Re: RAT Talk

[The Independent Eye <bards@independenteye.org>]

Bobby wrote about people. . .
>emailing to me directly rather than posting on the RATlist.  In so doing, a
>good few stated their desire not to post on the RATlist because they didn't
>care to get "...shouted down by the youth movement."

	A couple of thoughts on this.

	First, the value of good vocal training, or the equivalent -
playing in high school auditoriums at 9 a.m. - is that you can out-shout
any sonofabitch within 40 miles, if need arises.  Need does arise.

	Second, flames are part of theatre, sad though it be.  The critics
diss us; we diss the critics and other theatres, especially those with more
money.  The more we regard ourselves as an oppressed, unappreciated class,
the more violent we are in our interchanges.  It's a learned mannerism with
some people to state fifty ways that someone else is full of shit as a
means of establishing their own claim to talent.  (It doesn't have to be
that way.  There can be kindness, and wonderful things can grow out of a
discussion stimulated by a really dumb comment.)  But it's strange to be
working in theatre if you're unwilling to open yourself to flames, rants,
and plain vile stupidity.  Myself, I've been insulted by some very talented
people, trashed in the New York Times, fired by an academic, and once
literally stoned with rocks and beer cans by an audience.  It comes with
the territory.

	Third, the "youth movement" I'm acquainted with are focused on
building a new vision through their work, not shouting anybody down.  I
haven't been on the list for long, so I'm not speaking to specifics, but
it's hard for me to believe that flamers are part of any "movement," except
perhaps peristalsis.

	Myself, I enjoy chit-chat, though long ago gave up any attempt to
do it, and I enjoy substantive posts, and I enjoy knowing what people are
doing and what stake they have in what they're saying.  Being on a pretty
diverse group of listservs, I think there's no way to create the perfect
listserv.  The way to make it more like what we want is to post more stuff
that's like what we want, find affinities with particular people, ignore
what you don't like, and realize that it's not flames, it's electrons
splattering on a screen (anyway I think that's the way it works).  On the
listserv of our neo-pagan tribe, kibitzing a truly harmful flamewar, I
proposed a "Conrad Bishop is an asshole" contest - offering a prize for the
most inventive insult anyone could inflict on me.  The war dissolved.
Flames are just flash paper.  The RAT list will become more interesting to
the degree that we're all interested in one another.

	Anyway, Bobby, thanks for your post.  Hope things are going well at
the Project.  We'll be back East in April; hope you can come up and see our
show in Philly.

Peace & joy-
Conrad




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