Presented by The
National Arts Journalism Program
and Columbia University's School of the Arts
Columbia
University Graduate School of Journalism
October 29–30, 2001
Summary
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the publication
Conference
Summary
Theater is the most important
arena of live performance in our electronically mediated culture,
yet in New York--a city in the midst of major political, cultural
and economic change--it is enmeshed in a web of practical challenges.
The survival and vitality of the art form depends on the answer
to several questions: How will audiences be replenished, expanded
and diversified? Will appropriate venues be found in a notoriously
expensive and unforgiving real estate market? What sort of public
subsidies or incentives could promote artistic diversity and counteract
rising operating costs? Can theater draw new reserves of energy
from the fact that a new arts and entertainment industry is taking
shape in New York, one that merges commercial and nonprofit modes
of operation, reflects the convergence of once-distinct performing
arts and media forms and formats, and that connects established
stage traditions with new technologies? What is the outlook for
a vigorous, intelligent, multifaceted critical debate in the press?
In the wake of the tragic events of
September 11, previously unimagined concerns have only compounded
the ongoing issues facing the theater world. Artistic innovation
alone cannot answer such challenges. "Wonderful Town: The Future
of Theater in New York," a conference at Columbia University's
Graduate School of Journalism, will explore the issues with a focus
on attainable goals and obstacles to be overcome. Organized by the
National Arts Journalism Program in collaboration with Columbia's
School of the Arts, with support from the Office of the Vice-Provost
and the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, the meeting will
bring together theater managers, producers, city administrators,
policy scholars, journalists and arts funders to examine how the
theater community so integral to this city can thrive in its future
environment.
Participants will learn about fresh
research, hear from noted experts, and participate in breakout discussions
aimed at generating policy recommendations that posit steps toward
a healthy future. The NAJP is preparing a comprehensive report in
conjunction with the conference, drawing from an overview of existing
research data, interviews with dozens of leaders in the New York
theater community, and insights gained during the day-and-a-half-long
event.
Conference
Program
Monday, October 29
3:00 p.m. Registration
4:00 p.m. Introduction and Welcome
Michael Janeway,
National Arts Journalism Program and Evangeline
Morphos, Columbia University School of the Arts
transcript
4:15 p.m. Remarks
Schuyler Chapin, New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs
4:30 p.m.
Updates and Initiatives
Jed
Bernstein, President, League of American Theatres and Producers
John
F. Breglio, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Virginia P. Louloudes,
Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York
5:00-6:15 p.m.
Reports from the Research Frontlines
A number of released reports attempt to remedy the dearth of
systematic research about the social and economic underpinnings
of the theater. An overview of the findings provides a picture of
national and local trends.
transcript
Moderator:
Andras Szanto,
National Arts Journalism Program
Participants:
Randall Bourscheidt,
President, Alliance for the Arts
Karen Hauser, Director of Research, The League of
American Theaters & Producers
Kevin
McCarthy, RAND Corporation, The Performing Arts in a
New Era: The RAND Report, commissioned by Pew Charitable Trusts
Christopher Hawthorne,
preliminary findings from Wonderful Town: the Future of Theater
in New York, a report of the NAJP
George A. Wachtel,
President, Audience Research & Analysis
6:30 p.m. Reception
Tuesday, October 30
8:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Coffee and registration
9:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m. New York's Public Policies: Scenarios for
the Future
The health of New York theaters depends in part on the particular
institutional and regulatory environment created by city government,
and on the outlook for future public support. Examining issues of
labor, financing and taxation, "cultural tourism," transportation
and education, this discussion explores potential policy approaches
that could maximize benefits to artists, managers, audiences, and
the city as a whole.
transcript
Moderator:
Robert Marx,
The Samuels Foundation
Confirmed Panelists:
Jed Bernstein,
President, League of American Theatres and Producers
Alan Eisenberg, Executive Director, Actors' Equity Association
Marian A. Godfrey,
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Kathleen Hughes,
Deputy Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, programming
Virginia Louloudes,
Executive Director, Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New
York)
Fran Reiter,
Executive Director, New York Shakespeare Festival
Bruce Weber,
The New York Times
10:15a.m.-10:30 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Room to Breathe: Real Estate, Neighborhoods,
and Urban Renewal
The history of theater in New York has always been tied to the
struggle for space. Access to real estate, in turn, is subject to
the vagaries of supply and demand, rental cost, and on New York's
elaborate system of zoning. Recent revitalization plans in Manhattan,
Brooklyn and elsewhere have put theater at the center of ambitious
urban planning initiatives. A panel of experts examines the implications
of these policies and initiatives from a real-estate and an artistic-programming
standpoint.
transcript
Moderator:
Laurie Beckelman
Confirmed Panelists:
Charles Bagli,
The New York Times
Susan Chin,
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
Suri Duitch,
Center for an Urban Future
Julia C. Levy,
Executive Director, External Affairs, Roundabout Theatre Company
Harvey Lichtenstein,
BAM Local Development Corporation
Paul G. Wolf,
Principal, Denham Wolfe Real Estate Services Inc.
11:45 a.m.-12 noon Break
12 noon -1:15 p.m. Brave New World: Imagining Theater in New
York in a New Arts and Entertainment Environment
Old distinctions between commercial and nonprofit theater are
breaking down. So are the organizational and creative boundaries
separating live theatrical performance from film, television and
other electronic media. Can theater draw new reserves of energy
from the fact that a new arts and entertainment industry is taking
shape in New York, one that merges commercial and nonprofit modes
of operation? How do these changes reflect the convergence of once-distinct
arts and media forms? How do they connect established stage traditions
with new technologies?
transcript
Moderator:
Evangeline Morphos
Confirmed panelists:
John F. Breglio,
Lawyer, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison
Barbara Hauptman,
Executive Director, Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers
Margo Jefferson,
The New York Times
Frank Pugliese,
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Film Division, Columbia University
School of the Arts
Theresa Rebeck,
playwright
Fisher Stevens,
Partner/Creative Director, GreeneStreet Films
Leslie Urdang, New York Stage
and Film; Universal Studios
Jack
Viertel
1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m. Lunch
2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. An Open Forum on the Challenges Facing the
Theater in New York – transcript
Moderator:
Kinshasha Holman-Conwill,
Management Consultant
4:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m. Break
4:15 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Hypothetically Speaking: News Media Coverage
in the 21st Century
As much as theater in New York relies on the media for reviews,
for the airing of aesthetic debate, and to cover its news, the connection
between New York's theater community and the press is uneasy at
best. Need it always be so? A Socratic panel of theater producers,
editors, critics, artists and practitioners from related fields
will explore scenarios for media coverage of the performing arts
in the 21st century.
transcript
Moderator:
John D. Callaway
Confirmed panelists:
Chris Boneau,
Boneau/Bryan-Brown, PR
John Darnton,
New York Times culture editor
Frank Deford,
author and sports commentator
Jeff Folmsbee,
Producer, "Egg," PBS
Barry Grove, Executive Producer, Manhattan Theater Club
Elizabeth I.
McCann, Producer
Michael Riedel,
New York Post, Theatre Talk
Gerald Schoenfeld, Chairman of the Board, The Shubert Organization
Robert Viagas,
Editor, broadwayonline.com
Linda Winer,
Newsday
6:00 p.m. Closing remarks, agenda for further research and action
6:15 p.m. Adjourn
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