Re: RAT Re dramaturgy

[DennisLMo@aol.com]

yes. yes. yes. the history of theater, the compassionate and empathetic 
translation of one's intelligence into the given work of another. the 
open-ended question that springs an insight in the artist. why does any of us 
have to defend our right to do what we do with bigger or lesser credentials, 
publicity or professional acknowledgment and thanks. how about just the 
strength of the discussion.

so. let's see. perhaps there are a few dichotomies here, in approach. and 
like all dichotomies in the western civ habit much drops between.

i have been in places that talked plays to death, did readings, had many 
discussions of merits of this and that in the script. i have been there when 
i was forced to be there for various reasons. (i needed and wanted to see the 
work, for instance. or the work was mine.) but usually i exit pretty fast. 
that's my predilection based on experience and my take on the theater art 
form (in all its myriad performance genres- for want of a better term.)

i have learned the most from seeing other artists put there work up in front 
of an audience. i have learned from being in scenes... not discussions. by 
scenes i mean a theatre culture or community that springs up around related 
artistic approaches... i wish to create and be part of a scene or many scenes 
like the RATS! right. we have, of course the opportunity to do that since we 
are all so hooked up by this listserv, and because we work at or run 
different venues in the USA and maybe elsewhere...

when i said that theatre is not solo i mean that it must happen in 
collaboration. as far as i'm concerned plays or performance pieces are not 
valid on the page or as fodder for discussion. theatre happens there, our 
there, while people watch. the most picky and accurate dramaturg is the smell 
the audience gives off... 

i advocate theatre troops or companies where people understand each other and 
can go with it. like shakespeare's kings men, molier's troop and Brett's 
circle ... or various other wonderful incestuous wrong and right headed 
functional and dysfunctional families of theater artists... fill in your 
candidate in the blank provided...


love,
dennis