What is ironic, then, is the outcry from the online commentariat about Nolan’s reinterpretation. Many of the commentators most livid with Nolan seem to have a simplistic view of Western civilization as a single, monolithic, and continuous tradition, unchanged by two millennia of history or constant contact with other parts of the world. This is a view which sees no fundamental differences between, say, the era of the Crusades and the Renaissance, or between the cultures of the Mediterranean and those of the Germanic north. It results in a reflexive aversion to any reimagination of a classic, which has the ultimate effect of limiting its holders’ ability to appreciate or influence culture and the arts.

I don't disagree -- but I'm admittedly biased as a Black fan

But many artists say the biggest obstacle in Houston is that audiences and donors don’t value the city’s arts scene beyond the Theater District, a place that is often proclaimed as the second largest such district in the U.S. after New York City in terms of the number of seats in a concentrated downtown area.

// This is true.

I find boutique community theater to be much more interesting than high-end professional theater, but most Houstonians do not, and it's not like I've been searching out smaller companies (have not in years).

Houston is not really a reading city, and it's not what I'd call a theater city either for the most part.