Jun 23, 2009

Bets, Anyone?

Leonard Jacobs, reporting the news of North Shore shuttering and Long Wharf slashing its budget by $1 million, weighs in:

Among other things, I ask this question — if [North Shore] didn’t raise the $2 million it needed to, fine, but what will become of the $500,000 that it did raise? If someone gave money thinking they were helping the theater to survive, and the theater didn’t survive, to what degree is this a false pretenses case? Anyone?

False pretenses? As in, a scam? You wanna back that up with anything, Leonard? Nah. Just assume that when a theater closes it has no debts to settle or bills to pay and should just give back all those tax-deductible donations. On the other hand, maybe North Shore overlooked a great alternative revenue stream: They could run a betting pool on which theater will go next.
Now, I’m not suggesting that Long Wharf is about to go the way of North Shore — far from it, or so it seems. But it does raise a more, or at least equally, salient question: What theater will be the next to go the way of North Shore and that of so many others? Should we take bets?

Sounds like a blast! Anyone? Anyone?

Leonard's closer, taking a knock at my employer, is a bit of a non-sequitur:
Or should we call the situation what it is — a dire emergency — and wonder to what extent organizations like Theatre Communications Group should or could be put into action. A far more dynamic URL might be a great way to start, assuming administrative resistance to the idea can be assuaged.

We'll get right on that.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Is the North Shore Music theater a 501(C)3? (I can't tell from the website). If so, then the $500,000 must, by Federal Law, be passed on to another 501(c)3.

Leonard Jacobs said...

Thanks for the snark, Rob. Classy. First, asking what becomes of the money raised is a perfectly fine and totally appropriate question. If you look at the comment on your own post (the same comment was affixed to mine), part of my query is answered. If you look at the other comment on my post, there is a link to another article talking about how some subscribers will not receive refunds. As for my comment about TCG, I could explain to you clearly why it wasn't a nonsequitur, but the tone of your post -- and your general dislike for me personally, which has not gone unnoticed -- suggests it is perhaps better left undiscussed. I am sorry, however, that you feel about me the way you do.

Rob Weinert-Kendt said...

Nothing personal meant. I just thought the charge of "false pretenses" and the suggestion to place bets on which theater would die next didn't seem helpful.

Unknown said...

You're entitled to that view, but playing the tsk-tsking nanny isn't helpful, either. You say nothing personal meant, but frankly, you know that's not really true.