Soprano Kelly Kaduce in the 2009 OTSL production of "Salome"
Just in the nick of time, and just as has always happened, a new class of arts administrators are coming to the fore with creative solutions to their organization’s financial woes. This is not a new concept, as arts leaders have been constant observers of the duel bottom line (finances vs. artistic integrity). If they hadn’t, we’d be in a very different place today. The shiny side of the dull, recession-weary penny is that the arts are doing more with less, and are reflecting on their products, taking nothing for granted.
The Opera Theatre of St. Louis recently announced their 34th consecutive season ending with a balanced budget while still producing one of their most artistically pleasing seasons yet. Boston Lyric Opera overcame a significant deficit to balance the budget, and added productions in the process. These are, of course, the happy stories, which are unrepresentative of the larger picture. Several visual and performing arts institutions folded, and not always as a result of mismanagement.
So what makes some companies float while others flounder? No idea. But the thing that arts organizations who survive such times as these all seem to recognize is that, as the famed dramaturg John Conklin writes, “Adverse circumstances offer surprising opportunities to distinguish a Company and build more meaningful relationships with audiences, providing a strong foundation of fiscal responsibility and dedicated stakeholders exists.”
The Nutcrackers and La bohème’s that I so frequently decry are not the foundations of great art, but the crutch upon which we think we must rely. Creativity and responsible management are the true solution.
