Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Insurgent Summer

I don't want to go in depth about the experiences of this summer. We mounted two local long-run shows simultaneously, took part of one to the Minnesota Fringe Festival, and toured out east for two weeks with the other. Forget the details, here's the conclusions: 1. We learned a lot. 2. I hate being back in Milwaukee. 3. I find myself most motivated by revisiting and refining my theory, rather than continuing to try and apply it.

See, this theory galvanizes me. I drives me to action, very specific and direct of actions. But, it has the same effect on very few other people. This means that either: I'm crazy, my theory has not been stated clearly, or nobody gives a shit about the kind of things that i find absolutely compelling. Of those three possibilities I can only do something about the second, so i'm about to start spending more time improving the theory and stating it more clearly.

To this end, i will be posting no more reviews here for a while. Since getting back to milwaukee, going to shows and galleries has pissed me off more than anything. Not because the art isn't great, but because the audience is so obviously there for reasons other than genuinely appreciating, engaging with, or supporting the art. I'll still go see art, i love it, but i'm done trying to talk about what i see. Instead, i'll be retreating breifly into academic research and using this blog to share the developments of my theory.

You can expect future posts to deal in depth with the following subjects:

First, there's "Paint the Town" itself. This play is a theatrical statement of my theory. The creation of the play, critiques of it, experience touring with it and discussions with audience members afterward have impacted my thoughts on these subjects in many interesting ways.

Second, there's "Towards a Practical Revolution" this is a consise, general and incomplete (though more complete than any other single document) statement of my theory of political revolution through artistic production. I sold copies of this for cheap on tour, spreading the ideas to the east coast. I'm also distributing them to certain people and places locally to try and elicit feedback, communication and development. I'll be putting it up on the insurgent website soon, but it's a bit long for reading off a screen, so if you'd like a hard copy, email: insurgent.ben@gmail.com or call 414 305 9832 and I'll sell you one for $2 (to cover printing costs).

Third, I'm reading Richard Florida's "Flight of the Creative Class" and will be re-reading "The Rise of the Creative Class" taking better notes and thoroughly incorporating his findings into my theory.

Fourth, i'm continuing to have ideas and looking for additional supporting evidence to my many claims and ideas.

In the next six months i hope to get together a much longer, more thorough statement of the theory, with more supporting evidence, works cited, academic analysis of Florida, Marx, Adorno, Daisey and many others whose ideas have contributed to the theory.

I don't know what, if any, art i'll produce during this time. I hope to tour more with Paint the Town.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

When you finally leave Milwaukee forever, don't let the door hit you on the way out!

Honestly, I haven't read so much bullshit crying & moaning about this town & it's artistic community since my niece dropped her ice cream cone on the ground.

I'm from Chicago originally & it's theatrical community, & your attitude reminds me of a Chicago actor who would whine endlessly about the "quality" of the Chicago artistic experience. It was always so much better in New York. Of course, when he went to New York, he was a dismal failure, & last I heard, he was out of the business, nuch to the benefit of us all.

So when are you moving??

Ben Turk said...

Oh, look, it's a comment from one of my fans! One of those fine Milwaukeeans who are too fucking spineless to put their name on the insults they spew.

Thanks for the feedback, guy!

Let's see, when am I moving? I'm not sure. I'm not sure that I am moving. I have to admit that (like any commited artist trying to live here) i'm considering it.

i have to say though, I'm as surprised as i'm sure you are that i lasted longer than some other theatre producers (Joe Hanreddy and Tim Shields) who must have recognized at about the same time as me that this city is a shitty place to try and do art. Unlike me, they quietly looked for new jobs in other cities, so that dumb fucks like you would pat them on the back on their way out instead of insulting them.

But, that's okay, i'll gladly take your comments as continued evidence that the citizens of Milwaukee don't want artists here and feel a little less bad about my having failed to revitalize Milwaukee's theatre scene.

As far as where i'm going, if i do? I don't know that either, but i'm pretty sure it won't be the cities you mention, you know, the ones that inspire so much of Milwaukee's self-destructive inferiority complex (which you are again, a wonderfully fitting reminder of). No, if i leave Milwaukee, it'll be for a smaller city, one about the same size as Milwaukee but one with more guts, more intelligence, more enthusiasm and fewer shitheads like you.

Thanks, buddy, you're a real help!

Anonymous said...

No, really. Time to go. As an actual working artist in town, you can believe me when I say: you will not be missed. You are bad for this city and bad for the arts everywhere. Let us know how things go in little Winsometown -- the only place that your deep, "educated," superior thoughts will ever be understood.
But I will truly miss this blog. It is the most entertaining online pseudo-intellectual masturbation around!
Peace.

Anonymous said...

Completely different anonymous from the previous, but it still makes me giggle that it makes you so upset.
And my name would give me "some semblance of credibility"? Really? Not if I'm not some angry, ungroomed, DIY, "punk rock," theatre revolutionary who read a couple of PoliSci text books for a public college course.
Nope. Not in your book.

Anonymous said...

Meaningless life?
(Hello, kettle. Pot calling!)

Be sure to let us know when your hate blog has revolutionized the world economy. We'll be waiting.