Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005
A posh, supper soiree for the upper echelon of the “Arts Community” was held in a fabulous home in the East Rock silk stocking district last night. The group gathered to have an orchestrated conversation with Long Wharf’s artistic director, Gordon Edelstein, and Dean James Bundy of the Yale Drama School and the Yale Repertory Theatre.
The assembled group considers the Long Wharf move to downtown a fait accompli — based on a $3 million promise from then-Gov. John Rowland!
In their complacency, they refuse to acknowlege that the state Bond Commission has not approved the expenditure of these funds and that
their meetings were cancelled for October and November.
Serendipitously, the Commission is scheduled to deliberate this matter in December (elections behind them). Gov. Rell has already acknowleged that some of the projects will be reconsidered in light of the budget; she is the chair.
New Haveners are divided in their support of this use of downtown
commercial real estate. How large is the critical mass of people to be attracted to downtown? How often will they come? Given the degree of parking difficulty, how many of the current out-of-town subscribers will continue their attendance and support of the
theater?
What might the real economic impact be? New Haven owes more to its
taxpayers than the catchy nickname of “Cultural Capital of Connecticut.”