any show which average tax payers cannot reasonably and regularly afford to attend.
3. No employee of a theater company accepting federal funds or donations should be compensated at a higher rate than a commensurate civil servant.
4. All theater companies accepting federal funds or donations which own a venue should make that venue available for rental at below market rates.
5. No theater company accepting federal funds or donations should host any event not open to the general public.
6. All theater companies accepting federal funds or donations should make free or deeply discounted performances available to the school children of the municipalities they reside in.
7. No theater company accepting federal funds or donations should employ any person in any capacity on a volunteer or unpaid internship basis.
8. All theater companies accepting federal funds or donations should produce a yearly statement outlining the tangible benefits they have provided to the general public.
9. No theater company accepting federal funds or donations should accept any funds to be used for a show with a planned or anticipated commercial run.
9.5 All theater companies accepting federal funds or donations should be taking steps to earn the income they need to maintain their operations and decrease their reliance on charitable giving.
David Marcus
www.spotlightright.blogspot.com
posted by Dave Marcus @ 9:10 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
A few premises that we may not agree on:
Non-profit theater is charity?
All theaters should eventually support themselves without government funds?
Re #5: Does this mean non-profit theaters can't hold $1,000 a plate fundraising dinners? Or whatever they do?
All 501(c)(3) corporations are defined as charities by the tax code. The government encourages people and companies to give to charities by offering them tax deductions as an incentive. The incentive to give to the Public Theater is exactly the same as the incentive to give to the Red Cross, except instead of saving lives, the donations to the former go to creating theater performances that cost $160 a ticket. I think its a good goal for NFPs to try to decrease their reliance on giving, I can imagine a situation in which tax incentives are used to get a theater on its feet, but if it never gets on its own feet, it will always be more focused on donations than art. And yes, those dinners are exactly what I mean, if you want to charge $1,000 to have dinner with Tim Robbins or whoever, thats fine, just don't do it on the tax payers dime. Thanks for the comment.
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