"That doesn't even get into the political clouds that hover above. This election year finds California and the Bay Area having some crucial votes on the horizon. Guv Gav's finally stepping down, leaving him just enough time to try and kill the proposed billionaire tax (which is to be expected of a guy who praises Charlie Kirk, throws trans kids under the bus, and personally hands out "burner phones" to tech CEOs)."
"It's tough to write about local theatre in January, given how little theatre there actually is this month. Sure, SF Ballet's got their annual gala and this week's Eugene Onegin opener, and both Berkeley Rep and ACT will open shows before the month's over, but the majority of theatre companies are still planning their 2026 output. That's harder to do than ever, given last year's evisceration of the NEA and several philanthropic outlets. From both an arts and business perspective, January is a weird"
"I'd like to say that local arts, entertainment, and culture are destined to be caught in the middle, but as I've mentioned before, no one in power seems to be thinking of thinking of the arts at all-more evidence of that came last week when it was announced that the storied California College of the Arts was being swallowed up by Vanderbilt University, with zero eulogizing from the mayor."
January has very little local theatre activity, with only SF Ballet's gala and Eugene Onegin opener, and upcoming openings at Berkeley Rep and ACT. Most theatre companies remain planning their 2026 seasons. Last year's evisceration of the NEA and cuts from philanthropic outlets have made planning harder and strained arts and business perspectives. California's election year introduces political uncertainty: the governor is stepping down and may try to kill the proposed billionaire tax, and Pelosi's departure has multiple potential successors. Local policy moves, such as a D4 supervisor reversing Sunset Dunes, add volatility. The California College of the Arts is being acquired by Vanderbilt University without apparent civic recognition.
Read at 48 hills
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]