New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey's recommended $31.7 million budget cut for the arts and cultural activities is not expected to affect University departments, such as music or creative writing, but it would be a blow to McCarter Theatre, which hosts many University and student performances.
McCarter Theatre managing director Jeff Woodward said he does not yet have a specific plan to address the proposed funding cut, but he said he anticipates changes.
"It's certainly going to affect the scale of production here, but we're probably going to have to do smaller cast plays and spend less money on scenery, costumes and props," Woodward said. "All the production values are going to have to be lowered a little bit."
The proposed funding cut would raise an issue of quality, not quantity, for McCarter Theatre. Woodward said he does not expect the proposed cut to decrease the number of events that the theater schedules per year.
Woodward said the theater would review management and production priorities in response to the governor's proposed budget.
"We're going to examine every aspect of what we do here," Woodward said.
McCarter Theatre will be forced to cut seven percent of its budget for fiscal year 2004, Woodward said.
"It's a significant blow for us. It's $683,000 of income for our budget, and we're going to have to find savings of that amount in next year's budget, which is going to be very hard for us to do," Woodward said.
In the last fiscal year, the governor's Council of the Arts gave McCarter Theatre $688,631, which was the council's largest appropriation to any organization in Mercer County, where the University is located.
"We have made unprecedented cuts in culture and the arts: eliminating entirely all Arts Council grants, the Cultural Trust, the Historical Commission and the Historic Site Management Program," the governor said in a press release unveiling next fiscal year's budget proposal.
While the proposed funding cut would not affect his department, music professor Scott Burnham said he believes that it would hamper the ability of state agencies to hold events such as last weekend's Jazz Winter Weekend.
"I think it would generally send a negative signal about the arts in New Jersey at a time when things seem to be thriving," Burnham said.
McGreevey recommended the elimination of arts and culture funds in response to the $5 billion budget deficit the state faces. He proposed a total fiscal 2004 budget of $23.7 billion.
The proposed funding cut is still up for legislative review.
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