[NEOPAL]re: Playhouse Square

[Richard B. Ingraham]

Mr. Bernardo,

While Lee Kamp's post might have been looking at Playhouse Square with a
bit of "rose colored glasses" on, I would argue that your post is also
missing a lot real world facts as well.

First, let's face it, what really keeps places like Playhouse Square's
doors open is large philanthropic organizations like The Cleveland
Foundation, Gund Foundation, etc.....  (sorry if I'm missing some
here.... I'm not a development type...   I spend $$ not raise it..)  :-)

While individual donations are certainly important, they alone are not
going to keep the doors open.  Neither are ticket sales alone.

More comments below:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: neohiopal-admin at lists.fredsternfeld.com
> [mailto:neohiopal-admin at lists.fredsternfeld.com] On Behalf Of 
> Donald Bernardo
> Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2006 10:37 AM
> To: neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com
> Subject: [NEOPAL]re: Playhouse Square
> 
> 

> This is also ridiculous, and displays a shocking ignorance of
> the realities of the economics and TRUE impact of Playhouse 
> Square on the local arts community:  
> 
> Any profit from those touring shows leaves town, going into
> the pockets of those who invested in the creation of the 
> tour.  I'm not suggesting that's not as it should be, but 
> let's not confuse the profit motive with some kind of 
> altruistic motive to benefit the local arts scene.  
> 

While I'm certain that a great deal of the profits do leave town with
the tour, I'm sure Playhouse Square is not just giving the space away.
I'm sure they get a cut of each and every ticket sold.  Or I would be
highly shocked if that was not the case.

> Those local P'house Square donors have, in effect,
> "subsidized" a profitable tour produced by out-of-town 
> investors who are (make no mistake) making money.  Since its 
> conception, Playhouse Square has therefore diverted and 
> distracted philanthropic dollars AWAY from local arts 
> organizations, to provide what amounts to a local subsidy to 
> these out-of-town investors.  Don't pretend that Playhouse 
> Square is somehow "enriching the local arts scene" more than 
> it is hurting it, 'cause that simply ain't the case, from a 
> bottom-line economic standpoint.
> 

Ummm, maybe I missed something, but Playhouse Square houses more than
just road shows.  Certainly it does plenty of that, but it also serves
as the home for Great Lakes Theatre Festival, The Cleveland Opera, and
it used to be home to Cleveland Ballet and I'm not sure if Ohio Ballet
is still in there or not.

It's venues get used for local events, and as of late Playhouse Square
has even ventured into producing it's own shows, ala Love, Perfect,
Change.

So to say that all of your donations, is just sending $$ out of town is
rather narrow minded.

I don't know the numbers specifically, but I do know that organizations
like Great Lakes, the Opera, etc.. get a significant break in the "rent"
for their use of PHS's facilities.  If those organizations had to pay
the going rate, they would have all folded long ago.


> A few local folks benefit, to some extent.  Playhouse Square
> does, of course, employ people (box office personnel, some 
> stage crew, a few musicians on occasion, etc).  And I'm not 
> minimizing the importance of that employment.  But let's not 
> ignore the realities of the situation.
> 

Actually until recently I know quite a few stage hands who made very
respectable livings working at PHS.  For various reasons (which I
certainly do not pretend to know or understand) things seem a little bit
"tighter" than they used to be a few years ago.  There seems to be a lot
more "dark" time in PHS's theatres these days.  So maybe you'll get your
wish after all.

I also know several folks who work for PHS, and seem to be very happy
working there. 

You've also conveniently left out all the secondary employment that
happens because PHS is there.  That would include parking lot
attendants, cab drivers, all the restaurant workers in the area, the
hotel PHS owns, etc...    How many of those restaurants do you think
would be around 14th and Euclid if PHS were not there?  Probably... darn
few...  :-)

Let me sum up by asking this?  Would you rather have a bunch of parking
lots at 14th and Euclid?  Because if PHS was never created, that is what
you would have there?  Or at best it would look like that lovely part of
Euclid ave just east of Public Square to about E9th or even as far as
E12th.  Where it's just a bunch of empty store fronts, and looks
like..... well you can pick your own adjective to describe it.

Don't get me wrong.  I certainly don't think PHS is the end all, be all
of theatre in Cleveland.  My close friends could certainly tell you
about how much I grumble about "politics" involved with the local
Cleveland theatre scene.  But I'm also very glad we have something like
Playhouse Square.  I walked through almost all of those theatres as a
kid (thanks to my parents for taking me to cool things like this....)
and remember what a dump the Ohio had become, and what the Palace and
State looked like pre-renovation.  Little could I have know then, that
some of my future college professors would be some of the folks who
helped save it.  And frankly, I'm glad they did.


Richard B. Ingraham
RBI Computers and Audio
http://www.rbicompaudio.20m.com
rbi at rbicompaudio.20m.com