Hello to all,

My name is Marc Hardy and I am Graduate Student at the Center on
Philanthropy at Indiana University in the United States. This is a rather
long email so I will state my purpose up front: First, I am applying for a
Fulbright Scholarship to study in the United Kingdom and I am searching for
a College or University that offers a MPhil in research in the areas of the
arts or arts policy, specifically the performing arts. An important part of
securing the Fulbright is to obtain letters of support from the learning
institution I wish to attend to accomplish my research, as well as letters
of permission to research from archival sources. The research I will be
conducting involves an interdisciplinary study of the relationship between
philanthropy and the theatre, specifically the financial support and/ or
patronage of playwrights. I am also looking for theatrical archival and
secondary resources from 1550-1950. So far I have been in e-mail contact
with City University in London, Warwick University, and University of
Birmingham. (I also have a personal motivation for studying in the United
Kingdom as my Grandfather and his family lived in Preston, Lancashire,
until he was 15.) If you have such a program and/or resources and are
interested in my proposed research or can recommend a research resource,
please read on. If not, thank you for your valuable time!

If the following research proposal interests you, please e-mail me at
[log in to unmask]

Sincerely,

Marc Hardy
[log in to unmask]
Artistic Director, The Beckmann Theatre
Executive Director, The Indianapolis Arts Chorale
Graduate Student, The Center On Philanthropy, Indiana University
Home address:
977 Woodruff Place East Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46201
Phone (317) 637-2113
Fax (317) 637-2114


Preliminary research: A recent research paper I have written on Pulitzer
Prize winning American playwrights Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, and Neil
Simon revealed an interesting observation: their Pulitzer Prize winning
plays were all written during a time of financial security in each
playwright’s life. I am currently involved in research on ancient Greek and
Roman plays, and this observation has reappeared. Part of my findings so
far reveal that most Greek playwrights were either born to a wealthy
family, as in the case of Euripides, or were supported by wealthy notables
of the time referred to as the khoregia.

My research topic for the United Kingdom: To study the financial support of
English playwrights during the creation of what are considered their
greatest masterpieces as recognized by experts in the theatre field.

Hypothesis: My hypothesis is that most playwrights who have produced works
that are considered masterpieces or classics, had adequate passive
financial support during the process of creating these masterpieces. This
allowed them to focus completely on the work at hand and to create without
restriction of their artistic freedom.  The results of this research have
tremendous policy implications in relation to the debate of whether
original artists should be held to the same eligibility standards and
restrictions as re-creative performing artists and/or institutions (actors,
directors, theatres, etc.), or should be funded with no restrictions or
expectations so that they may be free to create a potential masterpiece or
develop an artistic breakthrough.

Methodology: My process would be to survey several top theatre
professionals and professors in the United Kingdom to help identify what
they consider to be the top 10 to 15 theatrical masterpieces by English
playwrights during the period of from the 1550 through 1950.  Although this
is an extensive time period, the research will be limited by what plays are
deemed masterpieces. My hope is to refine this list to seven to ten
playwrights to research and compare. These might likely include playwrights
such as Shakespeare, Marlowe, Green, Shaw, etc.

I would then embark on archival and secondary research of the lives of
these playwrights during the time these masterpieces were written. A few
questions I would investigate and attempt to answer are: What were the
constraints on their personal time and the demands of their family life?
What were the financial stresses they were under and did they have a patron
or benefactor? Were they born wealthy or did they attain wealth that
afforded them the time to write? If they were not supported financially,
how did they survive? Were they rewarded financially for their work when
they were alive, or did recognition come after their death? What was it
about their play that elevates it to masterpiece status in the opinion of
theatre experts? What are the components and are they evident in other
masterpieces? How old were they and where were they in their career (early,
mid, late)?
What were the political, religious, and financial states of their society
at the time? Who were the motivators and psychological supporters of the
artists?

Implications for future research and policy studies: The expected results
of my research in the United Kingdom would seem to indicate that the
relationship between artistic greatness and the starving artist might
indeed be a myth, and that true greatness through the creation of a
masterpiece is more likely to be achieved on a full stomach accompanied by
the security of an adequate bank account or at least a substantial passive
income. It would further underscore the need for increased unrestricted
funding of original playwrights. This research should also be expanded to
include the financial state of sculptors, composers, poets, writers of
literature and other original artists during the creation of their
masterpieces. This would be grounds for rethinking the restrictive and
limited philanthropic philosophies and policies toward the funding of
original artists by individual donors, foundations, business sponsors and
government arts programs. Culturally it might in part explain why most
masterpieces have been written by white males, while theatre representing
minorities, women and the poor, populations that have limited access to
wealth and the wealthy, still struggle to establish a presence and identity
today. If the theatre is the reflection of our cultures, has wealth skewed
our artistic expression and representation of our societies and ourselves?
And what are the policy changes needed to correct this myopic view? These
are all questions that will need to be answered by future inquiries.