Valley Theatre League Letter to L.A. Times
The following letter is from the Valley Theatre League to the Los Angeles Times. NoHo Magazine endorses it and if you do also, we encourage you to sign it and send it to the Times.
Dear Editor,
We address you as fellow citizens of the Los Angeles community.
Bearing in mind the old adage, “Knowledge is power,” and newspapers are still a primary conduit of fact and interpretation upon which people make daily decisions and choices, we recognize that the Los Angeles Times is a powerful participant in the evolution of this city. Now, looking to your tradition of editorial insight, we call upon you to review your policy on theatre coverage in Los Angeles.
In short, you have cut it drastically, and you have compartmentalized it by geographic area. In addition, last year’s L.A. Times awards for community service ignored all arts organizations completely. Apparently it is necessary to point out once again that the role of art and theatre in society is neither marginal nor superficial but, in fact, essential to every human group’s need to examine and explain itself. Here in Los Angeles where so many diverse cultures seek to understand and appreciate each other, the practical function of live theatre should be clear to everyone. Live theatre offers the opportunity to witness life-sized people, speaking at natural volume, observed in three dimensions. What a concept!
Theatre is the cradle of the entertainment industry, not its orphan child. Film and television have always looked to the theatre for challenging new material and performers. For example, Children of a Lesser God was first produced at the Mark Taper Forum before it went to Broadway and eventually became a film with the unique role in which audiences discovered Marlee Matlin, who now appears weekly on television providing an elegant role model for hearing-impaired people in the workplace. A Few Good Men, Crimes of the Heart, On Golden Pond, Steel Magnolias, A Chorus Line, Annie, Dracula, K-2, Noises Off, Other People’s Money, Frankie and Johnny, Daddy’s Dying: Who’s Got the Will, Driving Miss Daisy, Zoot Suit, Lost in Yonkers and all of Neil Simon’s films are other recent and distinguished examples of the extraordinary range of creative perspectives which were born and nurtured in the theatre before they were adapted for film.
In this era of economic caution, film, television and theatre artists often work together in the context of small theatre where material can be tried out with minimum financial risk. Opportunity for cross-pollination is one of the great advantages of living in a city as culturally diverse as Los Angeles.
In the last year we have learned painful lessons about the consequences of maintaining barriers between language and interest groups. At a time when we are all trying to pull together, the L.A. Times decision to create a specific Valley Edition which discusses only valley arts and entertainment events, works in direct conflict with our expressed general hopes. Proposed West L.A. and Central L.A. editions will only further fractionalize images of our city and perpetuate the delusion that interests and problems of South Central are not Valley problems and could never be Valley problems. We are all interconnected and need each other’s support.
As the clear voice of grass roots community, small theatres and large theatres alike need to be heard and heard about all over our city. We urge the Los Angeles Times to continue a public service in disseminating information about theatre happenings to all their readers, so residents and visitors may continue to count on the Times as a comprehensive resource. A “Critique” page of the Calendar section, which carried reviews for the entire metropolitan area would find advertising support from businesses catering to the theatre-going public and would also serve as a creative forum of opinion. Balanced and complete coverage empowers readers to follow their own interests in deciding where to go, what to see and what to do. Isn’t that what newspapers are all about?
Sincerely,
The Valley Theatre League♦