From my perspective (performing arts), Portland is more of a feel-good, party-down, town than a place which displays a serious distinction between serious professionalism and just "bleeping" around. That's the crux of it. The "elitist" side of the equation is not defined by an "elitist" clique of serious professional artists, but by things like this: the old board of directors at IFCC, who nearly killed it because they treated it like a social club for their little clique of movers and shakers, not a space to facilitate performing arts — yeah, we, the artists, need their support, but we're not their trained monkeys — it's our duty to educate them. And while we're at it, let's not let RACC and OAC off the hook either, their pathetic displays of non-professional performance are inexcusable, especially when you consider the salaries they pull down. They not only need educating, they need disciplining!

PS: have to post under nom de plume, or else I'll be black-balled forever in this little berg overflowing with the sort of liberals who leave the room when a fight breaks out — frankly, I'm on the verge of leaving town period.