Jeff Poulos, Executive Director of StageSource, addressed the attendees of the Boston Theatre Conference at the end of the day. Below is a copy of his address:

I would be remiss if I didn't include in my remarks some acknowledgements of those individuals who have helped us make this day possible:

• David Colfer, Board Chair and Managing Director, Brandeis Theater Company
• The Conference Planning Committee: Sarah deLima, Shane Hudson, Rick Lombardo, Tony McLean, Amy Merrill, Bob Murphy.
• Our session speakers, moderators, and panelists.
• Scott Edmiston, Director of Office of the Arts, Brandeis University
• The StageSource Dawn and Jeremy, Maureen Lane and former staff member Christine Hamel
• The many volunteers who gave of their time today and in the months leading up to this Conference.
• To Kennison Staffing, Bank of America, and TheaterMania, for their financial support.
• And thank you to you, the over 170 people who attended today, and have made this historic day such an enormous success.

A recent issue of American Theatre magazine included a special report of conversations in the field from over 100 theatre company leaders and independent artists around the country. Several issues rose to the top:
- The polarization and feeling of isolation in our country: several participants spoke about how fractured our nation is becoming and people are isolating themselves in affinity groups. Dialogue is not crossing between political and cultural communities.
- Hit-making is almost required now at theatres, stars, name draws, plays that are recognizable or proven money-makers or audience pleasers. Audiences, funders, board members. Sometimes the artistic vision takes a backseat.
- Escalating costs, dwindling philanthropy: how to survive in an ever-changing and challenging economic environment for the arts. 
- But a number of them cited how in times of crisis (ie, war, terrorism, threats to our national security, high crime), people want to be part of something more, speaking out, voicing their opinion. Artists take risks, put forward bold ideas. Artistic focus can sharpen and become more directed when faced with a polarization.
- Additionally, developing new works often goes hand in hand with developing audience. New work can reflect or speak to the communities in which we live.
- Innovation is also taking place in unique ways as a response to challenges: I read about a company that has decided to speak to their funders in business terms: Creating a creative capital fund: an entrepreneurial, innovation fund allowing theatre to do research and development.

One thing is true: we are needed now more than ever. In an ever-polarizing red versus blue nation, an isolated MySpace/YouTube/BLOG-oshperic nation, where you might never see or speak to your neighbor, where there are now millions of sources of information, no one dominating over another, Our theatres are essential.

We have an opportunity to step forward, take a leadership role, be a place to convene, a bridge to communities, offer one of the last remaining locations where humans actually inter-ACT, our lobbies are more important than ever, our stages are vital.  We offer a time when one can actually HEAR laughter, surprise, anger, emotion that is not canned nor stilted, where the connection is not broken, not fragmented with “download-interruptus” where you don't hear “my provider is down”.  We ARE the providers and we aren't “down”. We are live, here and working NOW. We are offering ideas, innovation, challenging with thoughts and points of view, bringing a spectrum of messages to our communities, engaging people in our communities. We represent EVERY point of view. We are essential, because I cannot imagine the alternative, a bleak society where we are at all times separated by a series of signals through the sky, a world without live interaction, without us. People need to convene, to interact, to be live. It is why today's conference was so successful, and it is why theatre continues to be essential.

Thank you for being part of THE ARTIST AS CITIZEN: Boston Theatre Conference 2006.