You know what you really oughta do? Stop telling other people what they oughta do. “Oughta.” The “O” word. Board members are not consultants. They advise, to be sure, but a good board member does not see him- or herself as a consultant. Consultants are paid to tell the truth to the organization in order for the organization to thrive (although too many are paid to echo … [Read more...] about Nonprofit Arts Board Members: “Oughta” Just Won’t Cut It
Board of Trustees
“Those People” – Does Your Arts Organization Understand Equity? Really?
I’ve never been a big fan of synopses—especially if the synopsis is lengthy and appears in a program for a play in modern English. I, as it happens, understand contemporary English very well as it is the language in which I speak, write, and think. Opera in Italian? Sure, why not. But a play in English for an English-speaking audience? Not a fan. But that doesn’t mean … [Read more...] about “Those People” – Does Your Arts Organization Understand Equity? Really?
Why Support Free Speech if You’re Just Going to Blackball?
I read recently that Molly Smith will be retiring from her position as the 25-year artistic director of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Molly is as liberal as they get in many ways, as am I. Many years ago, at a meeting about producing new plays, I listened to her process of development and asked a simple question. “If you were presented an excellent, unproduced … [Read more...] about Why Support Free Speech if You’re Just Going to Blackball?
Can the Nonprofit Arts Sector Solve Whopper Syndrome?
A couple of thoughts as we close the election season of 2022—thoughts that the nonprofit arts community might be able address if they were so inclined. (Are you so inclined?) If you’re a resident of the United States, after watching the political ads that have assaulted the airwaves during the fall, you might be inclined to believe that an unprecedented trillions of … [Read more...] about Can the Nonprofit Arts Sector Solve Whopper Syndrome?
Nonprofit Arts Organizations: Just Because Something Is Absurd Doesn’t Make It Offensive, Does It?
The La Brea Tar Pits translates to “The The Tar Tar Pits.” The Los Angeles Angels translates to “The The Angels Angels.” Both of these items are well-known jokes to most Angelenos. But are they racially insensitive, somehow? Should someone who says these things out loud be pilloried for allegedly making fun of (and therefore, disrespecting) the Latinx culture…when they’re … [Read more...] about Nonprofit Arts Organizations: Just Because Something Is Absurd Doesn’t Make It Offensive, Does It?