RAT some sum

["Erik Ehn" <shadowtackle@worldnet.att.net>]

more nutshells from the floor of the philly dugout.

The economic reform of the American theater will come about through
spiritual reform.
At the core of spiritual reform is personal conversion to justice and
service (hospitality), meaning, in both cases, giving away, giving-way.
Faith in justice gives rise to conversation (distribution).
Effective conversation gives rise to collective action, refreshed at root
through examination of conscience, which is silence and hope alive in
contemplation.

Justice gives rise to the enlightened scam. Scam gives rise to time and
space. Money is the last thing. The last thing is sometimes necessary, like
blowing out the candles before you eat the cake, though it results in a loss
of light.

To make rat better: make better conversations.  Consider:
Who do you want to meet? (Who is doing similar or complimentary work,
according to witness, rumor, ouija.)
What do you want to do together?
How do you make it happen?

A rat meet is a committed conversation, where we discover collaborators. A
rat meet is also everyone everywhere all the time, but hearing is harder .
We are sometimes explosive and sometimes convergent; we need both; both are
hard.

RAT CONTRACT

No written contracts.
Minimum 6 months rehearsal.*
Theater distributes documentation without restriction.**
If anyone gets paid, everyone gets paid.
Everyone paid the same.***

* Exceptions: improvisational work or actions, which still require
front-loaded planning; work whose energy derives from panic.
** At cost or free... or for profit. Non-exclusive. Artists retain rights
over their work, and are free to negotiate separate agreements, subjest to
separate right-requirements, as they will. We've talked some about
entrepreneurship. Why aren't we selling more CD's and t-shirts on the list?
Or through Punk Planet? Maximum Rock and Roll?
*** Regarless of time spent on the project (ushers, director, designers...).
Or: what? Who do you want to segregate? On what basis? Time may be a legit
divider; rarity of expertise another (if you need a yodler of a certain kind
and there is only one in the country, you may have to pay...). Pay people
inequitably if difference makes for more justice.


Where possible:
Direct exchanges of gods/services: room, transportation (to/from town, in
town), board, health care.
No "sets" (no sets as decoration; all plays site specific, with a theater
accepted and celebrated as a live site).^
The body of the actor is a site.
All collaborators (front of house, choreographer, publicist) present at the
start of the rehearsal process, and throughout, integrally. Non-perfomers
present for more than around-the-room introductions... valued as co-makers.
they have to sit a while. Days.
No box office. ^^

^ A common point to the rat esthetic: a challenge to time and space, in
advance of content-driven sensations.
^^ If we're serious about community, and audience-as-collaborator, if we
expect them to work and value their work, we should pay them we pay everyone
else. I'm not quite over this line yet, but I don''t know why.


Going off list except for the first five days of the month. LOOKING TO
CONNECT WITH FORDHAM CREW to talk about the zine. Looking for Travis to
thank him for the Voice. Trying to connect with Eric G about Indy TV and
will report back. Anyone wants to find me I'm at
shadowtackle@worldnet.att.net, or 30 Via Barranca, Greenbrae, CA 94904.


peace,

ehn





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