Tuesday, March 4, 2008

On Theatre Failing America.

For the last few weeks I've been watching attentively (what i can get past my day job's webfilter to see anyway) as the whole theatre world seems to open up and discuss what I've known since before I started writing and producing plays.

The way most theatre is produced today is fucked.

But, most peoples' complaints in these discussions are half the reason I'm doing theatre in the first place.

If the system collapses, it's not a tragedy. It's  an opportunity. The Art World is an institution designed to defang and commodify art. Arts administration is anti-art (or, to take the dada view, creative individuals who want more innovation should be anti-Art).

C'mon, how long have artists have been clamouring for the destruction of the arts establishment? Don't cry about it now that it's finally happening! Don't sob big tears of entitlement or dream about getting one of the few remaining cushy bourgeois gigs, and for christ's sake DON'T ask the government to get involved, please!

Celebrate! Create! Burn your actor's equity card. Find a new way.

It'll all get better, I promise.

1 comment:

Scott Walters said...

I discovered you through the Jonathan West - Mike Daisey dialogues. It seems we might share some points of connection.

http://theatreideas.blogspot.com
http://tribaltheatre.pbwiki.com