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Command Performance: An Actress in the Theater of Politics

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Ms. Alexander's book presents a scathing indictment of the Federal government and many of the people it comprises, as well as an eloquent argument for government support of the arts (and for campaign finance reform). While Ms. Alexander is clearly a "liberal" (in fact, she has referred to herself as an "aging hippie"), she deals fairly with members of both parties -- crediting INDIVIDUALS who were supportive and chastising those who were not, regardless of party affiliation.

Unfortunately, although Ms. Alexander is an extraordinarily talented actress (her performance in "Testament" is perhaps one of the greatest screen performances of all-time) and an effective administrator, she is not the greatest writing. While in many instances, the book makes one feel as though he or she was "in the trenches" with Ms. Alexander, her tendency for "purple prose," coupled with her propensity for complimenting and thanking ALL who were supportive of her mission, has the effect of pulling one back out of those trenches. At times I felt as though I were watching a lesser actress portraying Ms. Alexander, and not doing a particularly good job of it.

Despite its flaws, "Command Performance" is an important book that should be read by everyone concerned with the future of our society. Thank you, Jane Alexander, for writing it and, more importantly, for living it.

For anyone who wants to know what went wrong with the National Endowment for the Arts, an excellent start can be found in Jane Alexander's memoir of her term as Chairman.

Without blinking, the author reveals a deep hostility and contempt towards anyone who dares to point out that the proverbial emperor (or in this case empress) might not be appropriately dressed.

How fascinating it is to read what Ms. Alexander was thinking while running the arts agency during a period of intense controversy. And what she was thinking about was politics and money rather than art.

Her confrontations with pundits, congressmen, and even the President of the United States are absolutely worth the price of the book (no doubt one reason that it graced the cover of the Washington Post Magazine).

Democrats are not spared. For example, Ms. Alexander describes the President as a hick from Hot Springs who prefers Elvis Presley to Karen Finley, since he told her that the American people could not be expected to pay for such stuff. And Ms. Alexander found herself rather unimpressed with the artistic level found in Arkansas during a visit to a cultural center in the President's home town.

Curiously, she nevertheless complains that he stopped hugging her soon after she took over the agency.

Now that she has returned to New York, Ms. Alexander lets everyone in Washington know what she really thought of them. In the telling, Ms. Alexander has painted a devastating self-portrait, expressed with gusto.

For those interested in the worlds of politics and the arts, esteemed actress Jane Alexander brilliantly recounts her tenure as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

From her "auditions" for the position up to her meetings with President Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and correspondence with Jesse Helms, Ms. Alexander infuses her writing with intelligence, literary awareness, and a delightful, wry, witty sense of humour.

Republicans and Democrats alike are not spared Ms. Alexander's opinions on how funding was handled, what was considered art, and how arts organizations, artists, and arts education are constantly overlooked at providing no real social importance by men in power who are "of little mind". She writes adoringly of her staff at the NEA and of the congressional supporters who went to bat for the Endowment.

Voicing political opinion, especially someone who was in Ms. Alexander's position, is always going to be a touchy subject, but like art, it's meant for discussion to learn more about the human race and to challenge our own conventional ways of thinking.

Overall, this book is an educational, interesting look into an area of politics that is shamelessly neglected by members of Congress. Ms. Alexander is to be commended for all she accomplished at the Endowment and this book is a great account of what she had to endure at the center of one of the government's most controversial agencies.

I just finished reading "Command Performance: An Actress in the Theater of Politics" and I could not put it down. Not only is hers an interesting story, but her very readable prose flows along as if it was an engrossing novel. Putting an actress of her caliber and stature, not to mention experience and understanding of the arts, into the chair of the director of the NEA was one of the few intelligent and well-thought choices our "sociable" president has made in recent years. It only makes sense to put an artist into this position, because only an artist can really understand artistic need. The book is so interesting that this reviewer would enjoy reading any other tomes that Ms. Alexander would care to write. Her careful delineation of the workings of the NEA made fascinating reading, adding much information to my admitted lack of knowledge concerning this controversial agency. It also serves as an interesting look at Washington politics and the oftentimes frustrating lack of cooperation that it engenders.

I agree with the comment about the writing style of the book. When Jane Alexander appeared on C-SPAN's "Booknotes" to be interviewed, she was very forthcoming and charming. She mentioned that it came from her notes, and she did not use a ghostwriter. It may have helped to at least have a co-writer, to help the book flow better - it tended to drift somewhat into philosophy and other thoughts, and the prose was not always helpful (though I did like the theatrical chapter titles).

That said, it was very informative and described how things worked during the political upheavals in the mid 90's. One other commentator said the book was "less about art and more about money and politics". That, I think, is what the NEA director does, that the artistic decisions tend to be made at a lower level. In many respects, I can see why she was chosen for that post - she had a high profile, classy background but was not "too Hollywood" and having a performing artist in that position kept both the political and artistic grandstanders at bay.

It also makes the case for governmental support of the arts. She disagreed with people who made a purely philosophical decision not to vote for federal funding of the arts. However, her dismay was more with people who played to the cameras (and never bothered to learn about the agency's actual operations) and, also, those who promised support in private but backed off in public. Hey, that wasn't the first time that's happened in politics.

Ultimately, she said it was the support of the American public (who pay less than a dollar a year) that turned the tide in the legislative battle. Still, I agree with the other commentator who put it best: Bravo, Jane.

I learned so much while reading this book. It made me a little scared for the future of arts. I admire the courage Jane Alexander had to take on such a huge responsibility. She truly is a force to reckon with. She has such style and grace - I believe that's why she was so wonderful at her job.

The Idler is a long-time critic of the NEA, PBS and all government funding of the arts, and his bias comes through clearly in his review. The irony here is that the modest federal investment in the arts has actually helped local community-based organizations flourish in the past 35 years. The NEA is an example of how good government works, and Ms. Alexander's description on the tremendous variety and vitality of the arts in America, as well as her hope for the future, make Command Performance a compelling argument. The handful of controversial projects that have been sensationalized in the media and among politicians are what The Idler and other libertarians and social conservatives use to argue against the NEA. Judge the book on its own merits and not the political agenda of Idle hands.

Ms. Alexander provides compelling reasons for federal support of the arts and compelling reasons for you to support the arts. Her portraits of American politicians, their warts, works and wonders all showing, will make you angry and make you proud of those America proclaims as leaders. Read this book and then check out the art centers in your community.