Theater foundation responds

I am writing to correct a quote attributed to me in the article entitled "Theater manager wants city's help to keep arts alive" (Dec. 28 Moorpark Acorn), the second part of a series on the High Street Arts Center.

I am quoted as commenting on the city sponsored productions as "being not so accessible to the average person." I never said those words nor did I imply them in the responses to Sylvie Belmond's questions.

To characterize the issue as being related to the selection of plays is missing the point. What is at issue is how a city asset like the High Street Arts Center is managed to support the community. In their zeal to make sure that the arts center is not labeled a "community theater," the theater manager and her city hall supervisors have restricted use of the venue to the plays underwritten by the city with little or no consideration for other organizations in Moorpark, even though rental fees are paid for use of the facility.

In contrast, the Simi Valley Cultural Center supports over 400 events a year, most of them community related, including the ARTS Youth Ensemble underwritten by the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Foundation.

The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza supports many community related performances such as the Moorpark Civic Ballet produced by Pam Rossi in December.

In January alone, the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Foundation hosts three shows in their "School Performances" series in the Scherr Forum Theatre and the Community Educational Entertainment group hosts a children's musical in the Fred Kavli Theatre, one of eight shows sponsored by them in the Kavli during the year.

In justifying city funding, the claim was made that the arts center was an investment like soccer fields and other public amenities. The difference is that those amenities are available for use by the community. The majority of the funding provided by the city is used to underwrite their costly productions.

The High Street Theater Foundation proposed a plan last year that included raising funds for both the theater and for successful community programs like the Youth Theater Workshop production and other community organizations. The High Street Theater Foundation believes that support for the arts is very important in Moorpark, but the arts center's operating model needs to be modified to insure that funding from the city benefits the entire community. Darby Shields President, High Street Theater Foundation