The Playgoer: Cornerstone Theater Company

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Saturday, June 11, 2005

Cornerstone Theater Company

For many years Cornerstone has been practicing their own distinct brand of community based theater--involving as much outreach and activism as aesthetics. So for an alternative kind of political engagment possible in theatre, here's a rare piece in today's Times about them.

Is it in the Arts section? No, in "Religion." (Though you'll find it on the online version of the "Theater" page.) That's two for two in a week, that Arts has missed out on the best theatre articles in the paper. Of course, "missed" would be giving them credit...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You raise an interesting point about The Times' arts coverage.

There are probably a number of reasons why The Times' best arts coverage tends to appears outside the Arts pages. But one reason, surely, is that editors and reporters on the Arts beat are very much creatures of the entertainment universe: they need access to--and scoops from--showbiz folks to do their jobs.

So aggressive, detailed reporting--which almost always involves ticking someone off--is dangerous business. Much safer to stick to puff pieces. (Read the Arts & Leisure lately?)

It's the same reason why the best coverage of the Bush administration often shows up in the Business pages: Economics writers aren't nearly as concerned as are political reporters about whether their calls to the White House will get returned.