artists in our midst

damien jacques, milwaukee journal/sentinal theatre critic, weighs in on the skylight firings:

The foolishness of alienating customers -- audiences -- should be obvious, but the boards and management of arts groups also need to respect their artists. The people who make theater or music or dance are not minimum wage employees who can be downsized in the dark of night. Assuming we want artists in our midst, we must engage them when difficult decisions have to be made, and give them a stake in our cultural future.