Part One condenses events from hearings and debates in the US Congress from 1963-1965 into a single date -- October 26, 1963. This is when the first joint hearings were held on the issue of federal government support of the arts; chaired by the late Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-RI) and Rep. Frank Thompson (D-NJ). These hearings led to the creation of The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Congressional transcripts are the basis of a text; with elements/aspects of mainstream American entertainment of the period splicing in/out as an engine driving the action forward. We end Part One with the sense of something being achieved.

Part Two condenses events from hearings and debates in the US Congress from 1989-1994 into a single date, May 19, 1989. This is the start of a formal backlash against arts funding, when Sen. Al D'Amato (R-NY) and Sen. Jessie Helms (R-NC) took to the floor of the US Senate. Each launched into fiery, violent speeches against public funding of arts; essentially beginning what we now call "the Culture Wars." These attacks led to drastic cuts in the NEA budget. We end Part Two with the sense of something being destroyed.

Part Three deals with the funding realities of the present day; where we live in the context of public subsidy on the decline; not just in the USA, but in countries around the world. Arguments used during 1989-1994 have become codified and accepted; part of a predictable line of attack used around the world. We explore the current arts funding realities in multiple countries -- where Kickstarter and "new models" seem to trump all debate and argument. Actual interviews with USA / EU arts leaders serve as a basis for the text and composition. Events from the United Kingdom and The Netherlands (2010-2012); and Québec and Belgium (2014-2015) -- where major cuts have been/or are in the process of being instituted -- play a major role. Part Three emphasizes the present-day funding realities and features a dramaturgical structure that allows for multiple perspectives presented on stage to culminate in a final unifying public action that can be tailored to fit the institution, city, or country wherever THE AЯTS is presented.

This public action in Part Three is inspired by the idea of creating a living “time capsule” (of sorts) in regards to the idea of arts funding; a “time capsule” which a departing audience can take with them (of sorts) as they exit the performance. Early starting points for inspiration on this “time capsule” theme can be found in the tsunami stones that dot the coastlines of Japan. The tsunami stones are markers that function as if they are public artworks, created over hundreds of years to warn future generations not to build below the stone markers. We will build upon this theme during rehearsals. We aim to end Part Three with a sense of hope; a rediscovered narrative that actual change is possible and can be implemented in terms of public funding policies for the arts.