[Date Prev][Date Next]
[Chronological]
[Thread]
[Top]
Re: RAT The Anonymous Dramaturg(es)
Jonathan,
There's that difference between theater as a game or a social hobby and theater as an art form -- which has historical significance. The art form develops through feedback, recognition, mentoring, and the odd wadded up newspaper applied to the collaborative nose. But.. as we all know, we have to respect those who are commenting on our work. (I'm leaving out those who feel that *no one* understands what they are doing or why. They may be right, but theater doesn't tend to look backward in quite that way.) And, it's important in a business where competition can be polite, but ruthless, that people have the ability to save face. Thus the anonymity. If, for example, a large group of theater folk in Chicago were (also anonymously) polled about who they respect the most in different disciplines and why, and if some of those "most respected" individuals were to agree to comment on work and performances anonymously, it would be more difficult to dismiss both positive and negative feed!
back.
I'd see the nature of the criticism being "bullet-point" notes -- not crafted prose -- so that it becomes "Notes from the Masters". The productions/performers save face, but are forced to look into the mirror -- especially if the criticism were given not only anonymously, but secretly, so that people *couldn't* use positive comments in their next flyer.
I suppose what prompts all this from me is my observation that with decreased funding and even less "safety net" for the theater in the US, scavenger behavior has taken over, with a lot of scuttling for grants, audiences, patrons, students. The more crowded the scuttling pit becomes, the less attention is paid to adding a generation's own true stories into the historical mix, and the more hungrily theatre artists feed on scraps from the past and delectables from the fringes.
That's why I see documentation, mentoring, anonymous "master-cism", and a general atmosphere of learning so important. The egoist and the hobbyist have their place in theater. I'd just prefer that they not occupy the best seats :)
Cheers,
Cat
To what end?
Jonathan
On Mon, 2 Apr 2001 17:00:56 -0400 Cat Hebert <virtualdrama@juno.com>
writes:
> The discussion on critics led me to think about this relationship
> between
> theatres and theater people and and who listens to whom.
>
> It seems to me that it would be pretty useful to have a group of
> roving
> critics -- viz very very experienced theater folk who would provide
> detailed, *anonymous* criticism of productions -- broken down by
> specialty, etc. Normally this function is actually performed by
> award
> committees in cities that have that sort of thing. It would be
> useful to
> have established acting teachers, directors, designers e.g.
> commenting on
> specific bits of performances. ("John R. has memorized the role of
> King
> Lear, and the ?director's? interpretation of Lear as a 19th century
> vaudeville performer is ... interesting ... but John needs more
> practice
> with those pratfalls during the large speeches." "The rear set flats
> sway
> precipitously when doors are closed. The persian rug and the
> waterpipe
> are a nice touch."
>
> Cheers,
> Cat Hebert
> ________________________________________________________________
> GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
> Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
> Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:
> http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------
> To [un]subscribe to the rat-list, send an email to
> "majordomo@ratconference.com"
> with [un]subscribe rat-list" in the body of the message.
> For information on other functions send a message containing the
> word
> "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.
> ---------------------------------------
> You may also [un]subscribe on the web at
> http://www.ratconference.com/cgi-bin/web_domo.pl?list=rat-list
www.ezrabuzzington.com
---------------------------------------
To [un]subscribe to the rat-list, send an email to "majordomo@ratconference.com"
with [un]subscribe rat-list" in the body of the message.
For information on other functions send a message containing the word
"help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.
---------------------------------------
You may also [un]subscribe on the web at http://www.ratconference.com/cgi-bin/web_domo.pl?list=rat-list
---------------------------------------
To [un]subscribe to the rat-list, send an email to "majordomo@ratconference.com"
with [un]subscribe rat-list" in the body of the message.
For information on other functions send a message containing the word
"help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.
---------------------------------------
You may also [un]subscribe on the web at http://www.ratconference.com/cgi-bin/web_domo.pl?list=rat-list