While I am glad that the editors of the CT took the time to highlight the inadequate arts facilities on River Campus in the “Facilities inadequate” Editorial Board piece, I was dismayed that they failed to include Todd Theatre and the UR International Theatre Program in their list of “UR facilities for the arts.”
If Rochester’s City newspaper can single out Todd and include the UR International Theatre Program as the sole educational theatre in the region, which merits inclusion in their “Best of Rochester” supplement – if the Democrat & Chronicle can regularly feature our productions in their pages – if over 1,400 students a year see our productions and an additional hundred or so more work on them in varying capacities – isn’t it particularly egregious that our very own CT doesn’t consider Todd an arts facility worth mentioning. C’mon folks – we’re a little further away from your office than, say, that other palace of high culture you mention – the Palestra – but what’s a couple yards between friends?
I, too, sincerely hope that our incoming president pays more attention to the arts on the River Campus than our outgoing one has done. Whether that means putting financial muscle and institutional support behind the creation of an arts center is a topic of discussion which should broached. An arts center in itself, however, is hardly the sole – and may not even be the best – solution to the present situation.
An equally good idea – at least in the short term – would be a greater institutional and financial support and respect for the arts as they currently exist on campus. And while the current state of affairs regarding facilities is pretty parlous – have any of you been to Todd lately and seen the state of that facility? – the CT itself could do a much, much better job than they currently do of supporting the arts on River Campus.
Recognizing the artistic gold mine that is Todd – hey, just acknowledging that Todd Theatre exists – might be, for the CT, a good start.
– Nigel MaisterArtistic DirectorUR International Theatre Program
