Delta & BOA Pull Funding Over ‘Julius Caesar’ – Shame on Them

Variety: It is a distinctly American thing, to rely on corporate funding for the arts. On one hand, it is a sign of how wary our domestic establishment still is about taxpayer money funding the arts. On the other, it is a signifier of our social compact with our corporations: We rely on them to fund the arts because we, and they, believe that the arts contribute something important and lasting to the public firmament. One of the reasons that art needs to be funded is because it should exist at least partially outside the world of endlessly pursuing profit; art reminds us that there is more to life than punching a time card, and nourishes us outside of the daily grind. This should go without saying, but it is not “offensive” to criticize the most powerful man in the world, especially when done so without even naming him. The power dynamic at play there operates against the theater, not against the president.