Tax Credits, Caucuses, and Injuries: The Art Trifecta

“Illinois’s new Live Theater Production Tax Credit will offer a tax rebate up to $2-million (U.S.) for commercial producers of “pre-Broadway and long-run shows” beginning in July.” A new tax credit taking effect in Illinois this summer is a good reminder to theater makers in Minnesota that Arts Advocacy day quickly approaches. On February 29th artists and arts appreciators will gather at the MN state Capitol to connect with other artists and probably most importantly remind legislators about the importance of the arts in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota State Arts Board: • 67% of Minnesotans have attended an arts activity (at a theater, auditorium, concert hall, museum, gallery) within the past year • 60% of Minnesotans are involved in the arts, by doing some creative activity like singing in a choir, doing woodworking or needlepoint, writing poetry, or painting in their everyday lives • 95% of Minnesotans believe the arts are an important or essential part of the overall education of Minnesota children (e.g., classes in music, writing, dance, art, and drama) Here’s where you can go to formally register as an arts advocate for the February 29th event: http://www.mncitizensforthearts.org/events/ ___ On a related note, Tuesday, February 7th, is precinct caucus night in Minnesota. You can be a part of the election process. Find your caucus here: http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ Perhaps that doesn’t seem interesting to you? Consider that this year there is a push to use money from the 2008 constitutional amendment dedicating funds to Minnesota’s arts and cultural legacy to pay for a new Vikings stadium. The caucuses on Tuesday present a terrific opportunity to introduce a resolution against using these arts and culture dollars to build a sports facility. Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA) has put together a nice breakdown of the issues and how to talk about this subject with fellow citizens or legislators. No Legacy Funds for Stadium: http://www.mncitizensforthearts.org/news/no-legacy-for-stadium/ ___ The Twin Cities Unified Auditions are a month away. For performers it’s a great opportunity to get yourself and your skills seen by a bunch of producers and directors all at the same time. For theater producers it’s a chance to see hundreds of local performers without having to put together your own auditions. If you’ve already made the connections you’d like to make with producers and actors in the Twin Cities its certainly worthwhile to encourage less experienced actors you may know to take part in the unified auditions. Not only for the possible exposure but also for the experience of being part of a cattle call style audition process that a lot of stage actors may not get much exposure to in Minnesota. This year, in addition to the acting and singing auditions they’ve added a dance call. This years unified auditions take place on March 10th and 11th at Concordia University’s EM Pearson Theatre in St Paul. Go to http://tcuta.climb.org/ for specific details, including a lot of information on the structure of the audition. Have you ever been a part of the Twin Cities Unified Theatre Auditions? ___ Last week we posted an article from the New Yorker on Dance Injuries: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/02/the-harder-they-fall.html Present State shared a nice description of how dancers react when an injury occurs: “Present State In the company I'm in, when someone gets injured during a show there is an amazing quite that settles amongst co-performers. It's filled with this tangible, fierce, and calm support. Everyone's senses are heightened and ready to catch, support, surrender, or figure out and provide whatever that person needs- on stage, in the moment, without words. The feeling and experience is very unique.” Do you have any stage injury stories? ___ See PHOTO One item really making the rounds in the last few days is an anecdote in the show notes from a performance of Harold and the Purple Crayon from the Childrens’ Theater Company. We picked it up from Mo Perry but it’s been shared well over 900 times on Facebook. The note said: "It was generally agreed by all that the show was "kind of rough" (tech wise). But after the show we learned that there was a 5 year old autistic child in the house. He had never spoken. But as the lights went down, he began to talk. In full sentences. He called the teacher by name. She had no idea he even knew her name. He we engaged in the show - at one point commenting to the teacher that if there is a dragon there will be fire. And there was fire. He talked all throughout the show. When the lights came back up - he quit talking and returned to his world. So, yes, I could list all the little things that wrong today but that is not what this show is about. And that little boy certainly didn't see those things as he sat talking in the dark theatre watching Harold and his Purple Crayon. A touching reminder of the power of live performance as well as of the strength of the Twin Cities theater & arts community. ___ Mission Paradox In response to a post on the Mission Paradox blog that stated artists can only learn from failure when they are trying to do their best we asked our Facebook and Twitter community if that was true. This elicited some thoughtful responses: “Brian O'Neal I agree with the sentiment that doing a half-hearted job and failing does not have the same value of failing at something that was risky but the group worked very hard to acheive. You learn more in the effort of doing something difficult than in the actual failure itself.” “Brian Columbus Well, if you're only working half-heartedly on something with some kind of "good enough" approach, then you've sort of already failed without realizing it...and you might think the product is ok. So, no. You can't learn from failures unless trying your best.” “@TCTheater You have to work, you have to strive, you have to do your best. Or you'll be a failure. Or worse: a hack.” ___ If you have suggestions for things we should be talking about or paying attention to let us know in the comments or on our Facebook or Twitter accounts. @Minnesotaplays FB Minnesota Playlist Hope you have a week full of rich and edifying failure -Levi