Theatre Ideas on a Roll!
Dunkirk NY – There has not been much need to write since my tooth has been fixed (root canal this past Monday), largely because Scott Walters over at Theatre Ideas has gotten on one hell of a roll! Amazing what a sabbatical can do for someone 
Scott is doing and saying all the right things concerning the regional theatre situation. He has done the research, crunched the numbers, proposed small actions people can take if they are dissatisfied with the status quo, and has been getting some good positive attention from many of the big-city bloggers. It’s very inspiring and very timely – things seem to be coming to a tipping point which may produce some real change.
So for the time being, grab some of the debate going on about the regional theatre scene and follow up on the comments and links from Scott’s site. Add him to you blogroll or RSS reader if you haven’t done so already. I’ve really nothing to add to the debate for the time being, so for now just forget about me and read up on this issue. And if you’re a theatre person struggling to figure out what to do with your life in relation to your art, consider not thinking anymore about the status quo. Think about something other than NYC or the west coast. Throw away anything you may have learned in school about headshots, resumes, and begging other people to cast you. Think, instead, about serving the community or region you grew up in and finding ways to offer them a theatre scene which is connected to their lives and situation. You may find more reward in that than in anything you could possibly do elsewhere. -twl
"I have the toothache"
Dunkirk NY – While I was writing my previous post, I began to feel a great deal of pain in the right side of my mouth. I had been kept up the night before with a bit of pain, but I had thought it was a passing thing. But after posting the piece, the pain had only grown worse. I called my dentist, who apparently does not work on Friday, and got some medication to carry me through this past weekend. It qualifies as one of the worst weekends I’ve ever spent in my life. And today I get to sit in the big chair and find out what all this is about. I suspect a root canal is imminent.
So bear with me, and in the meantime, if you haven’t already, you can read Scott Walter’s response to my “One New Play A Year” campaign. No doubt I will follow his suggestion at my own institution with a “special topics” course in contemporary drama for the fall of 08. We’ll see where that takes us. -twl
As long as everyone else is back…
…perhaps I should be too.
Dunkirk NY – Extended vacation? Boredom? Laziness? Dry rot? Empty thoughts? I would suppose some of all of these reasons would count in some part to explain not writing. What I can tell you is that I came many times in front of the keyboard, stared at the blank screen for a few minutes, and walked away. Yes, holidays and end of semester take their toll. Yes, I’ve been busy. But there are other issues at play, not the least of it being what to write about.
I am a person who likes to believe that whatever I am doing has some meaning, some impact. I do not like getting involved in activities merely for the sake of my own ego or sense of personal achievement. And if there is one thing I have learned so far about blogging, it is this – it has little impact. I am not saying it has NO impact, but the impact that blogging in general (and theatre blogging in particular) seems to have is fragmented and is of concern only to a small handful of insiders. To be sure, blogging has begun to have some impact on the indie theatre world, and to that extent it might be useful. But if you’re not tightly connected to that world, as I am not, then what impact can you say you’re having? Continue Reading »
