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Theater Arts
By Wesley V. Montgomery
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Panelists
Marc Masterson, Artistic Director, Actors Theatre of Louisville
Emilya Cachapero (chair), Director of Artistic Programs, Theatre Communications Group, New York
Josephine Ramirez, Vice President of Programming and Planning, Music Center, Los Angeles
Wesley V. Montgomery, Managing Director, New WORLD Theater, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Philip Bither, William and Nadine McGuire Senior Curator of Performing Arts, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis |
The twentieth century was characterized by industrial, social, and political revolution: from the advent of the automobile to space exploration, from suffrage to civil rights and equal access to education. At each turn the voices of artists—whether their message came through music, acting, movement, or visual art—was at the center of the experience. In many ways, the arts have been therapy for the common man (and woman). Through participating in an artistic expression and process, a catharsis takes place within performer and viewer alike. Perhaps it is this search for transcendence that feeds the spirit of cultural growth and understanding. It has been through the continued presence of the artist through and beyond the culture wars that our collective histories have been richly documented and carefully recounted. Building on that legacy, the twenty-first century promises to further the conversation about exactly how artists are valued in contemporary society. As U.S. demographics continue to shift, the ways in which we interrelate across lines of identity differentiation (cultural, gender, religious, and so on) are becoming increasingly charged. The millennial demographic shift expected in 2050, when there will be no one ethnic majority in this country, points us in a new direction, one in which artists are seen within the entire range of community participants and are valued not only for the works they create but also for the ways in which they contribute to the vitality of public life.
It is in the spirit of celebration—and of difference, innovation, and aesthetic excellence—that the first group of USA Fellows in Theater Arts emerges. Each brings forward a unique vision of the world, adding another voice to the conversation through movement, vision, sound, and unique artistic virtuosity. As our nation grapples with the twenty-first century, perhaps this intergenerational assembly of skilled artists (and those yet to emerge) can continue to forge new ground in the continuing dialogue and innate joyful spirit that emerges from witnessing art in action.
More about USA Fellows in Theater Arts
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