Re: RAT, The dramaturgy of...

[jonoh1@juno.com]

On Thu, 18 Jan 2001 16:13:04 -0500 (EST) Laura Winton
<fluffysingler@prodigy.net> writes:
> My fear though is that in a juried system, THOSE are the plays (the 
> ones
> with the buzzwords) that would frequently be selected--because, 
> frankly,
> THOSE are the plays that "sell out" consistently.

And, unfortunately, you'd be right. As I stated before. Festivals suck.

> 
> (The Mpls Festival just had a controversy over a show that wanted to 
> use the
> word Pussy in the title and they wanted the person to change it 
> somehow. 

They should be shot. Or exposed. Or shot and exposed. 


> Also, ended up turning into a race discussion because the artist in 
> question
> was African American and the quote attributed to the Fringe 
> representative
> was "Minneapolis is 90% white--we don't use that word that way."  
> The
> controversy is who said what and to whom?)

"Hello, is the the Minneapolis Star and Tribune?"  Bang.


> 
> On the other hand, the ease of mounting festivals and mounting shows 
> in
> festivals DOES make it easy to try things and experiment a little 
> and "cut
> your teeth" on making theatre.

Fine and good. But remember that what you're cutting you teeth on is
actually an audience's neck. Which may be fine. But at what cost are
audiences (who, as I mentioned before, are in need of guidance)
responsible for a theatrician's "training"? Especially when they're
plunking down the cold, hard?


  We did our first Fringe Festival in 
> Mpls
> last year and I refer to it as "Fringe University".  It was my 
> second
> attempt at full-fledged self-production and I learned a lot about 
> how to
> talk to tech people, for example, and how to think through the 
> production
> much more clearly.  That's very useful for me as a playwright, and 
> it beats
> the hell out of sitting around waiting for a production or workshop
> opportunity.  I need to get my work onstage so I can see it more 
> fully
> realized.  There's only so much writing and rewriting you can do in 
> your
> basement while you wait for your "big break".  So I think they do 
> have their
> place. 

Uh huh. 


 But again, does catering to the mainstream really help the 
> artists
> who are trying something new and different?  Or does it just attract 
> more of
> those sellout shows?

I think it could potentially do both. But again, if by "new and
different" you mean incomplete and/or sloppy, then I think the festivals
are doing yet another disservice to the art form. Not to mention
potential audience. 

> 
> I'd like to hear from people--almost EVERYONE has mentioned 
> self-indulgent
> theatre.  What does that really mean to each of you?  What 
> constitutes
> self-indulgent in your world?

Style over substance.
Lack of inner/outer vision.
The belief that one's life is interesting to everyone so they talk about
it endlessly for a paying audience who feel compelled to applaud at the
end for reasons that baffle me still. But, I <think> might have to do
with some kind of subliminal hypnotic suggestion.
Over acting, directing, producing, writing.
Fear of economy.
Fear of failure.
Fear.
Lack of knowledge pertaining to the subject matter/theme.
Gratuitous settings of classical plays.
The belief that as an "artist" anything they throw up there is art.
Dropping the ball by shrugging off a potential audience's response.
Playing <to> the audience.
Theatre by committee.
All regional theatre.
All Fringe Festivals.
All of Broadway.
Intellectualism.

This does not imply that I think this is <all> that makes self-indulgent
theatre.
No. Not by a long shot.
Jonathan