17 years ago, a lot of people thought a little policy called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was a good idea.

And yesterday, President Obama (thankfully) threw it out.

There are a lot of rules, laws, and policies in effect in our government . . . and in our industry.  Many were created under different “administrations”, with different economic environments and different entertainment environments.

And a lot of them were probably good ideas at the time.

But a lot of them need to be tossed out like yesterday’s law.

It doesn’t mean that they were bad ideas.  Maybe they were right for the time.  Maybe they were all that could be done at that time.  But that doesn’t mean we have to live with them.

If you’re reading this blog, then I’d bet 100 to 1 that you’re a believer in change . . . and not so that you can put a few more dollars in your pocket . . . but you believe in change for the theater that will ensure that it not only survives, but thrives over the next 10, 20 or 100 years.

And I’d bet 1000 to 1 that if you’ve voiced that concern, that you’ve run into at least one person in your travels who has told you, “That’s the way it’s done, and it’s not going to change.”

Well, if the US government, which moves slower than the first day of tech on a $65 million dollar musical, can toss out something because it’s archaic and ineffectual, then we can too.

It just takes a lot of people raising their voice and demanding the change.

I hope you’re one of those people.

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