RAT The Brad and Karen Mess - -Brad's Response ( Long)

[brad rothbart <scrdchao@nni.com>]

>Brad, I agree with Kelly Stuart.
>
>You ought to reimburse Karen for her plane ticket and expenses. That should
>be the least to make amends.
>
>You also ought to stop arranging festivals if you can't handle the logistics,
>or find a support staff to help you.
>
>I also urge all Rat-list people to consider the reaction of professional
>theatre people if they learn that you ("you" being the playwrights being
>read) traveled all that way for a "reading."  C'mon people, this is not the
>Taper, and it's not the Public (in its heyday) Playwrights, I urge you all to
>save your bucks and arrange for a production of your own, in your own town.
>Heck, I've put on my plays for just a couple of hundred bucks, with the help
>of a willing theatre.  I hereby encourage everyone to re-read Grotowski's
>"Towards a Poor Theatre."
>
>In my experience, the vast percentage of plays being "read" do not get
>produced, unless the play is hosted by a theatre intent on making that play a
>reality.
>
>As for "challenging me" to make a year's worth of theatre -- I have arranged
>venues for the plays for other people, worthy playwrights in this area. Not
>readings, but actual productions, and I've helped produce them.  I challenged
>YOU to eliminate your reading series and produce a worthy play instead.
>
>I hope you weren't serious about having "press" there. That's a disservice to
>the plays and the writers -- to critique a reading, or have the press talk
>about the pieces.


 Folks,
 I would like nothing better than to get this topic off the  RAT-list.
Anyone who wants to comment can do (whether positively or negatively) ,
(though, thank you Eileen)  so personally,.. You all have my email address.
 However, I want to address some  misconceptions before they run rampant.

 This festival , as you call it, was supoosed to be a small event. Due to
the overwhelming (and highly gratifying) response of playwrights from
around the country,  (about a 70%  response, I would estimate) it grew.
Probably beyond any one person's capabilities, but, as I had  created it, I
couldn't very well back out.

 In the email that was sent to playwrights,  ( which  can be found below) ,
as a template, with all names removed) it was made clear that there was no
money, but that in true RAT fashion, I would offer them a bed or couch.  It
waas also stated that if they were in the are, they would be  welcome at
the reading ( or the one rehearsal if there was one) and, furthermore, if
they had written critically about  the theatreor about there own workm,
they would be welcome to read that essay   before the staged reading.  This
was simply an idea I was floating.

 Much to my surprise, many playwrights wanted to come to the reeading, even
with a prior understanding that I could not fund their travel...  Further,
it came out that most of these playwrights came to New York City at least
once a year, whether that was for business, or personal matters.
Philadelphia is only 1.5 hrs from New York,  and it's a relatively  easy
trip.  Once again, I made it clear that I could not  fund that part of the
sojourn either.  Karen's trip was wrapped around her family visit  for
Thanksdgiving, that was the originalreason for the date of Nov. 29. Since
she was going to make the trip anyway,  I don't feel that I should
reimburse her for her plane ticket.

  Now, I am not being paid to create this series, the actors are not being
paid, the playwrights are not being paid , and  thiere is no budget line to
do so at the moment. This is all I have been doing for the past 12 weeks,
trying to operate every facet of the creation of this series.  I have been
given something very rare by Theatre Double: a space and the freedom to run
this seiersd as I see fit. It's a wonderful gift, and a chance one doesn't
get very often.

 A s to professional, I don't feel that it has anything tho do with
finance, but rather with an attitude, a way that people are treated. I try
my very best to be professional in my dealings with everyone, from actors,
to playwrights, to agents... Part of that professionalism is admitting and
dealing with one's mistakes straight-on, which is what I am trying to do
here.


 You mention producing worthy plays. Right now, my taste( as a director,
not a literary manager) runs to very intricate works with heavy technical
elements. These plays, to be mounted fully, would require a  Reza Abdoh -
level budget, which I simply don;t have. Therefore, I read them, in the
hopes that someone else will get as passionate as I am, and that they will,
in fact, get mounted.  As  the literary manager for this series, I  won't
read anything that I wouldn't produce. However, I am only the Literary
Manager, not the Artistic Director, and so I  am using the Reading series
as a bully pulpit for boundary-stretching works. In my current position,
that's all I can do.

 I did not mention "press" , I mentioned a Press Release.  I agree
completely that it would be unfair to the playwright to  have these pieces
reviewed, and  that is not how I am using it.  It is serving two functions:
As a PSA for Radio Stations in order to get the word out, and it is also
being sent to Features writers of Weekly  Magazines, and  our Daily  Paper,
( The Philadelphia Inquirer) in order to get some articles written  about
the overall aims of the series.   I perhaps should make it more clear that
the works are not for review, although I am not sending to any reviewers....

 One question: Just because we are not the Public( in its heyday) now, does
it mean that we can't be, someday? Joe Papp made his share of mistakes in
dealing with playwrights when he was starting out, I 'd venture.



That's all for now.  A template version  of  my Reading Series Announcement
Follows.

Selah,

Brad


*****************************Reading Series Announcvement
Template***************************


Name of Playwright,

I am the Literary Manager for Theatre Double, here in Philadelphia.  I am
currently   putting together a reading series at our space.  Your work was
recomnmended to me by Name of playwright and  I would like to read it to
see  if I feel it is right for the series.  The working title for the
series is:

Undeground Voices: From the Marginalized to the Transgressive

The official Reading Series Announcement follows. If you have any
questions, feel free to email me.


**********************************Reading Series
Announcement********************************





Name of Playwright,

 I am  officially presenting a reading series at Theatre Double, here in
Philadelphia.

 I would like to read your work to see if it would work in the context of
this series.

In  the reading series we will read one  full length play every other week.
There will be very little (or no) rehearsal, and no set elements.  There is
no money- we are charging " pay what you can", basically to pay the
electric bill.  The idea is to hear the voice of the playwright.   The
scripts will be available to the actors a week in advance.  Very formally
complex works ( such as Shelley Berc's,  Mac Wellman's, or  Ruth
Margraff's) might get one   rehearsal-  the  day before.  The series takes
place on Monday nights,  (starting in mid-October) so the (possible)
rehearsal would be the Sunday afternoon beforehand.

The script will be available to the actors the tuesday before the reading.

 Otherwise, it would be theatre as pickup basketball.

Do you feel you have work that would fit into this format?

Have you,   written any essays on  your work,   or theatre in general? If
so, and you're interested in being a part of this series-- I would love a
copy of it to read on the evening that we read your work. It's my
contention that non-fictional work helps an audience have a more personal
experience of a playwright.


If you're in the area, you are more than welcome  to come down, come to the
rehearsal, be present at the reading, read  your essay  (if there is one)
answer questions afterword-- any or  all of these would be welcome and
wonderful.

I can  offer you a floor, possibly a couch, ( if you need one) but, sadly,
no honorarium at this time.

Other writers who are being looked at for the series include:

Shelley Berc. Ruth  Margraff. Caridad Svich. Bret Fetzer.  Julie Hebert.
David Simpatico. Karen Cronacher. Sarah Kane. Erik Ehn. Diane Lefer.
Migdalia Cruz. Suzan-Lori Parks.  Julie Jensen.  Amy Wheeler.Josh Furst.
Gordon Dahlquist. Jonathan Ceniceroz.  John Belluso.   Kate Walat.  Jeff
Jones. Alice Tuan. Aishah Rahman.

I would like to use this series to open doors for other " underheard"
writers. I am wondering if you  would put me in contact with 5-10 other
playwrights who you feel have strong, developed voices but, for whatever
reason, those voices are not being heard.   I am asking every playwright
I'm talking to to  do this, as a way of developing an underground
playwright community.

This is how I want to develop this reading series, as a set of interlocking
rings, recommedations from people whom I know, or have already been
recommended to me.  I have read too much bad writing to feel comfortable
doing it any other way.

 Let me know if you want to participate.

If you do,  you can send (or email , as an attached file) some of your work
along to:


Brad Rothbart
411 Norfolk Road
Flourtown PA 19031-2109
Ph# 215.836.5382
email: scrdchao@nni.com

Namaste,


brad

***************************End Reading Series
Announcement***********************************