Meet the New Patrons, Same as the Old Patrons

As I was reading your cover story “The Arts, Money and the New Patrons,” by Diane Haithman (Dec. 20), I found myself repressing a scream, a scream I’ve been repressing for years as a struggling member of the arts community.

If these young, new hotshot patrons truly want to support new, fresh, daring and culturally diverse artistic endeavors, why do they continually support the same old mainstream, middle-of-the-road “art” their parents supported?

There are numerous small theaters in Los Angeles made up of very talented and dedicated artists working their tails off, with little or no support from so-called arts patrons, to bring the Los Angeles arts community truly fresh, innovative and challenging works.

When I go to the Mark Taper, on “Pay What You Can Day” or because a fellow artist has comp tickets, I am usually most impressed by the sets and the obvious expense it took to build them. I have seen some good shows at the Taper and the Doolittle, but never great, as I often have been able to say of the quality of work at some of the smaller theaters I’ve been to here and elsewhere.

Instead of playing it safe at the Music Center (which is only catering to what the public has proved interested in--namely, dressing up and showing up) why don’t these new, cutting-edge patrons venture out into a less glamorous part of town and find out what’s really going on in the arts?

JOANNE HUDSON

Los Angeles