The arts scene and the taxpayer's green

Aisle Say has the August Dog Day blues...the doublewide blues. No theatre to report on the one hand and on the other some wins and losses for Delawareans. But, as Lady Macbeth urged, I will 'screw my courage to the sticking place' and have at it.

WHYY

At least three-dozen Delawareans woke up and took notice several months ago when their televised nightly sleeping pill, Channel 12's “Delaware Tonight” ceased operation. Scintillating reportage it was not. But it was OUR bland reporting! Yes, they were the quintessential talking heads. But they were OUR talking heads. But, in June of 2009, after obtaining millions in grants from the state for the refurbishing of their Wilmington studio and construction of their Dover studio, WHYY slinked off in the night as stealthily as Mr. Irsay's Baltimore Colts to Indiana many moons ago.

After protestations from Sen. Ted Kaufman and Mayor Baker, Delaware's “coverage” was replaced by an alleged news magazine “First” for an hour each Friday night.

“WHYY is not adequately serving the community needs of its city of license, which is Wilmington,” bellowed Mr. Mayor.

Your intrepid Aisle Say investigative reporter tuned in last Friday to determine how “First” was serving taxpayers. (Even with this indecent behavior they still received $100,000.00 from the Joint Finance Committee this fiscal year.) Last Friday's “news” story featured Balinese dancing.

“The sport carries you where you want”, chanted the Balinese dance guru.

The aged man covered the dance floor slowly, very slowly.

“We would dance if nobody showed up to see us”, he exclaimed.

Yup, that says it all.

The second segment was even more compelling: 15 minutes on dehydrating vegetables.

“But wait,” exclaimed the dehydrator, “we also do macaroons. Wednesday is macaroon day!”

The FCC denied Wilmington's challenge to WHYY for license renewal. They win. We lose.

DELAWARE DIVISION OF ARTS 2011 GRANTS

Eighty-six organizations throughout the state received grants ranging from $1000 to $110,000 totaling $1.4 million. (Last year it was $1.47 million to 84 groups). The funding comes from both the Delaware General Assembly and the National Endowment For The Arts.

Last year Aisle Say took to task some of the perceived imbalance of the grants. It appears more reasonable in FY 2011. The way I define this imbalance is, one, the number of people employed in the organization, two, the number of guests they serve, and three, the positive economic ripple effect it has on the community (e.g. overnight hotel stays, restaurant traffic and visits to other venues).

New Candlelight Theatre justifiably was awarded $25,000. Their quality and their integrity is high and they are the ONLY surviving dinner theatre in the state. And they are the best theatrical value. On the down side their profit margin has all the profile of a flounder laying on the bottom of the bay.

The Grand received $101,000; Delaware Art Museum, $110,000; Opera Delaware, $62,000; DE Symphony, $101,000. That's all good. The Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts – arguably a pioneer on the Riverfront – attracts nowhere near the traffic of The Grand or even New Candlelight, and they received $93,000.

In relation to guests served and economic ripple, it is, however, very difficult to swallow the $43,000 given to the Yorklyn-based Center for The Creative Arts. At least that is down from an outrageous $68,000 in last year's grants!

But for the second year running, the Aisle Say Golden Fleece Award goes to Delaware Dance Company on Elkton Rd. These pre-teens are impossibly cute in their tutus I am sure, but $32,000 (down from $40,000) for a group that is only witnessed by their doting parents and grandparents? We've got to get their lobbyist and send him to D.C. That dude has the suave to bring millions in earmarks to Delaware!

DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY

Still no news about changes to their fall schedule. Aisle Say was told by their Marketing Manager that the revised schedule was to be out in one week. That was six weeks ago. An e-mail and a call to Mary Ann Ehlshager, the Managing Director, was not returned.

POSTSCRIPT

Aisle Say commented a few months back that Tim Geithner, US Secretary of the Treasury reminded him of Robert Stack when he played Eliot Ness on “The Untouchables.” Well, dear reader, we have another one. I was watching the evening news with my dear sister Liz. Thad Allen, the Coast Guard Commandant in charge of the oil spill was before the podium. Tell me he is not Oliver Hardy reincarnated!