Re: RAT Following "What the F*** Is Diversity?"

[Lmlough@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/25/2001 12:50:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
dexteriously@yahoo.com writes:


> Should we expect to make a living in theatre?


Now there's a live, fire-breathing question.  And the answer probably is, 
unfortunately, you can expect to only if you stay away from such things as 
"diversity."  At least in the good ole' USA.  I'm sure there are exceptions, 
I'm being somewhat cynical here.  

Anyway, that's such a loaded, but very appropriate question today.  I know 
we're talking RAT here, but I would have preferred to see that as the theme 
of the TCG conference instead of the digital issue.  

It all goes back to the lack of arts/culture in our education in this 
society.  This blatant omission needs to be addressed, over and over, until 
it becomes a political movement.  And I'm not talking about forcing the 
theatres to do outreach to get their funding.  Full-on arts programming in 
our schools should be the relentless pursuit and focus of the established 
arts organizations, in my humble opinion.  Because they are the ones who can 
get an ear.  Otherwise, the answer to your original question will 
unquestionably always be "no".  (Don't worry, at this point I'm not going to 
go into all of the other ramifications of an education without the arts.)

As small theatre companies and as individual artists, it sometimes seems like 
we're all a bunch of debris floating on top of the water hoping for the right 
wave to carry us without smashing us into the pier or beaching us.  Let's 
face it, we're in shallow waters and it's risky.  And if we don't pay 
attention, a really strong current can come along (ala right wing) and simply 
pull us under.

It must be late.  I'm getting poetic and making little sense.  

- Linda Lough
The Brick Playhouse