Audience Magazine - January 2021

A behind-the-scenes look into Louisville’s performing arts and entertainment during this unprecedented time of reflection and artistic creation.

magazine

JANUARY 2021

Special thanks to our premium sponsors whose support lets us provide this publication at no charge to you.

PNC BROADWAY IN LOUISVILLE Leslie Broecker: Hungry for Live Theatre Page 8 | ACTORS THEATRE OF LOUISVILLE Robert Barry Fleming: Exploring Form and Content Page 12 | LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA Michelle Winters: From Heartbreak to Innovation Page 16 | KENTUCKY PERFORMING ARTS Kim Baker: On Hindsight and Outdoor Opportunities Page 22 | LOUISVILLE BALLET Robert Curran: On Refocusing and a Digital Pivot Page 26 | KENTUCKY SHAKESPEARE Matt Wallace: Summer Dreamin' of 2021 Page 30 | FUND FOR THE ARTS Christen Boone: Healing and Rebuilding our Community Through Arts Page 38

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WITH CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM The best way to predict the future is to create it. — Peter F. Drucker

It’s fair to say that we’re all profoundly relieved to close the book on 2020.

A few of us might have even shut the book, stomped the bejesus out of it and tossed the remains in the fireplace for kindling, but we’re not naming any names!

With vaccines finally becoming available, we’re feeling cautiously optimistic about 2021. We learned our lesson about expecting too much too soon (who else thought we’d be back to normal three months ago?), but the worst of the pandemic really does seem to be behind us now. While we can’t know what things will look like next month, three months or six months from now, we have a renewed sense of hope that the lights will shine on our local stages again soon.

Amy Higgs Managing Editor

One reason for our positive outlook is finally seeing the results of a herculean effort by arts venues across the country. We were so excited to see the Save Our Stages act included in the new stimulus legislation. It should provide about $15 billion in relief funds to independent music venues, movie theaters, and other cultural institutions that have been shuttered since March. Our local arts organizations depend on independent venues like the ones managed by Kentucky Performing Arts to showcase their performances — one doesn’t exist without the other.

In this issue of Audience Magazine, we sat down with leaders at the area’s largest performing arts groups to get their take on what they’ve learned since the lockdown began, and what’s next. They all share our cautious optimism, and thanks to their creative pivots in 2020, they all feel better prepared to clear any new hurdles that may come their way in the new year. They also share their gratitude for the unwavering support of the arts community and the generosity of their loyal arts patrons. We share their gratitude, and would like to add a big thanks to our advertisers, who allow our publication to be available to you at no charge.

This year is going to be a time of healing, and Audience is here for it — no matter how long that takes. While the pandemic hit us suddenly, the recovery is going to be a lot more gradual. But the good news is, we’re starting 2021 with some fantastic momentum.

G. Douglas Dreisbach Publisher

Until the Curtain Rises Again,

- The Audience Group

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TABLE of CONTENTS JANUARY 2021

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MICHELLE WINTERS

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LESLIE BROECKER

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ROBERT BARRY FLEMING

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KIM BAKER

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SERVICE & SHAKESPEARE

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THE ARTS & COVID-19

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ROBERT CURRAN

TICKET

GIVEAWAYS

SPECIAL INVITES

SHOW PREVIEWS

A behind-the-scenes look into Louisville’s performing arts and entertainment during this unprecedented time of reflection and artistic creation.

PUBLISHER

The Audience Group, Inc. G. Douglas Dreisbach MANAGING EDITOR

Amy Higgs CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Rhonda Mefford SALES & MARKETING

G. Douglas Dreisbach CONTRIBUTORS

PNC Broadway in Louisville Actors Theatre of Louisville Louisville Orchestra Kentucky Performing Arts Louisville Ballet Kentucky Shakespeare Fund for the Arts To read current and previous Audience magazines, playbills and performance guides, go to issuu.com/audience502.

On the Cover: Davone Tines performs at Paristown Hall.

Photo by O'Neil Arnold.

Read more on page 16.

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GOT AN ARTICLE IDEA? Audience Magazine is a platform for the arts in Louisville. If you have an article idea or something you think we should cover, email ahiggs@theaudiencegroup.com © Copyright 2020. The Audience Group, Inc. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

Audience® Magazine is published by The Audience Group, Inc. 136 St. Matthews Avenue #300 Louisville, KY 40207 502.212.5177 | Audience502.com A U G U S T

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AUDIENCE INTERVIEW

LESLIE BROECKER

PRESIDENT, BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA MIDWEST

by G. Douglas Driesbach 8

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n a normal year, Broadway Across America produces thousands of performances across the country and the world. This year, there have not been any since April.

That being said, Broadway’s creative aspirations and dedication to the stage has not waned at all. Just like the rest of us, the actors, actresses, producers, directors, staff, and volunteers at Broadway and all of the performing arts groups are anxiously waiting for the stages to shine bright once again.

We caught up with the President of Broadway Across America’s Midwest Division, Leslie Broecker, to talk about how the organization is dealing with the challenges of the last nine months, how the team has adjusted, and what the future might hold.

Leslie Broecker is the president of Broadway Across America Midwest.

This is an excerpt from the full interview. To read it in its entirety, visit Audience502.com.

G. Douglas Dreisbach: It is always a pleasure to get to talk to you and hear about everything going on at Broadway in Louisville and beyond. You have certainly had your hands full since we last spoke in April.

and to be able to stay on the road. So, for Louisville to host a show, we need other cities nearby, and all the way coast to coast, to also be able to host that show and fill week after week to be able to get the show on the road.

Leslie Broecker: No question about it, it has been very interesting. When we closed our offices back in March and Broadway dimmed its lights, we never could have imagined that it would be the end of the year without a show. We started rebooking shows into the summer, thinking this would all be behind us, but it wasn’t. Hopefully it will be soon, though.

GDD: This year, so far, you have rescheduled the season three times, which is extremely difficult because of continuous routes you mentioned. After three times, is the planning process getting easier?

GDD: Broadway is a little different than the other groups in town because your actors and production crews are located around the country, managed, and directed from New York. What is different from the way you produce shows, versus local groups?

LB: Well, a big touring Broadway show that comes to Louisville is reliant on the rest of the country to be able to support it, as well. What that means is, they need a contiguous route to be able to get through the country for the show to be profitable

LB: Every time you look at a theater calendar and try to match that up with a show route or multiple show routes, you’re playing dominoes. So, I need to line up with other markets.

It doesn’t necessarily get any easier, because the producers have never done this before, and if you had a show that was out on the road at the time everything shut down in March, you’re in a very different place than you are if you’re a producer who’s getting ready to launch, say, a new tour this past fall.

So, each producer of a tour is going through something different from another, and some of the bigger tour companies are faced with maybe launching multiple tours. For example,

 Shoba Narayan and Joseph Morales - HAMILTON National Tour - (c) Joan Marcus 2018.

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there are four productions of Hamilton in the United States.

To relaunch four shows at the same time is not something they would have done before. So, it’s all new, but it’s exciting.

And we are so excited to be able to come back.

GDD: When that day comes, what do you think the community will feel like when those shows get announced and the curtain rises again?

LB: When that day comes, and we are in the theater, I can promise you I am going to cry. Our subscription base has stuck with us through all of this. They know to basically just keep rolling forward, and their passion for Broadway has not dimmed. They just want to be able to come to the theater and feel safe. The Kentucky Center is going through all kinds of things in regards to improved air circulation, and things that will make people feel safe and within the federal and state guidelines.

People are so hungry for live theater and all of the things the theater gives to them. So, I think the reaction and the seasons are going to be great.

GDD: One of the exciting things that has taken place in the arts are the streaming digital productions. Do you see those sticking around, possibly offering the option to watch Hamilton live at Whitney Hall, or stream the performance from home?

LB: I think the current streaming opportunities will stay.

I certainly think it’s been great to get larger exposure for the arts, and it is more affordable than sometimes coming to the actual theater. So, to be able to watch Hamilton being streamed this past summer was terrific and it feeds that desire to see the show live, so we do love it and think it’s a great opportunity.

I don’t think that I would ever be streaming out from the theater. It’s kind of cool, though, what you mentioned, having

it here and broadcasting it. I think there are just so many layers there to navigate through. So, we hope people will come to the theater.

GDD: Have you seen any strengths or new positives coming from your team or Broadway and the arts as a whole?

Are there any silver linings to all of this?

LB: It has been very emotional for all of us who work in this business. We were always very close-knit in our community, and I think I’ve seen it all come even more close together through this. The Broadway League, which is our trade association, put together—I kid you not—36 task forces to be able to stay on top of all of the various things that we need to address.

Everything from backstage to the front of house to actors to people who haven’t worked since March and need money—you name it, we covered it.

So, I think that has been one of the good things. It has certainly been so frustrating not to be able to be in the theater, but if you look hard and you work hard with your team, you’ll find the good in this. And can you imagine what the first performance back is going to be like? I can’t even imagine being in Whitney Hall, and the raucous noise and applause. It will all be worth it, I promise you that.

GDD: As we move forward into the new year, have your goals or outlook changed now that we are nine months into this?

LB: We are looking at the new year as turning the page on a rotten 2020. I would like to say that our season ticketholders are amazing. They have stuck with us, and we’ve had minimal refund requests. Everybody knows we are working hard to get the shows back into The Kentucky Center, and as soon as we can, and they are going to be there, and we can’t wait to see them.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Tickets and info at: louisville.broadway.com

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AUDIENCE INTERVIEW

ROBERT

BARRY FLEMING

EXECUTIVE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ACTORS THEATRE OF LOUISVILLE 12

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ow in its 57th season, Actors Theatre of Louisville is the state theater of Kentucky, with a mission that serves to unlock human potential, build community, and enrich quality of life by engaging people in theater that reflects the wonder and complexity of our time. Over the last nine months, we’ve all certainly been tested on many fronts.

We caught up with Robert Barry Fleming to hear more about how the company has navigated through the pandemic so far, and what might lie ahead.

This is an excerpt from the full interview. To read it in its entirety, visit Audience502.com.

G. Douglas Dreisbach: Looking back nine months ago when stages went dark, and then the civil situations started to arise, what were your initial thoughts, and how have those events changed or altered your overall mission or collaborations on the stage?

Robert Barry Fleming: Well, I think it’s just really been made manifest. Those three tent poles of our mission, unlocking human potential, building community, enriching lives — we’ve been able to do that in a much more immediate way than we might have in person. Amid the incredible challenges of a year where there’s been so much loss — economically, in terms of human life, and security and safety — there’s been a sense of really having to re-investigate what it means to be human and be a part of a community. The bright light is that there is a vaccine coming.

There’s an opportunity for us to really regroup and rethink what our relationship to one another is. And we’ve been doing that through art and culture and civic engagement, and nowhere has that intersection been more evident than in the work that we’ve done with our Facebook Live events, ranging from Fix It, Black Girl to Finding Black Boy Joy and okolona habla (Okolona Speaks). It’s been a challenging nine months, but we’re really energized by the fact that we’ve had so much engagement on

We continue to prioritize, making sure that people stay safe and well while staying engaged with one another and telling these stories. the digital platform, and that people still want to be supportive and engaged with Actors Theatre’s storytelling including music and poetry. We have been able to do that with our Unscripted panels and Borrowed Wisdom podcast, as well as work that is made for old media, like the radio play adaptations of A Christmas Carol and Dracula, and projects for new media, where we’re moving into the virtual space. It has been a whole exploration of form and content that allows us to really dig into some tough questions and find ourselves within them.

GDD: This year, you’ve had the opportunity to showcase your creativity, and you have done a fantastic job with that.

What were some of the challenges of taking what you see, whether it was COVID or on the streets, and transforming those into plays and productions? What was that process?

RBF: Yeah, it’s been fascinating. Nothing’s been more devastating than the fact that there have been layoffs, and we are working with a much smaller team, so many of our roles have become hybridized. Along with the loss of that camaraderie and the loss of the enormous talent that the organization had, our work has been completely transformed by the fact that all of the live event gathering has been put on pause while we are fully engaging with digital content. With the invention of Actors Theatre Direct — our own platform to share that work as the foundation of how we tell stories — has proven to be really edifying, and it has allowed us to be much more responsive, in real-time, to our communities.

 Robert Barry Fleming. Photo by Jonathan Roberts.

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Images from Actors Theatre's virtual programming. Learn more at ActorsTheatre.org.

The creators and storytellers have been everyone from new collaborators, like animators and local spoken word poets, to our virtual company of artists across the country from California to New York and many places in between, who are capturing work remotely in quarantine. So, while we’re on a virtual platform, it’s not like we’re all running into a studio and working together.

We continue to prioritize, making sure that people stay safe and well while staying engaged with one another and telling these stories. And having that collective effort all across the country and locally has been, I think, part of what’s allowed us to sustain ourselves over this really difficult period.

GDD: One of the biggest months of the year for Actors Theatre is when you host the Humana Festival of New American Plays. Can you share an update about what this year will look like? Obviously, it’s going to be a digital experience this year.

RBF: We’re excited about this exploration. The Humana Festival is not only a festival of new work, but we are always challenging the form and our understanding of how stories can continue to build bridges in interdisciplinary ways. We have projects working in all kinds of extended reality spaces, stories that are rooted in poetry and music, exciting work that explores what’s happening with our frontline workers, and experiences accessible to folks who have grown into disability and might not be able to get out of their home spaces to be engaged.

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When you have a virtual platform, you have the technology and the navigation to find new ways to connect with the story.

We are working very diligently to make sure that the work is inclusive, and we’re looking forward to sharing some of the titles that are coming up.

We’ve already announced Ali Summit, which is all about Muhammad Ali’s conference with major political and sports figures in Cleveland, Ohio, in June of ’67. That is being written by Idris Goodwin and directed by myself, and we’re very energized by offering a multidisciplinary digital experience as a way that people can explore and meditate on that particular fascinating moment in history and story.

GDD: We can’t wait to see it. And all these things to keep you there and your team there—it takes money. So, as we move forward through this, what are some of the best ways for people in the community and around the country who hear this and read this to support Actors Theatre, now and for years to come?

RBF: Jump on ActorsTheatre.org. You’ll see a large swath of offerings, as well as opportunities to engage with residencies that we’re doing in the schools. There are so many ways to be engaged with us. Just visit the website and start perusing the projects, because you’re going to find something that piques your interest and is sure to inspire you in the way that it has inspired us.

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AUDIENCE INTERVIEW

MICHELLE WINTERS

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA

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The Louisville Orchestra is changing the very idea of what a 21st century orchestra can be. Its mission is to promote innovation, creativity, and excellence. With everything that has happened over the past nine months, the way the company has adjusted and inspired our community has been amazing. By being innovative and doing new things virtually, LO has pushed boundaries and realigned the way the group meets its goals.

We caught up with with Director of Marketing, Michelle Winters, to hear how the Louisville Orchestra team has navigated through the past year, and what lies ahead as the group clears new paths for a bright future.

This is an excerpt from the full interview. To read it in its entirety, visit Audience502.com.

G. Douglas Dreisbach: When stages went dark, what were some of your initial thoughts, and looking back, were they accurate? How have they changed?

Michelle Winters: The first thing we faced was making the decision to close down the concerts last March 13 and 14, which was heartbreaking. Obviously, everyone was excited about the prospect of those performances of our Festival of American Music that featured Norah Jones and Jacob Duncan. But, it was important to consider the health and safety of the community first, and the organization second; and the first thing to do was to join in with the immediate battle of trying to shut down the influence of COVID-19. Looking at it now, it was well beyond anything we could have ever imagined.

As more and more concerts went by the wayside, and things became clearer as to what we were facing, we went ahead and formed an innovation committee. The key members of the organization, under the leadership of Teddy Abrams, got together and started looking at options. From this, a massive list of ideas came together from the initiative of musicians, Teddy and the organization as a whole.

Looking back, some of those things were a little wild. There was Teddy riding around in the back of a box truck, driving from parking lot to parking lot at senior homes. He also immediately got involved in the Lift Up Lou initiative, which was a song

created for Louisville about Louisville during the height of the pandemic and quarantine. The song was written, produced, and distributed. It is now gaining traction across the country with the city song movement that is going on.

GDD: The innovation of digital streaming the performances has been really exciting, but even more exciting is some of the exploration of pairing musicians like Sam Bush with the orchestra. How did those come about, and will we see more collaborations with other artists?

MW: Absolutely, and I think that’s one of the great triumphs of the Louisville Orchestra. We didn’t let all of these challenges get in the way of the creativity of the programming. Orchestras across the country went online with concerts and most performed carefully selected traditional music. Teddy Abrams saw the opportunity to explore, collaborate and create in brand new ways.

The pairing of Sam Bush, Newgrass/Bluegrass, Kentucky-based music is what we’ve been doing live in the theater for quite some time. Deeply exploring all kinds of music, and how orchestra is another instrument in the stream of making music. The concert with Sam Bush and Steve Mougin was extraordinary and had so much energy. Performing under the current circumstances as an online streaming concert was even more extraordinary.

It was so amazing and I hope we can have Sam Bush return when we can perform with an audience. We really miss the energy of the audience, and I know audiences miss not being in the space with the performers.

GDD: The streaming options help attract new audiences and patrons by giving them more accessibility and exposure for the performers. Somebody that was a big fan of Sam Bush may have watched that performance, never seen the Louisville Orchestra, but afterwards said, “You know, that’s pretty awesome. I want to go see a live orchestra show now.”

MW: You are absolutely right, and it’s gone even farther than we anticipated, because we’ve had viewership from Japan and all over Europe and South America, Australia, all over the United States. The fact that we can stay in front of our local audiences is really important. Going out to these new audiences, outside of our market area, is quite an exciting innovation. But really, we are still the hometown orchestra, because everything we

 Michelle Winters. Photo courtesy of Louisville Orchestra.

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L.O.V.E. stands for Louisville Orchestra Virtual Edition, it is a series of four livestreamed concerts and small ensembles available on-demand.

do still reflects the music scene in Louisville, especially that American Soul concert with Jason Clayborn and Daria Raymore.

Both are local, extraordinary artists, renowned in Louisville for their musicianship and their talents were really put on display in this concert. It was simply amazing.

But again, to shout out to the members of the Louisville Orchestra, on that Sam Bush concert, after Sam’s set, they performed an Appalachian Spring that was absolutely

SPRING L.O.V.E. CONCERTS 2021 Live online: Saturday, Feb. 13, 7:30PM On demand: Friday, Feb. 26-Sunday, April 11

Homecomings: Musical Journeys of Uncommon Folk Live online: Saturday, March 6, 7:30PM On demand: Friday, March 19-Sunday, May 2

Abrams Plays Ravel Live online: Saturday, March 27, 7:30PM On demand: Friday, April 9-Sunday, May 23

Wailing Trumpets: with Bob Bernhardt and Byron Stripling

So, in the spring, we’re doing the same, and we have lowered the price to $75 to try to make it more accessible. There will be dozens of videos popped in there, in addition to the four main livestreamed concerts. And if you miss the livestream, then the on-demand concert will come up for you to watch at your own time, and however many times you want to view it.

Live online: Saturday, April 10, 7:30PM On demand: Friday, April 23-Sunday, June 6 For more information about the Spring: Louisville Orchestra Virtual Edition 2021 and to purchase your subscription, click here.

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GDD: We just heard a little bit of a tease into the new season with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. What else can we look forward to in the spring season?

MW: We have really developed a format here with our online releases. We’re calling it the L.O.V.E. season, meaning Louisville Orchestra Virtual Edition, and we want to show our love going out to the community. The spring season will be the same as it was last fall with four livestreaming concerts. We then take those four streaming concerts, convert them to on-demand video that can be watched for 45 days after the release date.

Then, we asked the orchestra musicians to do volunteer recordings of additional music. Then the creativity of the LO musicians brings us music for small ensembles, a Beethoven string quartet, Stravinsky octet for winds, and pieces like that.

We have a flute trio that’s jazz-oriented. We have a string ensemble that’s doing some Motown. All of this will be included in the spring Virtual Edition package for one price, and videos just pop up every few days.

Classical Pairing: John Adams + W.A. Mozart

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radiant. It just glowed. We also released a Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, a very classic performance, which is one of the first times recently that Teddy has done an all-classic performance.

Most of his concerts lately have been a kaleidoscope of musical innovation. This one was a really strictly classical performance with soloists from the Louisville Orchestra, and it’s just a breathtaking performance.

If someone only wants one of the concerts, they can be purchased for a one-time view for $20 in either the livestream or on-demand format.

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Gabe Lefkowitz Four Seasons Finale. Photo courtesy of the Louisville Orchestra.

So, that’s the structure of it, but the content is going to be fantastic. We are starting up on February 13th for our first livestream of the new season with a marvelous lineup of four concerts with a mix of classics and contemporary, living composers. We are going to feature Sarah Jarosz, a Grammy Award-winning young woman artist who toured with Garrison Keillor and Prairie Home Companion. She’s a singer-songwriter who will have a new orchestration of some of her music. She is a big guest artist for the spring season, and a lot more wonderful music in those four concerts, coming to a device near you.

GDD: Other than purchasing the stream of the events, of each performance, what are some other ways the community can help the Louisville Orchestra over these next few months, as we move forward into the unknown?

MW: So many people have been tremendously generous already, and we are grateful for that. Patrons donated their tickets back to us in that initial flush of cancellations.

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We’ve had all kinds of people hold their ticket money on their account with a pledge that they’ll be using it when we get back to in-person performances. All of those indications of public support are so important to us. However, it is the dedicated and overwhelming support of our donors that has made all of this activity possible.

Now, more than any time in our history, we are depending on the love people have for the Louisville Orchestra. We were one of the first to shut down live gatherings and will be one of the last to get back to our usual performing opportunities.

We are thrilled that people enjoy our online concerts but they do not replace lost ticket sales. The challenges of gathering the musicians safely, creating the online performances, and keeping the organization operating have been unprecedented. Everyone at the LO is very grateful for the commitment made by generous donors in our community to keep the music playing.

For more information, visit LouisvilleOrchestra.org.

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LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA AT HOME Check out some exclusive content and sneak previews of performances to be featured in LO’s upcoming spring season!

 Watch Teddy Abrams’s special recording of the Happy Birthday song in honor of Beethoven’s birthday in December.

 Sarah Jarosz’s Hometown Music Video.

She will be a guest artist with LO on March 6.

 Byron Stripling performing at the Jazz Trumpet Festival 2015.

Stripling will perform with LO April 10.

 Yuja Wang plays Ravel Piano Concerto in G major, which will be played by Teddy Abrams March 27.

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AUDIENCE INTERVIEW

KIM BAKER

PRESIDENT & CEO, KENTUCKY PERFORMING ARTS 22

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Kentucky Performing Arts is known for hosting a variety of electrifying performances — from marquee musicians and comedians, to the touring shows of PNC Broadway in Louisville, not to mention our own nationally renowned arts groups such as the Louisville Orchestra, Kentucky Opera, Louisville Ballet and StageOne Family Theatre.

When COVID hit last year, the team was forced to deal with a second disaster in just a couple years, the first being a fire that damaged the roof and lobby of its flagship venue, The Kentucky Center.

KPA owns and manages some of the best live event venues in the city, including The Kentucky Center, Brown Theatre, and the new Old Forester’s Paristown Hall.

During a time when the venues are quiet and dark, we caught up with KPA’s President & CEO, Kim Baker, as she navigates her team through these tough times.

This is an excerpt from the full interview. To read it in its entirety, visit Audience502.com.

G. Douglas Dreisbach: Back in March, when COVID first rocked our world and stages went dark, what were some of your initial thoughts, and were they accurate? Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

Kim Baker: I don’t necessarily think I would have done anything differently. But I can tell you that the steps we initially took have proven to have been the right steps, as difficult as those steps were. We unfortunately had to reduce our staff, but a lot of our staff have remained on furlough, coming up on a year now.

It’s been a long road, and the idea was to do our best to keep programming in place that we could do safely, and I am really proud of what we’ve done. We did the digital Governor’s School for the Arts, and we were still able to serve young artists across the commonwealth. We also stayed connected to the touring

We are certainly looking for hybrid events we might be able to do in the spring, where we can bring a small group together inside, have a performance, and then be able to do some distribution... industry and have had great artists like Jim Brickman, Dave Koz and the Blind Boys of Alabama making sure we were part of their national streams. We have also hosted events like Lights on Main and have worked with all of our incredible professional resident companies just to try to support what they might need with special tapings and capturing performances, so that they can distribute work and remain active.

Early on, with the Kentucky Center Presents series, we highlighted artists from their very own living room, and that was pretty fantastic. We covered all kinds of artists, partnered with great organizations like the Kennedy Center and KPA at Home with the support of some great sponsors, including Tourism, Arts and Heritage, Brown-Forman and Commonwealth Credit Union.

It really helped us stay connected to our local artists.

GDD: The Louisville arts scene has always been so resilient and creative. For example, the Louisville Orchestra’s collaborations at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall with artists like Sam Bush and Jason Clayborn were exciting.

These virtual events allow people to experience live performances without actually going to a venue.

What kind of creative concepts have you seen that you think might be sustainable, moving forward, to ensure safety, social distancing, and protocols that will allow you to jump on indoor live events when they’re allowed?

 Kim Baker. Photo courtesy of Kentucky Performing Arts.

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Kentucy Performing Arts venues, like the Brown Theatre pictured above, are incorporating new touchless procedures for 2021 performances and events.

KB: We are certainly looking for hybrid events we might be able to do in the spring, where we can bring a small group together inside, have a performance, and then be able to do some distribution, whether that’s on the big screen, on the projection screen at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall in Christy’s Garden, or whether that’s just streamed.

Just recently, we were really excited to read in Miami that the Miami City Ballet performed The Nutcracker outside, and that they had many shows that were sold out. To see all the dancers, although they had their masks on, move to the music of Tchaikovsky, with individuals and live audiences there, was just breathtaking. So, I think that is what we are seeing right now and embracing how to bring the arts outside, because that is where it is the safest to be.

As we see the spring and the summer come, I know our community is going to be looking for opportunities to be outdoors in very different ways, and how we can all come together inside again.

GDD: As we move into the new year, the future is so unknown as to where we’ll be in a month, three months, six months. How are you and your team approaching the new year in respect to booking performances, utilizing your venues in the best way and day-to-day business?

KB: There are a couple of things going on right now. After the holidays, when the new year begins, we are going to be laserfocused on getting our venues scheduled and what we need to do to prepare for a really successful reopening. We already have a calendar that is full in the fall for all of our theaters, full with what the wonderful resident companies want to do, full with holds from touring artists around the country. The industry wants to get back, and we will be here for them.

So, we have stayed in contact with agents and promoters and all of our wonderful companies to make sure that they know we’re ready.

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And then, we must get the facilities ready, and that’s going to require quite a bit of capital improvement. We are working to really provide a wonderful touchless situation. So, there will be some difference in procedures when you come back to a venue with Kentucky Performing Arts, but I think it’s really what’s expected, and that people will be really thankful that we have procedures in place. We’re going to have to make sure we do a great job communicating what to expect, so that everyone is ready and doesn’t run into any sort of challenges.

GDD: As with many businesses, you also had to scale back and furlough some staff. What is the process for ramping back up to full staff? And how does that work especially since you are likely busy now booking events, yet the revenues aren’t coming in yet?

KB: We have been able to maintain a lot of our core staff and even other staff that have been on furlough. Some staff have moved on to other positions, but they are ready to come back when we reopen. So, we absolutely are going to go through a period when we ramp back up from a staffing perspective.

When we first come back, we will be a smaller organization, but no less impactful. So, at this point, we’re really trying to almost redesign a bit of the organization, so that we can really operate in a smaller way, but still ensure that we have incredible customer service and offer an incredible experience for our artists and audiences.

GDD: What are some ways that people in the community can support Kentucky Performing Arts in 2021 and beyond?

KB: The most direct and impactful way is to just come back and enjoy live theater, live music and live entertainment when you feel safe and ready to do so. I think the arts community right now needs individuals and needs support. The entertainment industry was one of the first industries to close. It will definitely be one of the last to come back up. So, philanthropically, if you can support an arts organization, and maybe that is your Kentucky Performing Arts, please, please do so. We do need support from the community and support from individuals right now.

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AUDIENCE INTERVIEW

ROBERT CURRAN

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, LOUISVILLE BALLET

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The mission of the Louisville Ballet is to make moving art that inspires connection, conversation, and a profound sense of community by striving for bold collaborations and nurturing the next generation of artists, celebrating diversity and creating access for all. This has been a year to really push those boundaries and reconfigure the way the ballet achieves some of these goals.

We caught up with the talented Artistic Director, Robert Curran, who has led the company through a re-imagined Season of Illumination to bring the community in Louisville and beyond the magic of the ballet.

"...our role as an organization and as individuals that live in this community is to be a part of the solution — in terms of the pandemic — and not be part of the problem."

This is an excerpt from the full interview. To read it in its entirety, visit Audience502.com.

G. Douglas Dreisbach: When stages went dark back in March, what were your initial thoughts, and how did you adapt and emerge to some of the exciting things you are doing today?

Robert Curran: One of the most important refocusing ideas that we had was the belief that we are an agency — not just a luxury or part of the entertainment industry. But we are also a service industry. There are people out there who rely on us.

Whether it is for an experience to keep them whole, or whether they rely on us for their physical health and well-being, for their mental health or emotional health, we are a service agency for them. It was really important for us in the early days to refocus on that and figure out how we were going to stay in the lives of the people that we serve, and the people who need us.

From the company side, we pivoted very quickly to a digital stage, which is really something I have wanted to do ever since I arrived here. The thought was to create a platform that allows us to connect further, with a wider group of folks, and give the opportunity for people to get some idea of what Louisville Ballet is, without expecting them to come to Whitney Hall or the Brown Theatre, attend a class in person or be involved in one of our community engagement programs.

We made the decision early that we were not going to try and have in-person performances this season, and we were wellpositioned with the Season of Illumination to make that pivot successfully, illuminating all areas of Louisville Ballet on the digital platform. By quite literally using light and make some really exciting contributions to the digital dance landscape, we created that vision.

It was really sad, no doubt, to have to go dark on our stages.

I was heartbroken to not be able to present Kentucky Volume 1 on the stage. But, it was also very exciting once we made that decision, and still remains exciting, because this digital platform that we’re creating is going to last a long time, and certainly will still exist when we do eventually return to the stage.

GDD: When the company rehearses for a performance, and it is continuously pushed back and rescheduled because of COVID, how do you keep your team energized and focused?

RC: We have tried very hard not to do that, and that goes all the way back to our decision to not do any live, in-person performances this season. We did not want to put a date for a live performance out there and then have to keep shifting it. So, we made the call early that we were just not going to make our 69th season an in-person season.

 Robert Curran, Louisville Ballet's Artistic Director. Photo by Sam English.

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Robert Curran in rehearsal in 2015. Photo by Renata Pavam.

When the delays are caused by potential risks to the health and safety of human beings, I feel like there is, and has been, flexibility there. There has been a willingness to understand and an acceptance of the fact that it is largely out of our control, and our role as an organization and as individuals that live in this community is to be a part of the solution — in terms of the pandemic — and not be part of the problem.

We have been very clear about the deep care we have been taking of our artists and our administrators. The protocols we put in place show how seriously we take the artistic process with relation to our artists’ and collaborators’ health, and that’s been right at the forefront for us.

GDD: As we move into the new year, the future is still so unknown as to where we will be in a month, three months, six months. You have been very progressive on continuing with the Season of Illumination, in a digital format. How have your goals and opportunities changed?

and inspired by the idea of getting artistic content up, enriching that content online, and also enriching the experience of our patrons who come to see us in person through another online experience.

So, that is a big change for Louisville Ballet, and certainly the lemonade that we have made from the lemon of this pandemic. But at the core of it, our mission, our vision for our future, our commitment to art and artists, our commitment to new work, continues just as strong as it has before. And as I have mentioned, never stronger is our commitment to our community and the role we play in serving them.

GDD: What is the best way for people to support the Louisville Ballet currently and moving forward as we move into another year of unknown?

RC: Well, some have changed, and some haven’t. Something that has not changed is that we see ourselves as an integral part of our community, both in the services we provide and in the art we create. We are right at the beginning of a five-year strategic plan that continues to affirm Louisville Ballet as a vital part of our community. We have a lot of excitement built into that strategic plan and are really focused on who we always have been.

RC: Engage with us. Talk to us. That is my humble request to everyone. Learn about us, get involved with us, engage with us. That's the beginning of a relationship that is mutually beneficial. I can guarantee that. And to those who can afford to support us now, in this very, very difficult time, please do.

But start with engaging with us first, because we want to be able to demonstrate to our community the value that we provide, both to individuals and to the community at large.

We want to earn the support that we believe we deserve but we need to get to know you, and you need to get to know us, first.

But things that have changed would be our approach to the digital stage, our approach to the ways that we can share the art we create, share the benefits of its creation, and share more about the artists and collaborators that are involved. That is exciting to me. I cannot say enough how much I’m motivated

So, please visit LouisvilleBallet.org check out LouBallet on Instagram and on social. Get on Facebook. Have a look at what we’re doing. Get to know us. Ask questions. We’ll answer them. We’ll ask you questions. And see how special we are as a company in our community and what we can bring to your life.

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SERVICE & SHAKESPEARE

SHAKESPEARE WITH VETERANS PROGRAM CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY 30

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sk one of the members of Kentucky Shakespeare’s Shakespeare with Veterans why they’re in the program, the first thing they’ll tell you — it’s the people.

“Absolutely,” says Darryl Stewart, a Vietnam veteran of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division. “The people are what it's all about. This group has the most intelligent, articulate, and funny people around and there’s a sense of camaraderie there that you don't get anywhere else. Nowhere.”

Cassie Boblitt, who served with the Army in Iraq in 2003, agrees. “I've met my best friends in this program, truly,” she says. “I could call on the people in this group for anything, and I think it’s remarkable that so many of the same people that were there on night one are still there.”

“Night one” was five years ago. Kentucky Shakespeare leadership and retired Col. Fred Johnson — co-founder of Shakespeare with Veterans — met with a group of veterans from all branches of service and eras and as Boblitt says, they’ve been coming ever since, every Thursday night. There’s no cost to attend, and you don’t need to know a “thee” from a “thou” to join in.

The crew intended to celebrate their anniversary with an abridged performance of Shakespeare’s Henry V before one of Kentucky Shakespeare’s mainstage shows. As is the case with most things in 2020, the pandemic had other things in mind and the vets’ meetings weren’t able to happen in person.

With the group meeting only once per week, every minute of rehearsal time was vital.

Boblitt says the group could feel the days slipping away.

“When you're only meeting once a week, you have to start really early to do a full performance. So there was definitely a lot of anxiety when we had to start canceling rehearsal and scaling back.”

Kentucky Shakespeare Associate Artistic Director Amy Attaway facilitates Shakespeare with Veterans. “We shifted to meeting

SWV meeting, summer 2020.

Photo courtesy of Shakespeare with Veterans.

online,” she says. “Then we were able to meet outside in Central Park for a couple of months. As the days got shorter, it was dark by the end of our meetings. At one of the last outdoor meetings, Dr. Pat brought a candle on a stand, and we sat around like it was a campfire and told stories. It was a magical night.”

Dr. Pat — James Patrick Murphy — served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Navy. He’s one of the newest members of Shakespeare with Veterans, joining a little less than a year ago, and says the group embraced him with open arms. “I showed up at the meeting and that was it. They welcomed me in like I was an old friend, like I was supposed to be there.”

That magical night telling stories may be part of what inspired the group’s pivot, Veteran Stories from Shakespeare, a virtual performance to celebrate the fifth anniversary season of Shakespeare with Veterans.

“I think Rob [Givens, retired Brigadier General in the U.S. Air Force] came up with the idea,” says Stewart. “We wanted to let each veteran — each veteran who wanted to — tell a personal story about their service and then illustrate that story with a brief scene from Shakespeare, a story that has something in common with the scene.”

 Shakespeare with Veterans Curtain Call, July 2018. Photo by Brian Owens.

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SWV meeting, Vet Center porch, Summer 2020. Photo courtesy of Shakespeare with Veterans.

RELIVING STORIES THROUGH THE LENS OF SHAKESPEARE “The Veteran Stories from Shakespeare came to be in many different ways,” says Attaway. “Some of the members started with a piece of Shakespeare text that inspired them, some started with the story and we worked together to choose a piece that resonated. In all cases, the juxtaposition of war story and Shakespeare made each more powerful.”

That pairing is also at the core of Shakespeare with Veterans.

The men and women who serve — particularly those who served in combat — are understandably not always eager to share or relive those stories. Shakespeare offers an organic way to allow those conversations and discovery that lets the veteran step into the light at their own pace rather than have the light shine directly upon them.

“If you just ask the question: ‘What happened? Give me a story of the war,’ it would be very hard for a veteran just to come out and say this stuff,” says Boblitt. “But in studying the words of Shakespeare and hearing the different characters talk about their experiences, in war or just in whatever situation, so many of us could say, ‘Oh, I can totally relate to that.’ And our group is full of enlisted, full of officers, from the entry-level rank all the way up to the highest ranking, and it's enabled us to talk and share our own experiences, to act them out and then look at them differently, act them differently, from one person to the next.”

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“When you're in a situation like Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan,” says Stewart, “I think most of us are left with feelings that are unresolved and that we're not eager to share. When I first mentioned going to Shakespeare with Veterans, my younger brother — and I'm very close to him — asked me, ‘Are you going to talk about Vietnam? Because it's been 46 years and it might do you good to talk about it.’ And the thing about Shakespeare with Vets is you learn, as you deal with Shakespeare, that the feelings that you're left with — that you think are exclusively yours — are not; they’re feelings that other people have had through the years. Shakespeare's warriors had them, they're common to the world, and it gives you an ability to finally share a little bit of that with other people and that's important. It really is.”

TALES FROM THE TRENCHES Stewart’s story tells of a rare day off at Eagle Beach in Vietnam and what he believed to be a fatal mistake — falling asleep on a floatation device and when he wakes, discovers he’s drifted far out to sea. He panics, desperate to make it to shore, only to learn that the water is so shallow he was never in danger. “Never occurred to me to check how deep the water was,” says Stewart.

“There were not a lot of pleasant things in Vietnam, and I am a little sensitive about what I try to remember. This was probably the second most pleasant thing that I could think of that would interest anybody, and I think it does have a useful moral to the story: don’t panic until you know all the facts.”

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A FAMILY LEGACY IN LIFE AND ON STAGE Murphy’s story takes a different twist. He speaks of a time in his career when a superior, his senior medical advisor, admonished him. Believing himself in the right, Murphy pushed back on his superior, but rather than escalate the situation, his superior showed him grace.

“It was such a small thing,” says Murphy, “but as the years went by, I thought about that moment a lot. I realized that he was right and that I was wrong. It was a real moment where he showed up and demonstrated really strong leadership. He had the strength and maturity to let me blow off steam.”

“That, to me, typified one of the best parts about the military — the fact that young people can get in there and are given duties and roles, much more responsibility than you could ever dream of having in the private sector right out of school, and they allow you to grow up and mature quickly,” he adds.

That legacy of leadership has added significance for Murphy, as one of his sons, Kellen, is about to follow in his footsteps, on the path to becoming a Naval flight surgeon like his father.

Kellen is also an actor, so for the elder Murphy’s piece, he turned the acting over to his son for his Shakespeare selection: a piece from Henry IV: Part I, featuring the young Prince Hal, a bit young and full of himself before he matures to take the crown as Henry V. Kellen will be the third Murphy to join the Navy.

Rob Givens and Cassie Boblitt in Henry IV, 2018

Stewart pairs his story with a performance of Shakespeare’s Romeo, who panics and acts impulsively when he sees a seemingly dead Juliet, who in reality is only sleeping (though sleeping in the family tomb, so one can forgive Romeo a little for his confusion).

Boblitt’s story recalls a night in Iraq, lying in her cot listening to combat in the distance, juxtaposed with being a teenager living near Fort Knox, hearing combat exercises from her bed.

“I go back to that in my mind a lot,” she says, “thinking of the moral injury and just processing the experience of not being physically involved in the combat in that moment, but understanding what was going on, and hearing it all happen, and being alone in my cot and imagining what every blast meant.”

“My Dad was in the Navy,” says Murphy. “And when I think of Shakespeare with Veterans, I think of him. If he were still alive, I’d bring him down to Shakespeare with Veterans. To be able to be with a group of veterans who understand, but also to give him an opportunity to be able to do something that's artistic.

I think there are a lot of Jim Murphy's out there. And maybe they think, ‘Oh, I’m not an actor and it’s really hard to do that kind of stuff.’ But it's not about acting, though you can do that.

It's about being together with some people that know where you came from, sharing experiences, and leaving there feeling a little bit better about who you are.”

Kentucky Shakespeare’s Shakespeare with Veterans: Veteran Stories from Shakespeare is available online, currently streaming on the Shakespeare with Veterans Facebook page.

To get involved with Shakespeare with Veterans, visit kyshakespeare.com or contact Amy Attaway at (502) 574-9900.

Meetings are free to attend on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., currently online via Zoom. Click here to support the program with a tax-deductible donation, or mail a check to Shakespeare with Veterans c/o Kentucky Shakespeare, 323 W. Broadway, Suite 401, Louisville, KY 40202.

She partners her story with a selection from Richard II, in which John of Gaunt tries to get the future king, Henry, to change his way of thinking, something that resonates with Boblitt and her ability to reframe her experiences to form new perspectives.

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SHAKESPEARE AT HOME In the videos below, Shakespeare with Veterans Program participants share stories of their wartime experiences, pairing them with some of The Bard’s most famous scenes.

 VIDEO: Cassie Boblitt

 VIDEO: Dr. James Patrick Murphy

 VIDEO: Darryl Stewart

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PEOPLE TO KNOW

AUDIENCE INTERVIEW

MATT WALLACE PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, KENTUCKY SHAKESPEARE

by G. Douglas Dreisbach

Kentucky Shakespeare is known for its summer productions of Shakespeare in the Park, serving as one of the only live performing arts outlets during the summer months. The organization is also instrumental in providing education and outreach in schools and the community, and so much more.

We were excited to catch up with the Producing Artistic Director Matt Wallace, to hear about what it has been like navigating through the pandemic, staying creative and ultimately having a uniquely successful season.

This is an excerpt from the full interview. To read it in its entirety, visit Audience502.com.

Matt Wallace

G. Douglas Dreisbach: Looking back, when groups started to go dark in March due to COVID, it seemed like Kentucky Shakespeare would be the first one back on stage. By summer, the pandemic was supposed to be an afterthought. We all believed that when your first performance premiered, it would be the launchpad for other live performances.

You and your team stretched your creativity and made a lot of 36

and then we continued to adjust.

Now, here we are in the same boat nine months later saying, “Wow, I really hope outdoor events are going to be safe in 2021.” But yes, we started that process, continually adjusting it back with moving to Plan B, and I can’t even remember now, but I think it was Plan T that we ended up with. I am really just so grateful for our amazing team of artists and technicians, our board of directors, our staff and everybody that just remained so flexible throughout that process.

adjustments, including adding parking lot performances and other caveats to make lemonade out of lemons. What were some of your initial thoughts at the beginning of the pandemic, and how have you adapted and progressed to make the best out of the season?

Matt Wallace: Wow, yes, what a process of adjusting our expectations this year.

At first, we thought, “OK, we’re hopefully going to be good with outdoor events,”

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We adjusted and created our Celebrate 60: the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival Anniversary Production. We worked with our filmmaking team, Abby Sage, and Visual Poet Studios, and were able to hire most of our cast and some of our crew, and we put together a piece that we filmed live on our stage, celebrating 60 years of Kentucky Shakespeare.

With all of the archival material, we were able to have the time to go through the interviews we were able to conduct, in partnership with the University of Louisville’s history department, and really honor the 60

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2020 Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, Macbeth. Photo by Bill Brymer.

Matt Wallace in 2015

years in a meaningful way. So, that was one of the adjustments, of course, with the summer season.

Through all these pivots and innovations and trying to figure out how to be able to serve people, I was determined to try to do some live theater in 2020, and that’s when the Shakespeare in the Parking Lot program came about and really created a meaningful experience for all of us at a time when we really needed it. Over 2,000 people were able to experience live theater in the parking lot in October.

GDD: How have your goals and priorities changed for the upcoming 2021 year and season?

MW: Well, of course, in the middle of COVID, we have this reckoning of the social justice movement, spotlights on these inequities and the injustice, systemic racism, so this was all part of all of our year. Having those difficult conversations, looking at our policies, going through training — many workshops and listening sessions and staff work and board work that we had done some of before, but not in such a meaningful way. And we’re just getting

going. So, I think that that’s a great piece of growth for our community, and a difficult piece, so I’m glad that we’re all doing this work, so that’s something that’s going to continue in many ways with our company, our board, our staff, and our hiring.

Our next steps I would say are really hoping that we are going to do a parks tour and summer season. 2020 taught us to be flexible and to try to be more in the moment, so we’re just preparing to roll with those punches, and hopefully outdoor spaces are going to be the first places that we’re going to be able to create some live art again.

We are also looking at other ideas, wondering about the possibility of bringing back a different Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production, but right now we’re in the middle of the school year, and are full steam ahead with our many education programs. So, in the office next to me right now, our team is doing a virtual digital workshop residency with Down Syndrome of Louisville. This and other programs allow us to reach people all over the state, and we have a big focus on that.

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And we did extend all of the offers of our summer season team, and that same season that we were planning on producing last summer, Shakespeare in Love, Henry V, and Merry Wives of Windsor, we extended those offers to everyone for next summer, so we’ll soon be in the process of working on how we can make all that happen.

GDD: What are the best ways for people to support Kentucky Shakespeare, now and in the future?

MW: Like so many of our arts and culture institutions, we are a not-forprofit charitable organization. We run on a lean budget, and we depend greatly on the kindness and generosity of our donors. So, of course, one way is joining us as a Kentucky Shakespeare donor.

All that info is at KYShakespeare.com where you will find a Donate section.

We also have company benefits with that, access to VIP experiences, to our work and more.

Also, experiencing what Kentucky Shakespeare does through our Facebook and Twitter feeds, which are constantly being updated, will keep you in touch on what we have going on. We will be having lots of free public programming coming up in 2021, so I just encourage people to experience us and what we are offering.

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THE ARTS & COVID-19

KEEPING YOUTH CREATIVELY ENGAGED FOR THE #NEXTNORMAL 38

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f art imitates life, then what will the next generation of artists have to say about the world that shaped them?

Prior to COVID-19, technology already altered the creative landscape in immeasurable ways. Streaming services like Netflix provide a virtually limitless content library, while platforms like YouTube allow youth to learn artistic skills (think: piano, painting, pottery, etc.) without ever having to leave their bedroom.

"Our students have expressed that they are dealing with the weight of their lives being upended [due to COVID-19] and that CTC was a place of refuge for them in a stressful, saddening time."

— Charlie Sexton

Virtual learning seemed like the natural next step, even if precipitated by a global pandemic. Yet, the arts have always been a communal experience.

young creatives engaged.

Whether it’s the mentor-mentee relationship or the experience of performing in front of a live crowd, part of one’s artistic self is often shaped by external forces. Indeed, young artists thrive when they can explore their creativity and collaborate with peers and mentors. How then are young artists supposed to stay creatively engaged when global challenges require social distancing?

“For most of our students, the opportunity to come once a week to the facility was the only opportunity to interact with their peers,” Sexton says. “The arts feed the soul, as well as an optimistic outlook on the future. Our students have expressed that they are dealing with the weight of their lives being upended [due to COVID-19] and that CTC was a place of refuge for them in a stressful, saddening time.”

ARE THE ARTS ESSENTIAL?

Another youth arts group that has found an essential role in the community is the Academy of Music Production Education and Development (AMPED), which offers free music and music production classes to underserved youth.

In 2017, Fund for the Arts launched the Imagine Greater Louisville 2020 Cultural Plan. It was designed to ensure arts access, education, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to cultivate and promote the Louisville area as a nationally recognized hub of the arts.

The wonderful serendipity is that none of us could have imagined the challenges we would face in 2020. Through all of this, the arts have been a powerful source for healing and rebuilding, especially for keeping young creatives engaged.

During the initial lockdowns, we heard a lot about “essential workers,” as COVID-19 revealed much about the nature of work in the United States. In addition to fueling our local and national economies, arts and cultural institutions play an essential role in the recovery of schools and communities.

One of the youth arts groups at the forefront of this effort is the Commonwealth Theatre Center (CTC), which is home to a conservatory for students ages 5 through 18. Artistic Director Charlie Sexton emphasizes the essential role arts play in keeping

According to Dave Christopher Jr., one of the instructors at AMPED, “The arts are more important than ever because of isolation and the threat of depression.”

But can the arts effectively build community behind digital screens?

UNDERSTANDING THE EVOLUTION OF DIGITAL LEARNING Most youth arts programs in Louisville are taking a hybrid approach.

At AMPED, in-person classes for younger guitar students are encouraged because of the difficulty in showing finger placements. In-person lessons not only foster a healthy mentormentee relationship, but also ensure students learn proper technique. To ensure the safety of everyone involved, AMPED

 Students engaged in a music lession through Academy of Music Production Education and Development (AMPED).

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Commonwealth Theatre Center offers progressive theatre classes and a full season of productions for students of all levels.

Photo courtesy of Fund for the Arts.

limits the number of people inside its entire building to three at a time: student, instructor, and parent.

When it comes to young artists, the showcases also go on.

Students in underserved communities might not have the instruments or technology to learn from home, so AMPED works to provide access to those students. “For our virtual students, we deliver sanitized instruments, laptops, and hotspots to those that have need,” Christopher says.

CTC’s Walden Theatre Conservatory provides its students with multiple opportunities throughout the year to showcase their artistic development. “We ordinarily do over 150 public performances in our Mainstage Season, and in the conservatory, classes have an opportunity to showcase their work at the end of the semester,” Sexton says.

Even if screens separate students from their instructors, AMPED is intentional in keeping the community connected.

“We provide art kits for family projects for mental health support,” says Christopher. “We also had to deal with food insecurity.”

But with the temporary shuttering of theaters and public venues, these performances have gone online. “This fall, we went solely digital, giving the opportunity for students to film their work and share with their families,” says Sexton. “We found that this stretched a different skill set of film acting, as well as

While there have been challenges to implementing an effective digital learning environment, there have been many unexpected benefits as well. “We’ve been able to connect with students outside of Louisville,” says Christopher. “We have students in Georgia, California, and Hawaii. We’ve also been able to expand the class sizes.”

SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION

Aside from providing increased access, online learning has also made the creative process easier for younger students.

It is common for young artists to be shy, reserved, or otherwise inhibited, especially in in-person classes. The opportunity to learn from the comforts of home has helped some students feel more at ease with their creativity, unlocking more of their potential.

CTC’s Charlie Sexton adds, “Meeting in a digital format has allowed some of our students to engage in the programs with a confidence and bravery that sometimes in-person instruction can limit. This has offered accessibility to all types of students.”

Performances are among the key formative experiences for young artists. Many professional theater troupes and musicians have fulfilled the adage that “the show must go on” through virtual performances.

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AMPED Commonwealth Theatre Center La’Nita Rocknettes School of Dance Louisville Ballet School Louisville Children’s Film Festival

YES, SHOWCASES ALSO GO ON

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Fund for the Arts recognizes the role arts will play in helping communities process trauma, restore joy, and support wellbeing. That’s why the organization supports local youth arts groups that are helping cultivate the next generation of artists. Fund for the Arts works with the following youth arts groups in the Louisville area:

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Louisville Youth Choir

Sacred Heart School for the Arts Squallis Puppeteers StageOne Family Theatre Steam Exchange The Little Loomhouse The Louisville Academy of Music

Louisville Youth Orchestra

West Louisville Performing Arts Academy

River City Drum Corp

Young Authors Greenhouse

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Students at The Little Loomhouse show off some of their work. Photo courtesy of Fund for the Arts.

giving the opportunity to share their work with their community not in our immediate area.”

At AMPED, the opportunity for students to showcase new pieces is equally important. Since AMPED focuses not only on music performance, but also music production and music technology, the shift to virtual performances seemed natural. “Students do perform showcases at the end each session. They also perform at various events, and it’s all virtual using StreamYard,” says Christopher.

He adds that music lessons, music production, and performances help students identify and develop life skills, including confidence, collaboration, problem solving and perseverance.

WHAT DOES THE #NEXTNORMAL LOOK LIKE? There are some monumental changes going on in the entertainment and arts industry. Performance venues, for example, are experiencing financial hardships due to extended closures.

While some might be concerned about the kind of world youth will “graduate into” when the pandemic is over, those directly involved in youth arts groups say there’s little to worry about.

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“We have the fullest confidence that this generation of young artists will roll with whatever is given to them and make it into something impactful and incredible for all those that love the theatre.”

— Charlie Sexton “Who is to say what ‘normal’ is or will be? What we know is that art imitates life, and we have been able to garner from our stakeholders and students that they are taking this version of life and making amazing art out of it.” Sexton says. “We have the fullest confidence that this generation of young artists will roll with whatever is given to them and make it into something impactful and incredible for all those that love the theatre.”

AMPED’s Christopher agrees. “I believe that [the] arts will be just fine. Arts is a flame not easily extinguished.”

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PEOPLE TO KNOW

AUDIENCE INTERVIEW

CHRISTEN BOONE PRESIDENT & CEO, FUND FOR THE ARTS

by G. Douglas Dreisbach

This is an excerpt from the full interview. To read it in its entirety, visit Audience502.com.

months, and shifted to a focus on raising money that our community, our artists and our creative community needed to be able to really stabilize through this period.

Credit: Ben Marcum Photography

The Fund for the Arts is an important anchor in the Louisville arts community, with the goal to provide arts access, education, diversity, and ultimately to promote the city as a nationally recognized epicenter of the arts.

Being nearly 10 months into an unprecedented public health crisis with COVID, combined with social and civil situations that we’re all dealing with, we caught up with President and CEO Christen Boone to see how the Fund has adjusted so far, and how the organization intends to move forward.

With the help of donors that were able to un-restrict dollars, we were able to raise about $7 million this past year.

That is less than the last few years when we raised around $8 to $8.5 million.

But, it was incredibly generous during a really tough economic period, and a period of uncertainty for so many.

Christen Boone

G. Douglas Dreisbach: Looking back over the past nine months, have the goals at Fund for the Arts changed?

How has your team adjusted to the adversity?

challenges, I have just continued to be incredibly inspired by the work that our artists and organizations do, and the continued generosity of our community to support that work.

Christen Boone: Well, in 2017, we launched a new cultural plan with the now-ironic name of Imagine 2020.

Just to even say the name of that plan now kind of brings a smile because we could have never imagined what 2020 would bring. But despite all the

For us, a lot of goals center around contributed income and our annual campaign. The pandemic hit in March, and the campaign usually closes at the end of June. So, our board expanded that campaign, turned it into a recovery campaign, extended the timeline two

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We invested those dollars in a variety of ways, including operating dollars for so many of our arts organizations, providing important stabilizing dollars for large, small, and emerging organizations to be able to continue to do their work and other areas of need.

We are also proud of the work that has happened after the death of Breonna Taylor, and the racial justice movement that really came to light here in Louisville and across the country in June. We reached out and said, “How do we help elevate the voices of our Black neighbors, our Black artists, activists, to help make sure this community is

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We knew that schools could not come to experience the arts through field trips, and we couldn’t have artists go into classrooms when children were going to school online. So, our teaching artists quickly pivoted and worked with the schoolteachers in saying, “How do we provide this kind of enriching experience to kids in a new, different way?”

The resilience and the innovation that came out of our artist community was incredible, and that’s what we needed to talk to donors about, and is what was needed now for this community to continue to move forward.

Christen Boone speaking at an event. Photo courtesy of Fund for the Arts.

Throughout history, the arts have helped people to better understand each other. Whether it is song, poetry, or visual art, it all helps us share our frustrations, anger, grief, or sadness, but it also helps to promote empathy and understanding, and ultimately the healing that will be needed for our community to really be a place where everyone can thrive.

really having important conversations about moving forward towards greater equity?” From this, we were able to make new investments in Black artists and Black-owned restaurants, and help to keep those conversations and voices heard that often go untold.

So, although this year did not look as we thought it would, I think the arts inspired us, comforted us, and challenged us in many ways.

GDD: Have you seen any strengths or weaknesses arise this year that may have altered the way the Fund is now doing things that it wasn’t before?

CB: Over the last several years, the Imagine 2020 cultural plan included five priorities. One of those priorities, and the one that I will say was the loudest and most urgent at the time, was the priority of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and that was created in 2017.

Over the last few years, both our cultural community and the Fund for the Arts have been working closely together to achieve those priorities, so when this year landed with some of its challenges, it was not necessarily new work for the Fund, and it’s wasn’t new work for the cultural community overall. It is work that we had been taking steps toward, and had begun to address some of the historical inequities.

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GDD: When the board extended your fundraising campaign, did your pitch to donors change? How did the tone and sense of urgency affect how you approached donors?

CB: Yes, it had to change. If we went to the community and said, “We want to ask you for support for X,” it would not be relevant since our world was changed. Everything was flipped upside down on us, so we had to be relevant to that. So, we began to say, “Your support means access in public spaces, in our museums and more.” For a period of time, it meant that it would be online or virtual or perhaps in small audiences.

For many of us, we know the arts are so important to the education of our children, and the integration of the arts helps kids to learn better. Those who study heavily in the arts are more likely to graduate high school and go on to college, and there are great benefits that come along with that.

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Also, for nearly all our arts organizations, the earned income, whether it was ticket sales, subscriptions, admissions, sponsorships, class tuition, or other revenue streams, they all came to a screeching halt. So, we knew there was a big need for dollars to stabilize organizations so they could weather the storm of this pandemic and be ready to rebound and to be part of our community’s long-term economic recovery.

GDD: What are the best ways for people to support the Fund for the Arts in 2021 and for years to come?

CB: There are a number of ways to support the Fund for the Arts and the creatives in our community. One is to simply go to FundForTheArts.org and make a gift. Our work is supported by nearly 20,000 donors who give anywhere from a dollar a week to $10 a month and more. So, by signing up to be a sustaining donor through the Fund for the Arts is critical to this work.

Another easy way to show support is by following us on social media. Whether it is through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, they are all a big part of our story and people can help by helping spread that story. And ultimately, they can support us by simply participating in all the arts, whether it’s buying your gifts from local artists or buying your season subscriptions in advance. Those are just a couple of ways to engage with and support our local arts community.

That really is going to be that key part of healing and rebuilding this community for the future.

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