Re: RAT Reading Series --What, Brecht thinks?

[Trey Nichols <treynichols@movingarts.org>]

>  While I tend to agree that readings, for me, generally constitute
>wasted energy, I don't believe that's true for everybody. One person's
>boring reading is another person's resume credit.  These things really do
>count.

Hear, hear!
If you put a pride of playwrights in one coffeehouse and a coven of
non-profit theatre management-types in another, and have them discuss the
merits and drawbacks of readings, two entirely different discussions would
emerge.  Straddling both sides of that fence (ouch!) as a playwright and
literary director, I've seen both parties benefit, but sometimes in
unexpected ways.

As LD, I've selected many plays for readings at my theatre, some that I was
excited about,  others that I admired but wasn't sure I could entirely
champion.  I don't think doing so was teasing the playwright or wasting
anyone's time.  If there was enough "there" there that delighted or
surprised or just plain baffled me, then the reading forum is the next
stage of production consideration, and I would hope the writer would be
pleased by that.  If not, oh well...my motives are largely selfish
anyway--and I mean that in the most generous way possible.  I want to give
our resident actors the opportunity to taste and savor that writer's words;
I want our Artistic Directors to meet the writer so a relationship can be
set in motion, one that will eventually lead to a production, if not this
play, then the next one, or the one after that. I want the discussion that
follows the reading to fly, I want passion and debate, and I want to end
the evening with a new experience of the play, one I didn't have when I
read it alone. I want everyone involved to come out of the reading
experience richer.  Maybe we'll have our next production, maybe not.  A lot
more than the simple acceptance/rejection equation is going on.

As a playwright in the hot seat, I've suffered through bad readings of my
work, smiled through lengthy diatribes by oddly vindictive audience members
who just didn't get the work, or didn't care to try.  You learn, you move
on.  As I  consider my file of rejection letters, (some personal and
encouraging, others badly xeroxed), I hope I can still manage to find a
glimmer of opportunity within each .

Trey Nichols
Moving Arts


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