Black Hills Playhouse

They asked for it, and so they're now going to get it.

I went to a play today at the Black Hills Playhouse, a theater located in the Black Hills.

Because of their decrepit and aging buildings (they were built during the CCC days) they are facing some repair troubles, to which the governor of South Dakota has recommended moving the playhouse elsewhere in Custer State Park.

Now if you read this article here, it seems that South Dakota governor, Mike Rounds is more than willing to have the Black Hills Playhouse continue on and stay in the Black Hills, preferably in facilities that are not falling apart (and TRUST ME they ARE falling apart, I just saw it 7 hours ago). To which you would think those at the Black Hills Playhouse would feel great about.

Wrong.

Before the play started, up come the manager of the playhouse to make a "cute" announcement about how long the Black Hills Playhouse had been around. A 20 something young lady, standing on her veritable soap box saying;

It had been around longer than the Guthrie in Minneapolis

Some place in Kansas City.

Outlasting the Steppenwolf (I don't care how it's spelled)

Outlasting 12 presidents

and...

15 governors.

The entire crowd laughed and clapped, which suggested to me something of a local politics was at hand (and that I was in about the only liberal crowd in South Dakota...though that was tipped off by the only Obama bumper stickers and effeminate men I saw there).

Regardless, sure enough she told us that Governor Rounds wanted to move the playhouse and that if we liked theater we should call him up and protest, and then triumphantly marched off stage to applause.

Originally, I thought perhaps Governor Rounds was planning on axing the Black Hills Playhouse, but upon doing my research and finding out he just wanted them moved from their tetanus-infested facilities, I got angry. Not because this was another group of leftists begging for more money for something nobody wants and therefore needs to be subsidized by the taxpayer, but just the outright lie I was delivered.

Ergo, let me tell you about the Black Hill's Playhouse.

1. The play was not that good. It was downright awful. Sure some funny parts, but nothing great. It was a musical. I don't blame the actors, I blame the writers. Robert DeNiro couldn't have made that one fly.

2. The arrogance of these people to be so damn pouty and DEMAND those decrepit facilities be upgraded when it's obvious they should be torn down and moved to a new location (if for anything for their own damn safety) angers me. They're on the government's dime (not to mention charity of many donators) and they act like they're choosers when they are beggars.

3. The larger point, understand that the "arts" and "theater" are inexorably intertwined with government financing because IT COULD NOT EXIST ON IT'S OWN. And the reason why is that NOBODY WANTS IT. If it was in demand like I-Pods or Harry Potter movies, they wouldn't need to go to the South Dakota taxpayer like a bum with a cup in their hand. People would willingly pay an adequate price to not only repair/buy new facilities, but generate a profit for its owners and benefactors. However (and now it's time once again boys and girls to break out a pencil and a piece of paper for the Captain is about to make a very important point) all this is, is a group of adult children who want to be paid for their hobby instead of getting a real job like the rest of us and making something the rest of society wants. You see, you morons, you schmucks who go in and work those jobs like programmers, or burger flippers or plumbers, you're idiots. You should get jobs you like, like being an actor, a singer, a writer, an ice cream taster, or a beer judge or a professional video game player. And if society won't pay for it, then DEMAND the government subsidize you. And not only subsidize you, complain when the government offers you new facilities instead of upgrading your un-upgradable, old Chernobyl-esque facilities.

However, also understand it is not just the actors, board members and other people who want a government financed hobby, but those that attend the theater and demand the price be subsidized for them that are to blame. I'll give kudos to those who donate thousands of dollars, they are not only willing to bear the full costs it would take to successfully operate the facilities, but subsidize those who won't. But for those that complain, but don't donate, but rather insist the taxpayer subsidize their evening out to a horrible musical, shame on you.

In the meantime, given cut backs and the recession I think those at the Black Hills Playhouse are going to (SHOCK AND HORROR) have to accept the NEW facilities instead of having the old crumbling ones refurnished. And imagine that, some people...like 6 million...have lost their jobs, but they complain about having to move. I think a better thing would be to contact Governor Rounds and demand these spoiled brats become grown ups and either sink or swim without any subsidies and face the cold hard realities of life us normal adults do every day.