Why Chicago Needs Bigger Place on World's Stage
From Chris Jones, Theater critic for the Chicago Tribune:
New international arts initiatives must navigate some tricky waters. Local arts organizations are wary of sudden new competition for audiences and philanthropic dollars. Chicago's arts organizations are far more cooperative than those in most cities, but competitive impulses are still strong, and control of international work, especially international work with funding attached, enhances institutional and individual prestige. Those existing relationships must be nurtured and protected, but they also can't be allowed to choke new and radical initiatives. Meanwhile, local artists often argue that bringing in the likes of Robert LePage or Philip Glass (both of whom are appearing at Luminato next month) merely diverts resources from Chicago's own underfunded arts scene and offers no benefits to those who live and work here for much less compensation than such cultural titans routinely command. Yet Chicago is a huge city, and merely creating a marketing plan for what's already here — creating a website and calling existing shows an international festival — would hardly make a NATO-size international splash.