High Cost of Culture

Atlanta prides itself on being a city of culture as well as wealth, and last October it put its most prestigious culture under one $13 million roof: the Atlanta Memorial Arts Center.* The big glass and concrete structure on Peachtree Street was hailed as the only one of the nation's arts centers to house res ident companies in repertory theater, opera, ballet and symphony -- as well as an art museum, and an art library and school.

Last week, just 100 days after the Memorial Center's dedication, Atlantans were shocked to hear that the ballet, opera and dramatic repertory were folding. Their parent, Atlanta Municipal Theater, had already run up a deficit of $300,000 and could continue no longer at the center. The reason was partly financial mismanagement and partly over-ambition. The Theater had kicked off its season with a superproduction of John Dryden and Henry Purcell's 17th century opera King Arthur, which simultaneously showed off the opera, ballet and dramatic companies. It cost $250,000, but it drew enough of an audience to just about break even. Other productions (La Boheme, Les Sylphides, The Hostage) were less successful and, as costs rose far above revenues, the deficits began to pile up. Editorialized the Atlanta Constitution: "There is still an altogether too widespread attitude that culture is an exclusive club--something to be seen by black-tied, be-minked audiences only." Michael Howard, artistic director of the Repertory Theater, feels that "people ought to be able to go to the theater without a necktie if they want to. They ought to be able to buy popcorn. Theater should be part of their lives."

Apparently that idea has not caught on in Atlanta. As matters now stand, unless Atlanta's citizens come forward with a big, overall subsidy, the opera, ballet and repertory theater will have to operate independently, scrambling in an every-man-for-himself competition for funds. In that case, the ballet and theater face severe difficulties. The opera, under the direction of veteran opera singer Blanche Thebom, may go under altogether.

*Named for 106 Atlantans who died in a Paris airplane crash six years ago, while on a tour of European art galleries.

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