This week we begin with a magic trick. You might remember that Noises off recently mentioned that funding problems threatened the Magic theatre of San Francisco. They needed to raise $350,000 (£234,900) in just nine days in order to continue with their upcoming season. Well, as the Playgoer happily reports, they have managed to grant themselves a stay of execution by raising significantly more than their target. An anonymous donor, described only as a "national arts supporter", offered to match all the other donations sent in, and so now Magic finds itself the recipient of the princely sum of $450,000 (£325,850).
But not everyone is happy with this good news. The 99 Seats blog argues that Magic's problems stem not just from the recession, but from gross managerial incompetence. And 99 Seats goes on to say: "When it's a bank or a mortgage company, it's a bailout and a fair number of us say, 'Screw it, they made bad calls, they should pay the penalty.' When it's a theatre, though, we email all of our friends and raise high holy hell, as though, without this theatre, theatre will cease to exist, all opportunities will dry up and we'll all have to get day jobs."
This is an interesting argument, but the parallel with a commercial enterprise such as a bank does not really hold. After all, banks exist to make money in the most efficient way possible. If they fail at that, then there is arguably no point in their existence. Theatres exist primarily to make art not money. It is obviously vital, in practical terms, that they are well run, but the incompetence of a board or an executive director has no bearing on whether the work being created is itself any good. Like a school or a hospital, a theatre provides a service to its community and that community (both in terms of artists and audience) should not have to suffer because of the failure of others. If anything, the point should be to save the theatre and sack the management.
On the subject of theatre managers and bailouts, the Arts Marketing blog is exploring the issue of executive pay in the non-profit sector. Specifically, it is questioning the appropriateness of Michael Kaiser – president of the Kennedy Center and recipient of a salary of more than $1m (£723,400) – being the one making a case for an economic bailout programme for the arts. This level of remuneration in an industry that is so woefully underfunded at the best of times is quite staggering. However, the blog draws attention to proposed legislation in San Francisco that would limit executive pay to a maximum of six times the salary of the lowest paid employee. And that would, at least, bring some degree of equality to the industry.
In other news, the theatre community is understandably excited about the Obama presidency and is getting in quickly with its demands. The Artsy Schmartsy blog reports that a group is petitioning Obama to adopt Quincy Jones's suggestion that a cabinet level Secretary for the Arts position be created. Meanwhile, the Artsblog is drawing attention to the new set of policy proposals that Americans for the Arts have released. The document makes a strong case for the economic importance of the arts, and that's the kind of argument likely to go down well with any politician.
On a more surreal note, the story of how US Airways Flight 1549 went for a swim in the Hudson river has already sparked its first artistic response. No, this is not the inevitable proposal for a Hollywood movie, but rather, it is a short play on the Tuesdays blog which depicts the event from the point of view of the flock of geese that hit the plane just before it crashed.
As if that wasn't bizarre enough, Colin Mitchell over at Bitter Lemons tells the story of how a Catholic nun recently tried to persuade him to come and see a Christian musical that she was producing. She did this by pointing out that it includes a moment where the people refuse Saint Paul's demand that they be circumcised by singing: "We won't be circumcised today … There must be an easier way! We want no part of anyone who wants part of our parts!" Strange but true.
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