RAT Ratectomy(or,you can take the tonsils out of the rat)

["H.M. Bullitt" <hmbullitt@hotmail.com>]

Best wishes,prayers,empathy to brother Rob Nash.
After reading Rob's tonsil story(which at first did not seem to be
theatre related),Jonathan's response(i.e."hometowns never appreciate
their own"),and Lalli's inquiry I began to ponder my own experience
with this question of being able to be appreciated,or indeed even
seen, in one's hometown.
I've worked in my hometown,Louisville,in practically every position
and every venue for the last 15 or so years.From Actors Theatre to
the streets and even prisons,and am consequently rather well known.
However,I frequently come up against a strange bias that favors those
who may be inexperienced,unknowledgable,untalented,or worst of all
scammers simply because they are from somewhere else,or have returned
from a long absence.I have witnessed this dynamic for years,and have
watched many excellent native artists and performers leave our community 
because of it.Ironically,many of those who left have garnered national 
fame,and precisely those who would not hire them
wonder why they don't "put something back into the community".I do not 
believe that there is a single cause at work here,in some cases it is a 
matter of personalities involved,or company mission(or lack 
thereof).However,it does seem to be a recognizible and integral dynamic.It 
also seems to be linked to the idea of community Arts,
(it is common practice for"professional theatres"to cast in NY etc.
and to generally starf*ck,there again is that problematic definition
of "professional"),but even so it is most infuriating when those
who are progressively building the Arts Community are guilty of it.
It also seems a particularly potent problem for those artists who
are already members of marginalized/oppressed groups.Though,in louisville,we 
have made attempts to address these issues through
producing local artists,matching up local and national artists,and
using varios pr tools,among other things,still it seems to be a
problem to which we default.So what do we do?How do we keep from being taken 
for granted or worse being dismissed in our own communities?Is it simply a 
taste for what seems exotic,or the grass is greener?Is it
a community self-esteem issue,or a symptom of the systom?
Ideas?
Experiences?
Remedies?
Anyone?
Ratspectfully,Hank.




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