The performing arts have always been a fixture in my family. My mother was the Prima Ballerina for the Chicago Ballet Company and the American Ballet Theater, and she successfully passed down her love for all forms of theater and stagecraft. Wherever I have lived, I've found a way to connect with the local performing arts, sometimes by writing opera librettos for local newspapers, sometimes by joining philanthropic organizations, and sometimes just by attending every performance that I could find. I think that our ability to attend a wide range of performing arts is one way in which we are able to define the level of civilization in which we live. I know that I personally feel a greater sense of connection to, and affection for, my local community when I can attend performing arts events. I believe very strongly that the Columbia River Gorge will see an enormous benefit from the addition of a local Performing Arts Center - artistically, socially, and economically.

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