As Program Director of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, I Would...

A fun thought experiment

You’ve just received an overnight courier requesting your immediate presence in Washington, D.C. to assume the role of Program Director at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. You are now in charge of scheduling all future performances.

What would you do? Who would you schedule? What would your overall goal be for the center? What works of art would you prioritize?

I love dreaming like this. As a lover of literature and the arts, here are six initiatives I think would be great fun:

Focus on The Immortal Works

I’d take a page out of this reading project and focus on the Immortal Works of Art. The plays, choral music, poems, operas, symphonies, and epics that have stood the test of time. It’s no coincidence that a rediscovery of the great works of antiquity kicked off the Renaissance.

Revive the Greater Dionysia

Athens, Greece used to have a yearly festival called the Greater Dionysia. It was held in the spring and one of the highlights was a competition of plays. Three Greek Tragedies and a Satyr play would be performed (and sometimes acted in) by playwrights such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Judges would then award the best plays in what must have been a most delightful competition.

Can you imagine attending one of these and seeing the greatest tragedy plays of all time performed one after another? It would be incredible to revive this. Perhaps two Greek Tragedies could be staged in competition with one another during an evening performance. The audience would get to vote on their favorite tragedy.

And what if this could be extended to high school groups that read the plays, study the ins and outs of Greek theater, and travel to Washington D.C. to perform them for others. Think of the education gained in such a venture!

Year of Homer

Imagine a vocal actor performing and singing the great epics of The Iliad and The Odyssey, one book a week throughout the year. This is how they would have been received by the original audience. These performances could be coupled with lectures, performances, and songs.

Songwriter’s Nights

I live in Nashville and there is a robust songwriting culture with performances completed in rounds. An artist will share a few songs they’ve written, the stories behind the songs, and perhaps a note on a famous artist who has recorded the song. I envision an evening of surprise guests, songwriters new and old, who take the audience through the art of composition.

International Programming

I would make a concerted effort to tie visiting international delegations to the art center. When dignitaries visit from Brazil, the center would become home to the greatest works of music, mythology, and poetry, both ancient and modern, from Brazil.

Opera 101

I’ve always considered opera to be the most complete art form. It’s theater, symphony, and chorus combining to create art of the utmost splendor. However, opera takes time to learn and appreciate. I’d focus on education at all levels of the opera appreciation spectrum. I’d partner with opera lovers like Rhiannon Giddens and have evenings focused on one aria (like her podcast Aria Code) and also have guest lecturers provide key insights into operas.

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The Overarching Goal

To overwhelm with beauty by presenting the very best art across time.

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What would you do in this role? Share your ideas below in the comments: