Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe - Director, Actor, Scholar, Professor of Theatre Indiana University

To Judie Christie and Richard Gough,


It is with great dismay that I received the news of the intended funding cuts you face.
You are solidly correct of your importance in the worldwide field of performance practice and study. A place where the traditions of performance, performance training, spectator response, community participation and more are explored, rectified, tested and made record of is essential to the present and future of performance and theatre. Indeed, CPR has done much to bring a diversity of ideas in contact with each other - furthering the artistic processes of performance and provoking innovations.

I take a great deal just from CPR's emails and websites that further my knowledge and practice. This December, I was finally able to come to Wales and participate in a workshop sponsored by CPR. It was a profound experience in my life as an artist. It has already made for an improvement in my pedagogy and stimulated artistic ideas. The international theatre community depends on CPR; it is an institution of fundamental importance to theatre artists from Africa to Australia - United States to Uzbekistan. This must not be underestimated. It is crucial to us all that your programs continue. It is desirable that your efforts be supported with enthusiasm and respect. Fight the good fight! We need you.

In Solidarity,

Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe
Director, Actor, Scholar
San Francisco, California
and
Bloomington, Indiana
Professor of Theatre
Indiana University
Department of Theatre & Drama