I wanted to let you know on the evening of August 10^th in New York City, I will be giving a free Talk at 10pm, with a discussion to follow:

WHY A NATIONAL THEATRE CENTER!  WHY NOW!

At a time of national crisis, just think about what could we be doing for our country with a National Theatre Center? 

In the early 1900’s Joseph Jefferson (the Tom Hanks of that day), and even Sarah Bernhardt spoke of America having a National Art Theatre – it can no longer remain a dream. 

In 1963 President John F. Kennedy words riveted us: “I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recognition of the place of our artists. 

If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him…Art is not a form of propaganda, it is a form of truth…art establishes the basic human truths which must serve as the touchstones of our judgment.”

Each one of us has a responsibility to build a “place for our artists.”

The time has come for A National Theatre Center to engage our people, to invoke in them their highest ideals and compassion, to enable them to see themselves in a more enlightened way through our finest actors, playwrights, directors, choreographers, set and lighting designers, all those who are able to share the drama of our people.

Come on August 17^th and share your thoughts – the time is now!

It is also the tenth year Anniversary of the only Newspaper in America dedicated to the art of the theatre, “The Soul of the American Actor,” and you can find the current issue online at http://www.soulamericanactor.com/ - www.SoulAmericanActor.com  

This is nothing new as there have been countless attempts to do this on many different levels over many different years.  There are various companies set up throughout the land that do this on their own level, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, the Guthrie Theater, and dozens of others.  John Houseman started The Acting Company (that included more than just actors) BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) had multiple performing spaces and actors and designers.  Remember our favorite director at the time when we were both plebeans (Frank Dunlop from Ceasar) he wanted to do the same thing.  The Phoenix Theatre in New York from '53 - '61 included designers and actors as a company and was the closest thing we had to a national theatre.  Circle Rep with Marshall Mason's direction, was an off-broadway company doing the same thing.  Some were smaller and some were larger, but various ideas have been started and in working fashion in one way or another over the years.  Many tried to be "the national theater" company of the country.

President Kennedy also said "We all do not have equal talent, but we all should have the equal opportunites to develop that talent".  That's what many community theatres are doing today - providing those opportunities.