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Re: RAT The fireside
Here, here. When I do a production of <anything>, you name it, the last
thing I want my audience to experience is a "nice" evening of the
theatre. And lord help us if playwrights, out of some politically correct
pressure to be produced, start cranking out plays about nice people who
get along all the damn time. And don't kid yourselves for a second that
that would never happen, because that is exactly where all this emphasis
on cozying up to each other could easily lead. A kind of friendly facism.
Now some folks will probably jump to the conclusion that I'm saying we
all need to be at each other's throats. That is neither fair nor true.
Simply because some people are capable of entering heated debate and
passionately defending or proposing their points of view does <not>
automatically mean that they are A) mad at the other person, B) too
emotionally connected to the debate, or C) (and this, I believe, is the
crux of the biscuit) your abusive mother, father, sister, brother,
priest, boyfriend, girlfriend, director, teacher, god, or what the hell
ever. Toughen up, people and stop making everything about you. You picked
a rough field. Nothing's "wrong" with disagreements and heated debate.
Dare to get dirty.
Best,
Jonathan
On Thu, 21 Oct 1999 09:37:14 -0800 Leon Martell <belon@ucla.edu> writes:
>Thanks Sean,
> But you're forgetting how pearls are grown. They have
>to
>start from an irritant. Something gets under the skin of the oyster
>and
>digs at it's insides. To deal with that ache, the oyster, ( an ugly,
>yet
>tasty creature) covers the irritant with layer after layer of what
>becomes
>a pearl.
> I forget who wrote it on the list, but, the passion is what's
>needed. It would be nice if passion came so clearly out of agreement,
>but
>most of the art I admire came out of a need to respond to injustice,
>whether it is personal or public. Rage. I look back envious on the
>days
>when audience would arm themselves to go to an Eric Satie concert,
>because
>it would probably turn into a riot. Commitment. Anyone can commit
>when
>it's "nice", when we're being "cordial." The audience is usually
>happy,
>but undisturbed. Maria Irene Fornes, interviewed in "In Their Own
>Words"
>talks about being a painter in Paris and seeing the original
>production of
>"Waiting for Godot" and being "upset". It changed her life.
>"Upsetting"
>people, in that manner, there's a goal, and if it takes punctuation
>fights
>to uncover the passion that drives us, then I'm all for it. The list
>was
>quiet for weeks. Now there's something to read and some of it is
>energizing. Conflict. We've been using that for years. Let's NOT
>"make
>nice."
>
>Leon
>
>
>
>
>
>>Let us not bicker and contest to see who holds the most wit. We
>can't
>>change the world if we bicker as egotists and fools. With all the
>crap and
>>nonsense no wonder why theater is a "dying" art. As actors, writers,
>>directors and what not....we are thesbians...at a more intrinsic
>level we
>>are storytellers. Way back in the day our place was around a
>fireside
>>telling and acting or dancing out vibrant stories, which not only
>portrayed
>>life in certain dynamics or demensions, but taught something as well.
> We
>>entertained the kids, we made the adults laugh and we brought smiles
>of
>>remebrance to the elders...but in the end we took something out of
>our
>>little bags. A pearl of wisdom which was not social or political,
>but
>>universal and human. Not only did the audience take that pearl with
>them,
>>but we did too. The shine and the sheen which that pearl carried
>was
>>awesome. The pearl was passed from soul to soul and with that the
>story
>>was too. I don't know if I'm even getting my point across...or maybe
>this
>>is a simple lofty notion of a naive young artist, but there is
>something as
>>a theatre communtiy or more appropriatly a theatre nation that we
>need to
>>find and remember. Somehow...and I have not figured this out, but
>somehow
>>we have to come back to the fire and find that pearl.
>>
>>
>>Thanks and Love,
>>Sean Harvey
>>
>>PS--The "Truth" is out there!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>At 02:37 PM 10/04/1999 -0500, you wrote:
>>>Pat:
>>>
>>>Brilliant as always! Thanks.
>>>
>>>
>>>Vandi
>>>
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