David Jones is co-founder and former chairman of the board of Humana, Inc.

Thirty years is a long time to make the huge commitment that Humana and its foundation have made to The Festival of New American Plays. In fact, it is the longest relationship existing in this country between a corporation and arts organization.

How did it all begin? Jon Jory, producing director of Actors Theatre from 1969 to 2000, originated the festival in 1976 because: "We love writers, and new writing, and the rollercoaster ride of the unknown, and being first on our block, and – truth to tell – we don’t mind a little attention either."

As the festival grew, it became clear that additional financial support was needed to sustain it. Jon knew that Humana founder David Jones and his wife were long-time subscribers to Actors Theatre. In October 1979, Jon addressed a two-page case statement to David Jones for funding support from Humana for an annual festival presenting premiere productions of new works by American playwrights, and enlisted the help of Actors Theatre of Louisville board member Penelope Morton, a good friend of Mr. Jones. Ms. Morton passed the written request along. David Jones recalls, "I was amazed at its lucidity and clarity. Through his statement, I sensed in Jon a passion of vision and the ability to realize that vision and I felt it was worth supporting." Nearly thirty years ago, this document accurately predicted the festival’s outcome, "The main thrust is to develop conditions in which the festival can thrive as one of the world’s great artistic events.…It focuses attention on Kentucky as a sophisticated and culturally important center and provides a useful public relations tool for state and local government and industry." David Jones and Humana enthusiastically embraced the festival and have continued to do so.

Of its support, Jon Jory wrote, "Humana’s support of the festival helps identify Actors Theatre as the beating heart of original American theater, and is a major source of the theatre’s financial stability. In addition, support of the Humana Festival helps establish an identity for Humana that goes beyond that of a critical care institution to an institution that is also centered on human interests and values, on the humanities and culture."

Today, the Humana Festival is internationally renowned and yearly attracts visitors from around the world. "I don’t know that Humana’s worldwide name recognition in connection with the festival has had much commercial value," David said, "but it is good for our employees and the communities we serve to see that the company has a soul and an intellect and values those qualities in its colleagues."

During this long relationship, David has never commented on the acting or the plays or tried to interfere in any way artistically in the festival choices. Jon once commented, "David doesn’t have to like the plays and I didn’t have to like the color of his tie."

Because of its support, Humana has created the conditions that allow playwrights, directors, actors and designers to do their best work and to enhance the process of developing new work. Over the years, Humana has enabled the development of hundreds of emerging authors that are now firmly established in the American theatre, such as Tony Kushner, William Mastrosimone, Marsha Norman, John Pielmeier, Theresa Rebeck and Donald Margulies.

The depth of worldwide recognition for the Humana Festival is exemplified by the recent visit to Latvia by the executive director of the Humana Foundation and a team of physicians conducting a study on current medical conditions there at the request of U.S. Ambassador Kathy Bailey. The ambassador introduced a young Australian woman working for the Latvian National Theatre who handed over a script for submission to the Humana Festival.

David notes that the festival is a valuable opportunity for playwrights to hone their scripts. "There have been great plays and terrible plays and that is the nature of working with works in progress," he said. "Many of the plays have been improved as a result of their being produced in the festival and subsequent to their productions, and that is a good thing."

Looking toward the future, David has retired and no longer controls funding, but he is pleased to see that a new three-year cycle of support has been approved.

He and his wife Betty, long-time subscribers since Actors Theatre was located at the train station, have tried to see nearly all the plays each year on the season and in the festival. As to favorites, he quickly reeled off a list: last season’s hit Pure Confidence, Kathy Bates in Extremities, all of the Pulitzer Prize winners – The Gin Game, Dinner with Friends and Crimes of the Heart, the plays by Louisville playwright Marsha Norman – Getting Out, ‘night Mother and Third and Oak – plus Food From Trash. And, he added, the sets are always spectacular and the acting phenomenal.

—Trish Pugh Jones