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

To: rat-list@whirl-i-gig.com
Subject: Re: RAT In support of in-home, in-class, on-line theater
From: Cat Hebert <virtualdrama@juno.com>
Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 09:50:54 -0400
I live in Philadelphia and NYC. Lived in London for years. No bitterness
at all. 
The structure of the "business" of theater has changed in a direction
which negatively affects quality of performance. (Every NYC director I
run into complains about having the cast "barely off book when the damn
thing closes".) Small theaters doing limited runs with ever more limited
rehearsal time. That constitutes "playing at" theater to my mind. The art
form requires a great deal more care. A great deal more time.

Cheers,
Cat



On Tue, 15 May 2001 15:14:37 -0700 (PDT) Allison Narver
<anarver@yahoo.com> writes:
> Dear Cat,
> Where do you live?  What kind of theater happens in
> your town?  It seems like it must be a pretty grim
> little offering to invoke such bitterness.
> Best,
> Allison
> --- Cat Hebert <virtualdrama@juno.com> wrote:
> > Hmmm. The most interesting people of my acquaintance
> > hardly go to theater
> > at all. Not because they don't have the time
> > (although that's a factor),
> > but because theater doesn't offer them anything that
> > has to do with their
> > own life stories and because performances are rarely
> > "first-rate".  Pro
> > theater has become spectacle and 5-big-issues.
> > Semi-pro theater has
> > become sitcom-tryouts and self-indulgence.
> > Interesting people see more of
> > their own stories in film. Theater has abandoned
> > them, IMHO, because many
> > theater-makers are marginalized and out-of-touch.
> > 
> > This elitism has been displayed in several of the
> > posts on this topic.
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > Cat Hebert
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On Tue, 15 May 2001 11:38:45 -0700 (PDT) Audie
> > McCall
> > <audiemccall@yahoo.com> writes:
> > > Allison Narver <anarver@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > > I feel that theater is in part defined by the
> > > > audience
> > > > and performers being able to breathe the same
> > air at
> > > > the same time.
> > > > I'm not very interested in watching somebody's
> > > > exploits online.  
> > > > Allison
> > > 
> > > Agreed!
> > > 
> > > And I for one would like nothing more than see the
> > > discussion veer in the direction of talking about
> > what
> > > exactly this means.  Not just an artsy vague
> > praising
> > > of "immediacy",  or “4-dimensionality” but rather
> > some
> > > crystal, cogent arguments for breathing the same
> > air. 
> > > How can we use it to our advantage, especially
> > beyond
> > > the more obvious fourth-wall-breaking techniques
> > > (though I ain’t knockin’ em)?
> > > 
> > > For instance, I think it’s rather remarkable that
> > any
> > > of us can convince anyone at all to leave their
> > > comfortable homes, get in their cars, drive to
> > some
> > > seedy neighborhood, plant their butt an
> > uncomfortable
> > > seat and watch things happen.  If this very act
> > > creates a certain self-selection, say for a more
> > > intelligent, more enthusiastic audience member,
> > then
> > > what does that mean to our shaping of the show
> > we’re
> > > giving them?  
> > > 
> > > For instance, is this the reason we can get away
> > with
> > > things like the new wave of science plays
> > (COPENHAGEN,
> > > PROOF, GREAT MEN OF SCIENCE et al)?
> > > 
> > > Is it enough to simply preach to this
> > self-selected
> > > choir, or can we challenge ourselves to challenge
> > them
> > > in ways one couldn’t with a larger, more diffuse,
> > > less—dare I say it— interesting group of people?
> > > 
> > > __________________________________________________
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> > > 
> > > 
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