Sunday, February 27, 2000
Go ahead, you can spend $45 million
BY JACKIE DEMALINE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
I've been spending the last week playing Overrun with arts folks around town.
The game is based on that little disaster on the riverfront announced earlier this month, when all we Hamilton County taxpayers discovered that the new football stadium is going to exceed its “guaranteed maximum price” by as much as $45 million.
We figured if they could spend $45 million they didn't have, so could we.
I was expecting all kinds of gamesmanship and strategizing, but no. It turns out everybody who joined in Overrun shouted the same three goals: three community arts centers placed strategically around the county in renovated existing buildings, arts education and endowments.
What follows is a list of ideas with ballpark price tags. Mix and match. Add your own. And please join in. Calls and faxes are always welcome.
• Three community arts centers, preferably near Tri-County, Blue Ash and downtown Cincinnati. The two suburban centers would be $5 million each including renovation, staffing and operating endowments. (Everyone pointed to the Fitton Center of Creative Arts in Hamilton as a perfect model.)
It's my column so I'd pick the Emery Theatre as the third site. I would give $7.5 million toward the project, already priced at $17.5 million. ($2.5 mil already has been committed, with a potential $3.5 million in historic building tax exemptions and lobbying going on with the city and state to make up the rest.)
• The playwrights in the group lobbied for a playwrights' lab at one of the centers. They see public readings and workshops, with a first-rate director brought to town to operate it.
A $5 million endowment, they estimate, would keep it in operation year-round. There were several suggestions for making it a revenue-generator. Jon Jory, who has been mastermind of Actors Theatre of Louisville for 30 years and the Humana Festival for 24 years, is heading for Seattle. That creates a potential vacuum and regional opportunity, suggests Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative founder Norma Jenckes.
Why not a Sundance of independent theater somewhere down the line?
• A freebie day a couple of times a year where the doors of local visual and performing arts companies are flung open to county residents. Figure $3 million endowment to make it ongoing.
• A commissioning endowment. Commissioning is giving the Wexner Center at Ohio State University a national reputation. A nice round $5 million, estimates Playhouse producing artistic director Ed Stern, would underwrite an artist (composer, choreographer, playwright, artist/director) and production annually.
• An international children's festival. Cathy Springfield of Xavier University figures Cincinnati could plug into the May-June touring international performance circuit every year for a $3 million endowment.
• New initiatives, says Cincinnati Symphony's head honcho, Steve Monder — who also says “endowment, endowment, endowment.” And, along with everyone else, he worried longest about how best to serve arts education before coming up with easier alternatives.
“It could be anything, as long as it's thinking outside the box,” says Mr. Monder. Spending the annual 6 percent interest of a $10 million endowment would give local arts $600,000 annually for experimenting.
“You have to take artistic risks sometimes, that's how you reach your artistic potential. Consideration for success has to be other than revenue-generated. And you can't judge success based on one year. You have to give it three to five.”
That brings us financially even with the Bengals stadium, only we've created a dazzling national arts presence for Cincinnati.
I think we've earned an overrun.
Inspired? Share your dreams here.
COWARD READING: UP the Coward by Roger Carlton Miller is getting a reading this weekend by Hudson River Classics in upstate New York. His whimsical Noel Coward remembrance was a finalist in the theater's play-writing contest, dedicated to Sir Noel's 100th birthday (Dec. 16, 1999).
Mr. Miller, a member of the Drama Workshop, also has a musical sequel, A Cowardly Touch, that features several Cowardesque tunes he's written. Mr. Miller is patiently awaiting approval from the Coward estate. If it comes, he'll try to find a local producer.
In the meantime, excerpts from Touch will be performed by Mr. Miller and a five-member troupe for Westwood Women's Club on March 14. Joining him on stage will be Mary Alexander, Allison Davidson, Chris Noel, Becky Rogers and Shelby Louden. Music director is Elise Eslinger.
TAP LEGENDS: We haven't had the pleasure of seeing him locally, but tap master Savion (Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk) Glover has scheduled a return trip to Columbus in Savion! In Concert April 4 and 5. Tap legends Jimmy Slyde and Buster Brown will time-step along at the Palace Theatre.
And for everybody who just can't get enough of Julie (The Lion King) Taymor, Columbus has already booked American Repertory Theatre's touring revival of The King Stag (originally from 1984) at the Riffe Center in October.
The King Stag, a magical tale of courtly romance and intrigue, directed by the acclaimed Andrei Serban, has masks, puppets, costumes and choreography by Ms. Taymor. (It's part of the Wexner Center's retrospective exhibition of her work, continuing through March 19.)
Both events are co-sponsored by Columbus Association for the Performing Arts and Wexner Center. Tickets are on sale now. Call (614) 469-0930 (CAPA) or (614) 292-3535 (Wexner) for reservations and information.
FINE ARTS FUND UPDATE: Arts in neighborhoods gets a boost with $42,210 in project support grants going to a dozen companies from Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts' Arts Services Office.
Watch for the Coffee Cup concert series at the Berhinger-Crawford Museum; a chamber music series from Blue Ash Symphony Orchestra; Over-the-Rhine Festival summer workshops from the Contact Center; the Millennium Mosaic Project at Covington Community Center;
Purchase of musical instruments by Friends of the School for Creative and Performing Arts; a Mozart Festival by Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony and Chorale; the Game Show Goolosh program by Happen Inc.; three one-act plays by local playwrights produced by Launch Productions;
Next Generation Dance Company will perform The Snow Queen; The youth of Lower Price Hill will participate in a video/theater project sponsored by Urban Appalachian Council; Welcome House plans the Gardens at Greenup community art project; and Women Writing for a Change will sponsor the summer program, Young Women Writing for a Change.
As of Feb. 24, the Fund has reached $3,010,574. That's 33.9 percent of this year's $8,886,458 goal. The fund drive ends April 27.
The fund primarily supports Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony, Contemporary Arts Center, May Festival, Playhouse in the Park, and Taft Museum of Art.
Last year, about $600,000 was divided among nine midsized associate members and dozens of small arts organizations. Anyone interested in contributing to the fund can call 871-2787 for more information.
Jackie Demaline is the Enquirer's theater critic and roving arts reporter. Write her at Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati OH 45202; fax, 768-8330.
Cincinnati turns out for McCain
McCain blasts foes' 'underhanded stunts'
DeWine has a ball in McCain campaign
McCain is a 'Zonie thing
Cop killer wants freedom
Ex-sheriff's deputy accused in slaying
February going out like a lamb
Infant mortality jumps after four-year decline
Home visits fight to improve infants' chances
Family proud to be off welfare
Queen City's moments to shine reflected in book
Students retrace slaves' steps to freedom
No sparks fly over hot swimsuit issue
GOP flexes muscle, KOs gas-tax hike
Poems soothe teen souls
Cammys honors career of Big Joe Duskin
CCM's 'LaMancha' powerhouse of talent
GET TO IT
Go ahead, you can spend $45 million
Maestro Santora reviews CCO
Museum Center exhibits prizes
Orchestra blooms under Carlos Kalmar's baton
Readers like movie captioning
Young Ringling ringmaster in 'right place, right time”
Peck saw talent in 'Malcolm'
'Beach Boys' actors look authentic thanks to Bridgetown native
115 take icy dip for disabled
Bateman hopes for return next month
Bush toast of GOP at gathering
Fireman may admit DUI
Heartland battles 'brain drain'
Housing project 'connects'
Leaks plague shelter
Mason relishes business boom
Mayors' monthly sessions pay off
Pool's chlorine level sends kids to hospital
Residents get their say on planned runway
Syrup producers rare in area
Traficant's bills would aid friend, paper says
TRISTATE DIGEST
