| Talent Will Out |
10 February 2003
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Old Vic's Artistic Director -- Kevin Spacey
Good news in the arts is rare. Crass commercialism is everywhere, and fellows who can't paint, pretending that they can, make things worse. So, when a venerable institution like the Old Vic chooses someone of genuine talent to run the show for a while, civilization can take a breather from holding off the barbarian hordes. All right, Kevin Spacey won't save the planet as the Old Vic's artistic director, but it is a damn fine appointment.
Mr. Spacey is, of course, a brilliant actor, and his two Oscars prove it. Moreover, his talent was readily apparent in a TV series back in the late 1980s, "Wiseguy," in which he played the psychotic criminal genius Mel Profitt. His performance in "The Iceman Cometh" in the West End and on Broadway sealed his future as a theatrical performer.
The Old Vic was rescued from the threat of bankruptcy by Sir Elton John in 1998, and Mr. Spacey has served on the board of trustees since then. He knows the Old Vic, and he knows theatre. As artistic director, he will bring the commitment of a man whose craft is practiced with passion. Whether he is a decent administrator is not as important in this position as his ability to establish theatrical quality that will allow the Old Vic to refresh its many laurels. Mr. Spacey is almost certain to succeed, and one hopes that the business end of the enterprise can attract similar talent.