RE: New to RAT Communique`

["Werner Trieschmann" <werner_trieschmann@adg.ardemgaz.com>]

As a playwright, I must say this is an encouraging thing to read. Not so long
ago, Moving Arts helped put together a pamphlet that promoted the work of
playwrights who had productions there. This was a great way to get playwrights
names out to theatres around the country. 

I remember in the RAT conference during the big discussion with Erik, Nick and
Ben from TCG that Erik said (and I'm going to paraphrase) that "plays couldn't
die fast enough" for him. Though I think I understood what he was getting at,
I disagree. I personally want to see my plays live. I would think that RAT
theatres would be gratified to see plays they premeired staged at theatres big
and small across the country.

Werner T. (Mack Chili Daddy) 
_______________________________________________________________________________

>From: rat-list@whirl-i-gig.com on Wed, Dec 22, 1999 2:55 PM
>Subject: Re: New to RAT Communique`
>To: rat-list@whirl-i-gig.com
>
>incidentally, our attention to the life of plays and the careers of
>playwrights (please note -- we are not always successful) was an
>approach evolved in association with jillian armenante and allison
>narver.  i always figured we were ripping off what they built along with
>sylvain and others at annex.  the point is that one of the greatest
>payments we can offer since we have no money is recommendations to
>places with more money and people who may be able to get paying work for
>our playwrights (agents, producers, etc.)  its easy to do but also easy
>to forget to do.   especially in the crush of RAT style production.  i
>encourage everyone reading this to pick up a phone, or an envelope or a
>URL right now -- contact a theatre and recommend directly and
>forthrightly that they produce a work that you admire and respect.
>
>audie, if you haven't read it, i'd like to forward you a copy of our
>latest Louis Slotin Sonata by Paul Mullen.  we just closed a very
>successful run in Los Angeles and people are nibbling all over the
>country to follow suit.  the playwright is still basking in the warm
>afterglow of his recent nuptials, so if you get to him quick, you might
>be able to get the play for cheap : )
>
>love
>
>mab
>
>Audie McCall wrote:
>
>> --- "Sylvain, John" <jsylvain@station.sony.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Shows open, shows close. People fall in love with
>> > each other, people move
>> > on. The art that is created is Powerful and vital
>> > yet ephemeral. It is
>> > there, the most important thing in your life and
>> > then it evaporates. The set
>> > is struck and the lights come down and the actors
>> > start looking for another
>> > project. We're building beautiful, powerful sand
>> > castles.
>>
>> So stop building castles out of sand.  (Though sand
>> mixed with other stuff can make a pretty strong and
>> wonderful concrete.)
>>
>> In other words, if we pay more attention to the PLAYS
>> we produce (yes, I'm speaking primarily of new works
>> here); offer them more care and consideration in their
>> development, perhaps they'll have a life beyond our
>> single premiere production of them.  As you know,
>> Johnny, Annex premiered many, MANY new plays, and
>> essentially abandoned most of them to the trash heap
>> half-finished once they'd been put up once.  (What I
>> wouldn't give to see another production of BESSEMER'S
>> SPECTACLES with an hour cut out of it!)
>>
>> Circle X has engendered a different approach, actively
>> shepherding plays they've produced AFTER they premiere
>> them.  Hence, playwrights like Glen Berger and Louis
>> Broom are getting subsequent productions at places
>> like Empty Space, Yale and Florida State Theatre.
>>
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>