RAT A Missive from PHILLY to ALL YOU FIERCE ARTISTS OUT THERE

[DennisLMo@aol.com]

Dear Theater Folks

There is a lot to say. I will try to be brief.

It is possible to live well and produce theater in Philadelphia. Five to 
Eight regional theaters exist here and do very well or well enough. The 
Walnut has over forty-thousand subscribers. The Wilma and Arden draw well and 
pay six figure salaries to their artistic directors (it is rumored). 
Philadelphia Theater Company fills its house and supports its staff 
similarly. The Prince just raised $2 million plus to expand and finish their 
new theater space. Freedom has hit a snag financially, is pulling it out, and 
has a brand spanking new theater. Bellow this notch are a number of potential 
legit TCG aspiring members. Including Interact, Theatre Double, Philadelphia 
Shakespeare, Theater 1812, Bushfire, MummPuppet and. And...

The BRICK services a lot of writers and artists doing primarily evenings of 
short works. 

These venues and others fill the house on many nights. 

Perhaps thirty theater (or more) companies exist in addition to these that 
perform full seasons in any number of reasonably priced rental spaces. 
($450-$1500/week).

If you perform regularly in Philly you can get reviewed, develop your 
audience and settle into a nitch and wiggle further out. 

There IS funding here. I DON't KNOw WHAT CAT MEANS! Conrad and Elizabeth did 
get $90,000 a year funding for primarily producing their own work in their 
fifty seat theater (which was a living space and office space as well). But 
what of the MILLIONS in funding, sponsoship etc. going to the big five or 
six. Individual Artists, smaller theaters can easily cop (which they deserve) 
five or ten thou AND MORE. There are PEW Fellowhsips for Philadelphia writers 
that are FIFTY Thousand dollars. In a recent year 2 out of 173 in the 
theaterworks or script works category received that amount. Compare those 
odds with where you are living now. Two year residency in Philadelphia area 
needED to qualify. So. Move right away. There are many private and public 
funding agencies here pulling for theater in Philadelphia! There is the Pew, 
William Penn, Philadelphia Fund, etc., etc. let's say thirty agencies or 
more. Banks and other corporations also regularly sponsor shows.

I am not mentioning many companies that regularly produce important and valid 
work. This missive would be pages and pages. Last Friday thirty-three theatre 
pieces were listed in the Guide to the Lively Arts of the Philadelphia 
Inquirer. I knew of at least three other pieces not listed.

True the big buck houses in Philly are primarily reprise theaters putting up 
plays developed elsewhere following variations on the Regional Theater schema 
of success (do what's good and popular somewhere else and bring it in with a 
mix of out of town and in town actors and EXCELLENT production values). But 
THINK OF THE AUDIENCE they are training and getting into the habit of THEATER.

The living is cheap and comfortable in Philadelphia. You can buy a house in a 
safe neighborhood for $30-$40 thousand. (Radical not for profit anarchists 
have bought fix up space for $4000 or less -- I even hear of an $800 dollar 
house!?) You can park your car on the street without a meter or alternate 
side of the street parking. (Once you are out of center city.)

Yes, there is a crying need to revise the BIG Buck REgional Theater paradigm. 
We need more companies that make a go of it with original work developed in 
house. WE NEED work that is engaged, new, fresh, and... REAL. (Your real, my 
real or his or her REAL) Now isn't that what ALL YOU FIERCE ARTISTS OUT THERE 
ARE ABOUT. In Philly you can hit the street running.

ALL YOU FIERCE ARTISTS OUT THERE SHOULD CHECK PHILLY OUT
RAT Conference/TCG makes sense. right.

love,
dennis