\A Dance Overdue,"" a documentary about the construction of the Overture Center, hits the Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St., tonight. The film follows the testimonies of Sue Bauman, Bob D'Angelo, Jeff Stanley and a host of other people affected by the Overture Project.
The film portrays the conflict from the resulting tension between acquiring property and giving up a few of Madison's small businesses. On one side, George Austin, president of the Overture Foundation, said he intends to fulfill the Overture's mission of utilizing an entire city block. Opposing him is Jeff Stanley, former owner of Dotty's Dumpling Dowry, holding onto his eatery.
The story deepens with every testimony. At first, it seems like a civic matter, bounded by State Street and Jerry Frautchi's $50 million gifts. But then the conflict deepens as eminent domain, blight and the persistence of small business owners get thrown into the mix. Soon, ""A Dance Overdue"" brings together the themes of art, democracy of cities and even a bit of class conflict. Before the film is up, it moves freely between these themes while maintaining a keen focus on the central figures.
Daniel Cashin, director of ""A Dance Overdue,"" said he created the film out of a desire to reflect his interest in downtown Madison.
""I'm obviously interested in making art on a community so much so that I spend a significant portion of my time making art for a local group of people,"" he said.
Cashin used to work for Jack Miller, making ice at Miller's Eats and Treats. He said he has an appreciation for Madison's downtown and wanted to use film to expand that appreciation. While the documentary provides a balanced look at both sides, it cannot ignore the politics involved in the disagreement.
""It seemed like a particularly interesting way to be involved politically. It seemed like a logical extension of things that were going on at the time,"" he said.
One of the small triumphs of ""A Dance Overdue"" is the way it manages to be a portrait of city history while demonstrating exactly how cities can change in short periods. The film speaks to younger students who never knew about Dotty's, and to an older generation who awaits the store's reopening.
Besides this temporality, ""A Dance Overdue"" manages to question the necessity and desire for art in an urban setting. One question that the film asks is if the Madison arts scene was ever suffering. It goes further to ask if the Overture Center was even needed in the first place.
A major criticism that came from the People's Arts District was whether the community had its fair say in the development of the Overture Center. In the film, Barbra Vedder, a PAD member, says the development of the Overture Center did not accommodate all of Madison's viewpoints.
""It wasn't all-inclusive of the community and [it] couldn't be, but there could have been more alternative groups or voices involved,"" she said.
The film provides the dialogue that has been missing between the developers and the business owners. ""A Dance Overdue"" provides an essential medium that has been missing in the debate over the Overture Center.
""I think there are a lot of people who understand and appreciate where it's coming from,"" Cashin said.
