I'm a little aggrivated...mad some might say...I can't decide whether I'm mad like Hamlet or mad like Medea...(although it could be said they both are crazy).
I've been doing a little "undercover work"...trying to light the fire of debate under some people's arses to generate discussion regarding the current state of Theatrical Affairs in this part of Ontario...specifically Ottawa. Having not worked in the area or had anything to do with theatre directly for over a year (at least) I thought this would give me enough cause to have an objective opinion.
Granted going "undercover" may not have been the most "honest" ways of soliciting opinions from some people, I thought it might allow for more discussion as whatever people thought about me would be irrelevant.
But having done some recognizance work last week, I am starting to wonder if there is no interest in discussing issues that involve the current state or even the future state of affairs in Theatre--
Unless it involves a change to their status, money, publicity, or something in return...
Does this mean the dying art is being eaten by it's own creators?
I am not sure I've done enough investigating to definitely say.
How can theatre companies charge $30-40 a ticket to a show that's mediocre and not have any interest in working to better the quality of their product for future runs? Where are the apprenticeships, where are the master classes? Why does it seem that "company ensembles" smell of elitism in an art form that is suppose to reject elitism in favor of expression?
I don't have the answers to these questions...yet.
The response I did get from those I managed to solicit a response from refused to debate matters they could not directly link themselves to (and perhaps rightly so), but they also insisted they furthered their own growth as artists by finding courses/classes outside the National Capital Region...how does this solve the problem that shows are becoming uninspiring hardships to have to sit through?
I wanna debate these issues with people! Why do I feel like I'm talking to myself?
Tell me I'm wrong, tell me I don't know what I'm talking about! Take off the fake smile and give me some honest to goodness real emotion! I can take it, in fact I wanna hear what you have to say!
The world is becoming a different place than it was even ten years ago...it's our jobs as artists to take up the mantle and express the feelings of the ordinary citizens.
Since when did fresh-out-of-theatre-school graduates ever get paid for non-professional work?! The whole idea of paying dues seems to be an abstract concept these days. I am not bitter, in fact I'm glad I had to start from the bottom and work my way up...but there doesn't seem to be a need anymore for people to satisfy their need to create art by expressing it wherever and whenever they can by the most economic means available. Nowadays it all comes down to what grant you got, whose name is in the lead role, and which theatre has the best audience attendance record.
I think we're missing the point. But maybe it's always been like this and my ideals are too lofty to achieve...somehow I don't think they are though...
'Nuf said.
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