Re: RAT Re: Rat Spat

[brad rothbart <scrdchao@nni.com>]

Karen,

Way back when, at the beginnig of this debate, you announced to me that ifI
had only read your play, it would be on my list of pieces that  I should
produce-- which led to the obscurity thread...

My direct contact with you has been quite edifying, and enjoyable.. but as
I read you, I find myself going from "gee, she's aggresssive" to "I feel
she might be alienating a lot of people who could help her  get her  work
produced" to " i wish she'd just cool out"  to "  I don't care about  this
anymore" to" I wish I wasn't on this list." That was my  personal
progression.

 Forget what you might be feeling for a second- a question- does  everyone
have to share every opinion they might have just because  they're thinking
about it? Are we all Pavlovian RATS,. reaching for the Reply to all"
button? Must  we always,  to quote  Spinal Tap, "go to Eleven'?


Some misconceptions that I care to correct- that all in the theatre world
are apolitical. Ask most on this list if they are not tired of my beautiful
ravings about anarchism and pacifism. : )



 No one does theory.

 We were in Seattle at the same time- I was one of the found ing members of
the Alchemical Theatre--- , which was based in Artaud, Meyerhold, Deleuze
and Guattari  and Virillio. Had a theatre that shared a wall with
Underground Seattle, in the alley at the bottom of  Yesler Way...

As your new lover. Jono, can tell you-- we were so political and committed
and controversial that we were denied entry to a non-juried Fringe Festival
in Seattle. We were just beyond the pale..Now Jono will respond that he was
our white knight , while everyone else was against us....It doesn't really
matter. Just interesting that  we were threatening enough to Fringe
Festival Hierarchy at large that they denied us.

Or, maybe you remember me from the Gulf War- I was the guy on TV, long
hair, picket sign in one hand, Teddy Bear in the other. Maybe you remember
the one-month anniversary of the Gulf War, the reoccupation of The Federal
Builing Plaza, the  Ritual Death piece with naked people covered in theatre
blood.  My piece, concieved directed and performed in...  Just a partial
list- doesn't include the street piece about not paying your taxes...

Jusst be more careful in the  assumptions  you make  about this list before
you know these folks ok?

The reason I want to know and like the writers I work with is because I
love the theattre.. Even if I am lucky enough to make a living at it --I
never want it to turn into a job... This means  selecting out those people
who turn love into work..


Right now, you're making it feel like work.

--brad