In the wake of the June 12 elimination of all state arts and culture grants in Florida by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Palm Beach ArtsPaper’s Hap Erstein talked to three of the area’s theater leaders for their reaction to the unprecedented cuts. Here is some of what they had to say:
Sue Ellen Beryl, managing director, Palm Beach Dramaworks
I believe the first thing I saw was a notice from the Florida Cultural Alliance. I still have heard nothing from Florida.
(Your initial reaction?) A little bit confused. I wasn’t quite sure whether it meant that our funding was completely cut, but very quickly I caught on. And of course we are very disappointed.
(How much will your company lose?) About $70,000. This is the thing that has been so confusing by the previous reporting. Hundreds of organizations submit grants and you’re eligible for a certain amount based on your budget. So we were eligible for $150,000 when we submitted our grant. It was adjudicated and we scored enough to get that if it was fully funded.
Then the next step in the process is when the Legislature meets and funds the line item in the budget. Between the House and the Senate, they argue back and forth about how much to fund it for. And the final result after they met, which is what was sent to the governor, was that they were going to fund it at 47 percent. So we were counting on 47 percent of the $150,000 that we were eligible for. About $70,000. And that’s what was vetoed.
This year, we got $103,000 of the $150,000. But next year we were counting on $70,000 and now we’re getting zero.
(What will the result of that loss be for the company? What can’t you do now?) Well, fortunately Palm Beach Dramaworks is strong. We have reserve funds and we operate on a balanced budget. It’s not going to significantly impact us. It’s not going to shut us down, but we will have to replace that money in our budget elsewhere. So that means private philanthropy and other grants and other things.
But this was not going to something specific that will not happen now.
We contribute to the economy. You would think that the things these cultural and non-profit institutions provide — the programming and everything else — should be valuable to the State, not only for the tourism and the benefit of the citizens. It’s really surprising that the governor felt it was not worthwhile to fund it at all this year.
(Was this expected or did it come as a complete surprise?) No, it was a big surprise, There have been years when we got very little from the state, but I don’t remember a time when it has been zeroed out.
(How will you attempt to replace this money?) We’re certainly going to let our constituents know of the loss and, hopefully, they’ll be generous when they resubscribe or when they plan on making their donation this year. They’ll keep this in mind.
(Have you spoken with other theater companies about this?) There was a group effort … that Margaret Ledford from City Theatre did. I don’t know who was on that call. I think … there is a call from the Florida Cultural Alliance to discuss it. But as far as we can tell there isn’t any recourse. This is a done deal.
It’s not our way at Dramaworks to be begging for money. That’s not who we are.
(What would your message be to the governor?) Arts and culture feed the soul of citizens, as well as adding to the economy.And we should be taken seriously in that regard.
Matt Stabile, producing artistic director, FAU Theatre Lab
(How did you first learn of these cuts?) I got a text message from a friend, who is also an actor. He was like, “Hey, does this stuff affect you?” And I didn’t know what he was talking about. And I said, “No, not really, because in a weird way we’re insulated because we don’t take state dollars. But then, I think, not too long after that, an article came up on my social media and I read it and realized what he had been talking about. And since then I’ve had multiple artistic directors call to talk about it.
(Earlier this month) I was on a Zoom meeting with Bari Newport of GableStage, Margaret (Ledford) from City Theatre, Stuart (Meltzer) from Zoetic and a bunch of other people talking about what they were going to do and what could be done.
(Your initial reaction to the cuts decision?) It’s not good for us. It’s not helpful. We were already heading into this year, which is going to be our 10th season, and we’ve been trying to grow, trying to increase what we’re doing, but we were already heading into a budget shortfall. Interestingly enough, one of the things that I brought up in meetings a couple of months ago was, “Y’know, we’re kind of leaving some state dollars on the table. Maybe we should go after that stuff.” Now it’s “Maybe not.”
I don’t think there’s anyone that’s not affected. And it’s because what I think we’re really talking about is we already have a problem right now, in South Florida particularly, where a lot of people left the industry over the COVID period, and especially people who are essential to what we do, like the backstage people and the designers. That part of the industry has been kind of decimated since COVID because for most of those people there was nothing for them to do during that time and they left the industry. They found other jobs or they left the state. And I’m really concerned, because now there’s going to be even less money, there’s going to be fewer contracts available, which is going to leave even more people abandoning the industry or abandoning the state.
I think what really threw me for a little bit of a loop last night, one of the other artistic directors, Tim Davis, had a list of everybody across the state who had requested funding through these programs. They had already been told that they would be reduced to like 40 percent of their initial ask. So they had already reduced that from their ask. I can remember the number for Palm Beach was $2.6 million, coming right out of people’s budgets.
Most of these cuts were in the $70,000 range. You take $70,000 out of a budget and somebody’s going to lose their job. That’s just what happens. So now we’re talking about unemployment. It’s pretty awful.
Theatre Lab itself is not going to be directly affected from these funding cuts, because we’re part of FAU. So FAU applies as FAU. It’s not a huge amount that FAU gets, but we’ve been going hat in hand to donors since COVID, saying, “C’mon, help us out,” and there’s not extra money coming off the table that we may have been able to access down the road. I do think a bunch of organizations are going to go to their donors and supporters and try to get them to bail them out, and then you’re going to run into this donor fatigue because everybody’s going to be asking. So where is the state’s responsibility in carrying some of that burden for their taxpaying citizens?
(Is there anything that will not happen at your theater because of these tax cuts?) For us, I don’t think there’s anything I can directly point to. I know that other organizations are looking to cut their programming. I know one organization that was looking to raise salaries this year for actors and technicians, which they really need to do because nobody wants to keep working for peanuts, and now they’re not going to be able to do that. For us, I don’t think there’s going to be a direct correlation of something not happening.
We’re already in the middle of a fundraising drive for our 10th season to allow our budgets to go up. I think that fundraising is now going to be a little more difficult than we anticipated because — again — people are going to be asked to give everywhere. When you subtract $2.6 million from the county’s cultural affairs, people may decide to split their giving between organizations. And that’s going to be really unfortunate.
(What happened on the Zoom call among theaters?) We talked about ideas for how we can organize a response, how can we make it clear to not only our patrons but to other member of the community why this matters. Andy Rogow [of Island City Stage] said that their loss of $74,000 out of their budget, that’s the cost of a show. I think we need to make it clear to our audiences what a show costs.
But I don’t think we will win on the fact that it’s a moral issue. I do believe that it’s a moral issue. I think the arts make people’s lives better, and it’s incumbent on our government to make people’s lives better. But I think we need to be smart about it and be talking more about the 9-to-1 return in dollars. How by cutting this, we are effectively cutting reasons for people to go out in their community. So: What restaurants are going to be affected because a show gets canceled? What restaurants are going to see a dip in business? What hotels are going to see people not staying there because that festival doesn’t happen this weekend? We need to be doing that kind of work, showing what that 9-to-1 return is.
It doesn’t make sense, because a good investment is a good investment. If you’re getting a 9-to-1 return, you ought to keep that going, because that return means heads-in-beds tax money. All those taxes are why we don’t pay a state income tax. So when we are actively cutting programs that generate those kind of dollars, what’s going to happen in next year’s budget?
Everything I had heard all year long was that we were in a surplus and the budget is so great, and now we’re suddenly cutting what are kind of smaller line items in the budget. So I’m confused as to what the benefits of those cuts are, because they don’t seem to be essential to balance the budget. And to me, they’re just going to take dollars out of next year’s budget. I think that’s the talk we need to be talking about. We need to be talking as if we made widgets or whatever else people do.
(What would you want to say to the governor?) I would ask him to come join me and watch especially some of our educational outreach programs. I have seen the arts change people’s lives. We’re looking to teach kids how to express themselves, how to feel confident, skills they will use for the rest of their lives. And also how to value the arts and become a lifelong supporter of the arts.
I would ask him to think about these dollars not as a savings to be made in a budget or a statement to be made against people he may think don’t agree with him, but rather to look at these dollars as the ability to change people’s lives. We need people to be able to experience art. I wish we were thinking about arts funding as social structure, as a way to make our communities better.
Andrew Kato, producing artistic director and chief executive, Maltz Jupiter Theatre
(How did you hear about the cuts?) I think I was reading about it on Facebook. Looking for more information, I found an article in The Palm Beach Post which was unclear. It sounded like some companies were spared. I think that was wishful thinking.
(Your initial reaction?) I was extremely disappointed, not only on behalf of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre but all arts and culture. Especially considering the amount of economic activity that we create. So I think that many of us view it as an investment into our communities, especially when we are taking the responsibility for arts education. We do that heavy lift anyway.
Although for our budget, $100,000 or $150,000 isn‘t going to destroy us, we are going to have to fill the gap because our budget was already passed with an expectation that we would get a certain amount of money. So we’re going to have to figure that out. And although it’s not verified, I did read on Facebook that the state had a $17 billion surplus last year. I think everyone understands the need to tighten our belt in times when funds are short. But if it is true that there was a $17 billion excess, I’m not sure that it is fully understood, the impact that these losses will have on our communities.
(Is $150,000 what the Maltz will be losing?) I think we qualified for up to $150,000. Generally after you go through your vetting process, you’re awarded an amount up to that. So we have to take a guess at how well we think we’re doing for our community and whether the panel is going to agree with us on our achievements. We don’t actually get the grant notification until a month or two from now. But knowing that it’s been vetoed, we’re drawing the conclusion that we’ll be getting nothing.
(What will that result be? What won’t happen at your theater as a result?) I think it will be the other way around. I think what we’ll have to do is appeal to those who value art and culture and ask for more support.
And we may have to make cuts. Where they’ll fall, I’m not really sure. But we’re in the process of expanding, so our plan was to actually do more for our community. The completion of our Goldner Conservatory, the actual, physical 8,600 square feet is still being fundraised, so that we can bring in and educate 1,200 students per week. This just slows things down.
Beyond that, it just sends a signal of where we fall on the value system. We already know that we have to go out and fundraise.
Governor DeSantis has been supportive in the past. He’s allowed this money to filter through in the past. So I’m not sure why I was an across-the-board cut, close to a million dollars when we had a surplus last year.
I think the loss of the money is indicative of how we’re viewed. We will survive this. What is heartbreaking is when you read the accounts of the small puppet theater where half their budget is dependent on this and they probably won’t survive. I have to be as concerned for those institutions as I am for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre because I believe that arts and culture plays a huge part in our lives. And our young people’s lives. So of course I’m going to advocate for that.
I have spoken to some colleagues — Bill Hayes and Sue Ellen [Beryl, of Palm Beach Dramaworks] — we got on a call about it. I think that there is general disappointment on both sides of the aisle. Regardless of what party you’re in, they want arts and culture supported.
(What would you tell the governor if you could?) I would ask him to please reconsider, given how much arts and culture actually brings to our economy. I’d ask him to consider the money he would give to arts and culture as an investment as he would consider any other investment into our state. Because that is indeed what it is.
(Do you think a reconsideration is possible?) I don’t know what motivated the cuts, so I can’t say.