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THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINAAlCHAPEL. HILIThe University of North CarolinaCBF 3240, NCNB PlazaChapel Hill, N.C. 27899-32.4¢August 1, 1990Ms. Jessica AndrewsDirector, Theatre ProgramNational Endowment for the Arts1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20506Dear Jessica:I was delighted to meet you over the phone yesterday andgreatly relieved to find that you don�?Tt hold anything againstme because I hail from...dare I say it...North Carolina.Truly, you must be a woman with the "milk of human kindness"running liberally through her veins. Bless you.This is to officially invite you to represent the TheatreProgram of the National Endowment for the Arts at the AnnualManagers, Directors and Promoters Conference of the Instituteof Outdoor Drama, October 5, 6, and 7 in Cherokee, NorthCarolina. This is the only national meeting for thoseinvolved in the production, management or planning of outdoordrama.As I mentioned on the phone, it is a rather wide-spreadfield, numbering 75 companies (many with fully-paid casts anda sprinkling of union members), in some 30 states from KodiakIsland, Alaska, to St. Augustine, Florida and points inbetween. I am enclosing a list of outdoor drama companies,and page proofs from the forthcoming issue of U.S. OutdoorDrama (in press). Together, they should give you some ideaof the scope of the outdoor drama movement nationally.Jessica, we think your presence at this national meeting willserve several important purposes. First and foremost, itwill be an opportunity for the leaders of outdoor historicaldrama to meet personally with the the director of the NEAprogram which represents their profession. Secondly, it willgive you a chance to get to know us and our end of thebusiness. And finally, if you are willing to take part inthe formal round-table discussion on "Ethics and ProfessionalTheatre Practice," we will all benefit from your insight as afellow professional.

The topics we plan to deal with during the round-table willbe thought-provoking, hard-hitting and stimulating. Panelmembers will be presented with difficult ethical situationsand will be asked to consider possible courses of action inhypothetical cases with no clear-cut solutions. There willbe vigorous diffferences of opinion on some issues and onothers, unanimous agreement. But, in general, I think we cananticipate an exciting session characterized by a healthyintellectual grappeling with important ethical issues.Dr. Dale Miller, chairman of the theatre department at PurdueUniversity and artistic director of the outdoor drama TheBattle of Tippecanoe (Lafayette, Indiana), will lead theround table. Members of the panel include Tony Walsh, deanof the Florida School of the Arts and artistic director ofCross and Sword (St. Augustine, Florida); David Mills, a YaleUniversity graduate who currently serves as general managerof Viva El Paso! (El Paso, Texas); Margaret Bonamico, generalmanager of Trumpet in the Land (Dover, Ohio); and Dr. JohnAhart, director of theatre at the University of Illinois inChampaign-Urbana, and playwright of Your Obedient Servant, A.Lincoln (Petersburg, Illinois).Jessica, I am embarrassed to say that the Conference does nothave the resources to meet your expenses in attending thismeeting. In asking you to attend, we hope that you might beable to include the Conference as part of a trip to theSoutheast visiting other groups and theatres.As with all things, it seems, we are on the fast trackputting together the program and anticipate going to presswith the program very soon. I am sure your schedule iscomplex and travel plans effect others on your staff. Wewould be grateful to hear from you on this as soon aspossible. If you are unable to meet with us, I amparticularly eager to have the woman�?Ts perspective on ethicsrepresented on this round table and will concentrate mysearch with that in mind.Thanks again for returning my call on such short notice. Ourthoughts and best wishes are with you as you, like Beowolf,take on Grendel. Beware, his cave is bloody and piled highwith bones and money. We will do all we can from this end.aAa iakr spot e :coOtt J. ParkerDirector