Recent Washington Post headlines about drastic changes coming in the U.S. government — with a focus on overhauling federal operations (think NEA and NEH and beyond) and slashing through old ways of thinking/doing — should alarm those in the arts, especially in the DMV theater community, which is so dependent on theatergoers who are government employees or contractors or consultants. The DMV is a government region, is it not? President on a dollar bill. Photo by Skyler Ewing How will the arts respond to the new realities out there? Who will be the arts allies come January 20, 2025, with the new zeitgeist? Even this: How will the arts fare as philanthropic grantmakers decide to fund programs for people in immediate need such as immigrants, refugees, or the less economically and socially advantaged in our midst? Can we expect those with decent salaries — such as, say, Kennedy Center leadership or similar — to take permanent pay cuts to show solitary and resistance and to keep their staff employed? Will business issues take precedence over the artistic? Just asking. Do we have a Rick to save us as he did in Casablanca in response to a young refugee woman’s plea: “Things are very bad…the devil has the people at the throat.” How will the arts respond to the new realities out there? I have no clue. But will our previous ways save us? Washington Post headlines about the incoming Administration’s “push for drastic changes in U.S. government” have led me to wonder out loud for the DMV theater community. After all, federal, state, and local government employees and consultants are major theatergoers and theater supporters in the DMV.  What happens when they are released from employment to be replaced by those who may have a much different view of the arts? When COVID devastated the theater arts, it was national and regional political leadership that led to the SBA Shuttered Venue Operators Grant  (SVOG) programs that helped many to survive.  Would such be possible or even conceivable with the change in national leadership? I am just asking. If you are unfamiliar with SVOG, here is a headline summary from a late 2023 evaluation of the program: The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) was established to support the ongoing operations of eligible venues that were financially affected by prevention measures and closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this mixed methods evaluation was to better understand key outcomes of SVOG, grantee characteristics, and grant allocations. The evaluation used a difference-in-difference statistical analysis to compare outcomes of SVOG grantees and non-recipients. The statistically significant findings are that after the disbursement of SVOG funds, grantees experienced increased annual revenues and greater chances of business survival. Analysis of administrative data showed that most grantees spent funds on payroll and general operating expenses. Findings from a grantee survey and follow-on interviews corresponded with the quantitative findings, revealing that grantees felt SVOG prevented their businesses from closure. (Source.) Will that kind of federal support exist again in the next four years? What will happen to local theater audiences if, as promised, thousands of government jobs are eliminated or moved elsewhere? Will theater be defunded because it is “woke”? What do you think? How worried should we be? SEE ALSO: Shuttered venues can apply April 26 for federal rescue funding (report by David Siegel, April 24, 2021) How Omicron is wreaking havoc on local theaters (report by Nicole Hertvik, January 14, 2022)