RAT In support of in-home, in-class, on-line theater

[Cat Hebert <virtualdrama@juno.com>]

In support of in-home,  in-class, on-line theater

One of the byproducts of a culture in which people watch 10-20 hrs of
acted-out storytelling per week is that, one way or another, everyone has
become a critic. The level of acting/editing is so high during TV
storytelling that less-than-superior performances get "thumbs down" from
the woman on the street -- often using terms that echo the phrasing (if
not the opinions) of on-air critics. (I overheard a lady cop evaluating
George Clooney's performance in The Perfect Storm: " He always sounds
like he's reading his lines. I wonder if they have a teleprompter
somewhere for him.  Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't kick him out of bed.")

Community theater audiences bring this critical acumen with them as they
view local productions, and even though they may mentally make allowances
for Frank the hairstylist's performance as the Rainmaker, their comments
in the lobby tend to be more of the nature of "Tessie was a lot better
than I thought" or "How did she memorize all those lines?" than "I wish I
were up there doing that". Those film performance comparisons are fixed
firmly in the water cooler section of our brains.

Part of the problem in the U.S., of course, has to do with budget cuts
and curriculum changes that have virtually eliminated theater from the
classroom, but we also carry cultural baggage that says "If you aren't a
professional, you aren't any good." ... or ... "If I'm not professional
out there I'm going to embarrass myself."

The highly competitive, often defensive, " semi-pro" theater community
reinforces these reactions by turning up its collective nose at
performers who have that "community theater smell" [actual comment] about
them. "Well, we all have to start somewhere." "Do you have any *real*
acting credits?" Understandable? Yes. Helpful? No.

The result is that even though the community theater movement in the U.S.
is stronger than ever, fewer citizens are participating in the creation
of theater. As we all know, theater audiences are heavily made up of
people who "do" theater.  These audiences pay taxes, and elect politicans
who are responsible for funding theater.

Rampant professionalism is the culprit, I'm afraid, and we need to do
something about it before it spreads any further.

One way to start a "get-back-to-basics" theater campaign is to get more
students doing theater. What do suburban kids do the most (besides
thinking about you-know-what)? Hang out on the Internet and/or the
telephone.

That's why I see online, in-room, in-dorm, webcam [videoconference]
theater as a natural way to get kids involved in theater. It'll take a
formal movement of some sort. Contests (sponsored by VH1?). You know.
What'll they act out? You know, stupid stuff. They'll write/improvise
about their lives, about the neighbors. Do parodies of TV.  *Be* parodies
of TV. But ... it'll be kids looking at other kids -- chatroom attached. 

Family online theater is a tougher sell. Teenagers will want to put the
tech together or direct. Easier to get them to dive into a pit of zit pus
than to roleplay with sister Amie.:) Parents will try to avoid it
altogether ["uh, I have to finish this fiscal year budgeting paradigm ...
stuff"] -- unless, of course there are rewards involved or they can be
guilted into using it as "quality time" or [tech trans.] "face time".
They can write about the family: about the time Uncle Nick slipped on his
own toupee. They can model the effects of global warming. Whatever.

"And what theater of significance will come out of this?"  Of
significance to whom? The acting out of stories has been with us a wee
bit longer than acting out stories in a loud voice for two hours and one
pee break."

Maybe it's time that theater got back to the joy of storytelling.  And we
have just the hi-tech tools to help us do it.

Cheers,
Cat Hebert
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