Saturday, August 02, 2014

Joe Papp: We Have Public Libraries...Why Not Public Theatres?

EvenAQuarterWouldBeToo
MuchVille


Our fine premier's rather bizarre statement about how World War I was a fight for 'freedom' got me to thinking about how much more free we could all be if we stopped spending money on blowing each other up and instead used it for things that really matter.

Sound utopian and downright loony?

Sure it does.

But no more utopian and loony than putting on free Shakespeare, in parks, in New York city for fifty-two years years straight.

Which is what Joe Papp set in motion for the following reason:

...“I believe that great art is for everyone — not just the rich or the middle class,” said Papp, who grew up in a poor neighborhood of Brooklyn. “When I go into East Harlem or Bedford-Stuyvesant and see the kids who come to see our shows, I see nothing so clearly as myself.”...






Loony, with or without tunes, indeed.


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2 comments:

Unknown said...

I think the new acronym for the Office of the Premier should be OOP(S). Distilling complex issues into vote grasping drivel seems to be Christy (Does this tour bus stop anywhere near the Sorbonne?) Clark's trade mark. Children, this is what can happen when you forego non-fiction at a very early age. 100 trillion dollar Apache sparkle ponies anyone?

RossK said...

MM--

Distillation, sans non-fictional elements, indeed.

And please excuse the not quite really double negative, above, even if it is in our two official languages (kinda/sorta).

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