http://www.adaptistration.com/2010/05/04/desperate-playwrights/
Drew McManus, in his blog on orchestra administration, makes an excellent examination of the Fifth Avenue Theatre’s pay-to-play scandal, including pointing out that by “sub-leasing” the time it bought on KING 5’S New Day Northwest, Seattle’s 500-pound gorilla of a Big House effectively gate-keeps what kinds of arts organizations will get this television coverage. However, his title “Desperate Playwrights”, casts over an otherwise thoughtful essay a pall of outrageous ignorance about modern American theatre. I guess he’s going for some sort of pun-ished quarter-rhyme with “Desperate Housewives”, but really, given how lamely that joke lands, I find myself wondering if Mr. McManus gave his internal editor the day off. One hopes, in vain I suppose, that a self-described arts consultant would be a little less tone deaf to insult people who, among other things, write insults for people for a living. (Well, okay, it ain’t much of a living.) Talk about blaming the innocently by-standing victims. Associating playwrights with the 5th Avenue Theatre’s silly slimy behavior, and those that joined them, is like blaming Bram Stoker for Count Chocula.