ALL 12 MANHATTAN COMMUNITY BOARDS UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORT
TARGETED PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT FOR NEW YORK CITY’S ENDANGERED SMALL TO MID-SIZED NON-PROFIT THEATERS
AND PERFORMING ARTS COMMUNITY
NEW YORK - May 24, 2010 - Manhattan Community Board 10 (Central Harlem) recently became the 12th out of 12 Manhattan Community Boards which voted (at the full board level) in support of a resolution calling on New York City and New York State elected officials to create through legislation a targeted property-tax abatement that would help remedy the current fiscal and real estate crises which are endangering “core” small to mid-sized non-profit theaters and other non-profit performing arts organizations throughout New York City.
In addition, this innovative proposal has earned the support of Manhattan’s Borough Board, a body chaired by Manhattan Borough President Stringer that consists of the Manhattan’s community boards and city councilmembers, who meet monthly to discuss issues of importance facing the Borough of Manhattan.
When informed of this Community Board development, Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis said, “As a person who has run and operated a small theater for many years, I salute the Manhattan Community Boards for working together so ingeniously on such a confounding problem!”
In Manhattan, approximately 50 “core” theaters provide access to affordable performance space for over 400 small theater companies (commonly known as Off-Off B'way) and many other performing arts organizations***. This community board effort seeks to incentivize landlords to offer longer leases at below market rates to these core set of venues. The entire sector depends on low cost space, which makes risk-taking and incubation of new work and new talent possible. The proposal presumes that New York City’s viability is tied to the arts and that the vitality of New York City’s entire performing arts sector is at stake.
Engaging the support of the community boards of the other four NYC boroughs is the next objective of this Manhattan community board alliance. To that end, the staffs of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Council Speaker Christine Quinn are assisting the cultural community (including art support agencies: Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York [A.R.T./New York], Innovative Theater Foundation and League of Independent Theater) and the Manhattan Community Boards in their efforts to connect with city resources and other contacts that will be helpful in reaching out to the other boroughs; and in the collection of information concerning those "core" theaters which will be affected by this proposal. That all the Manhattan Community Boards have been successful so far in working with each other and many of New York City’s elected officials serves as a sign that this proposal is engendering legitimate public support
At the first ever Public Forum on the State of Small to Mid-Sized Theaters held on February 17, 2009 at the world famous theatre club, The Players’, organized and presented by Manhattan Community Boards 1-5, Borough President Scott Stringer challenged the overflow crowd of more than 300 individuals (who represented the majority of small to mid-sized theater companies in NYC) to come up with innovative solutions their elected officials could advocate for. The Manhattan Community Boards have taken that mandate seriously and have met many times in public sessions over the ensuing months to discuss innovative solutions to deep-rooted problems facing the sector. This resolution which has garnered unanimous support of all 12 Manhattan Community Boards and the Manhattan Borough Board is a significant achievement.
Robert Lyons, Artistic Director of the embattled Ohio Theater says, "Congratulations to the Manhattan community boards for recognizing both the micro-economic functions of the arts in our neighborhoods as well as their macro-economic development benefits to NYC."
To receive more information, learn of new developments and how you can support its legislative prospects, send an email to David M. Pincus, Chair of Manhattan Community Board 4’s Theater Task Force / Managing Director, WorkShop Theater Company: david@workshoptheater.org with the words “Subscribe me” in the Title.
*** (Innovative Theater Foundation, 2009 Study www.nyitawards.com/survey)
-------------------------------------
ART/NY (www.art-newyork.org), New York Innovative Theatre Foundation (www.nyitawards.com) and the League of Independent Theater (www.litny.org) offer their full support to the New York City Community Boards on this important issue. We are inspired by the dedication and camaraderie of the community boards and encourage members of the Off-Off-Broadway and small-to-mid-sized non-profit performing arts community to participate in upcoming meetings regarding this matter.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
3LD in trouble
The Metropolitan Transit Authority has threatened to evict the experimental media and theater group 3-Legged Dog from its Lower Manhattan building. The authority notified the group on Friday that it would begin eviction proceedings on Monday if 3-Legged Dog did not pay the more than $306,000 it owes the authority in back rent and interest. The group signed a 20-year lease in 2002 for space at 80 Greenwich Street, now known as 3LD Art & Technology Center, agreeing to pay $21,666.67 per month there after its former location at 30 West Broadway was destroyed in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, The Wall Street Journal reported. Kevin Cunningham, 3-Legged Dog’s executive artistic director, confirmed that the company had fallen behind in payments when foundations withdrew financial support because of the recession. He also said the theater had been forced to spend its own money on building maintenance, including asbestos abatement, without reimbursement from the authority. Though he said he had offered to negotiate a payment plan, the two companies have been unable to reach an agreement. The authority’s spokesman, Jeremy Soffin, told The Journal, “I don’t know how anyone can justify letting this tenant rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in back rent at a time when state cuts and deteriorating tax revenues have forced the M.T.A. to lay off station agents and cut service.”
And this is Kevin Cunningham in a comment on Mathew Freeman's excellent blog On Theatre and Politics, www.matthewfreeman.blogspot.com:
If you want to help get the word out that 3LD is open and booked into 2012. The real story is that the MTA owes us $1.6 million in construction costs and reimbursement from our build out of their facility which sat empty for a decade before 3LD turned it into an internationally recognized arts center. They have been very arrogant and have ignored our demands for payment since we first made them in March of 2005. Write your elected officials and tell them to make MTA do the right thing and repay 3LD. Write to the news outlets and demand that they print our side of the story. Donations always help when hard times hit. 3LD is not alone unfortunately. The City and the Funding community are going to have to change their priorities or there will be many more stories like this in the very near future.
And this is Kevin Cunningham in a comment on Mathew Freeman's excellent blog On Theatre and Politics, www.matthewfreeman.blogspot.com:
If you want to help get the word out that 3LD is open and booked into 2012. The real story is that the MTA owes us $1.6 million in construction costs and reimbursement from our build out of their facility which sat empty for a decade before 3LD turned it into an internationally recognized arts center. They have been very arrogant and have ignored our demands for payment since we first made them in March of 2005. Write your elected officials and tell them to make MTA do the right thing and repay 3LD. Write to the news outlets and demand that they print our side of the story. Donations always help when hard times hit. 3LD is not alone unfortunately. The City and the Funding community are going to have to change their priorities or there will be many more stories like this in the very near future.
Friday, April 30, 2010
well said, Ed
"I think I'm a very political writer but I don't write political tracts. Drama has a different function, which society is pushing out, and that's dangerous. Theatre is communication between people. That's why I hate it when writers are clever."
Edward Bond from an interview in today's Guardian
Edward Bond from an interview in today's Guardian
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
immediate action needed
FACT SHEET from ART/NY
Proposed 2010-11 NYSCA Budget
On April 27, 2010, Governor David Paterson announced a revised Executive Budget proposal for the 2010-11 fiscal year. This new proposal recommends a total of $25.2 million for NYSCA's Local Assistance (grant making) budget.
The Governor's proposal also calls for a 2011-12 Local Assistance allocation of $25.2 million.
The Governor's most recent proposal represents a nearly 40% [39.4%] decrease in Local Assistance funding from 2009-10 levels ($41.6 million).
A 40% cut to NYSCA's Local Assistance Budget far exceeds proposed cuts at most other New York State Agencies.
Governor Paterson has also proposed reducing NYSCA's administrative budget to $4.84 million in 2010-11. This represents a nearly 12% [11.84%] decrease from 2009-10 levels ($5.49 million).
The Governor's proposed 2010-11 budget for NYSCA totals $30.4 million. This places New York State's funding of the Arts on par with Minnesota, which provided $30.3 million dollars in arts funding in 2009-10 (the 2nd highest level of funding in the US behind New York). Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
At this level of funding, New York State's per capita spending on Arts would drop from $2.48 to $0.77. New York's ranking as the 3rd highest per capita support for the Arts in the US would drop to 26th, ranking just above Arkansas at $0.74 per capita and below the national average of $0.90 per capita. Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
ACTION STEPS: Please fax the attached letter or call your State Senator and Assembly Member immediately.
April 27, 2010
Dear State Senator/State Assembly Member ____
Today I learned that Governor Paterson made additional cuts to the State budget. Among the agencies he targeted is The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), which is to receive a $17 million cut. Not only is this one of the State's smallest agencies, it was hit with the largest cut! This year, NYSCA had a budget of $42+ million. Today, the Governor proposed that the Agency receive $25 million - a 40% cut to the Local Assistance Budget!
With its current budget of $42.6 million dollars, the New York State Council on the Arts fostered a $25 BILLION INDUSTRY! In other words, despite the recession, the Arts have served as a Secret Stimulus package for New York State.
Why then, would the Governor, who is trying to save the State money, consider a cut which will COST it $10 Billion in revenues from tourism, jobs, and hurt the small businesses that depend upon the arts for their livelihood?
The arts also drive neighborhood revitalization. If these cuts go through, what will happen to Chelsea, Dumbo, Williamsburg, Fort Greene, and Jackson Heights?
While the $17 million he proposes to cut is a tiny portion of the State deficit, it represents over a third of the agency's funding! These cuts take us back to the Agency's budget levels in 1992 (when A.R.T./New York had 150 theatre members, as opposed to the nearly 300 members we have today). In fact, the cuts are so severe that NYSCA will have to institute staff furloughs.
Isn't $17 million a small price to pay for an industry that provides financial, social, and spiritual sustenance to New Yorkers? Do we really expect New York to remain the State of the Arts when we fund the arts at its lowest level since 1989? Do we really expect to remain the arts capital of the world when our per capita funding will rank 26th in the country, just above Arkansas?
Please support restoration to the New York State Council on the Arts.
Sincerely,
Proposed 2010-11 NYSCA Budget
On April 27, 2010, Governor David Paterson announced a revised Executive Budget proposal for the 2010-11 fiscal year. This new proposal recommends a total of $25.2 million for NYSCA's Local Assistance (grant making) budget.
The Governor's proposal also calls for a 2011-12 Local Assistance allocation of $25.2 million.
The Governor's most recent proposal represents a nearly 40% [39.4%] decrease in Local Assistance funding from 2009-10 levels ($41.6 million).
A 40% cut to NYSCA's Local Assistance Budget far exceeds proposed cuts at most other New York State Agencies.
Governor Paterson has also proposed reducing NYSCA's administrative budget to $4.84 million in 2010-11. This represents a nearly 12% [11.84%] decrease from 2009-10 levels ($5.49 million).
The Governor's proposed 2010-11 budget for NYSCA totals $30.4 million. This places New York State's funding of the Arts on par with Minnesota, which provided $30.3 million dollars in arts funding in 2009-10 (the 2nd highest level of funding in the US behind New York). Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
At this level of funding, New York State's per capita spending on Arts would drop from $2.48 to $0.77. New York's ranking as the 3rd highest per capita support for the Arts in the US would drop to 26th, ranking just above Arkansas at $0.74 per capita and below the national average of $0.90 per capita. Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
ACTION STEPS: Please fax the attached letter or call your State Senator and Assembly Member immediately.
April 27, 2010
Dear State Senator/State Assembly Member ____
Today I learned that Governor Paterson made additional cuts to the State budget. Among the agencies he targeted is The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), which is to receive a $17 million cut. Not only is this one of the State's smallest agencies, it was hit with the largest cut! This year, NYSCA had a budget of $42+ million. Today, the Governor proposed that the Agency receive $25 million - a 40% cut to the Local Assistance Budget!
With its current budget of $42.6 million dollars, the New York State Council on the Arts fostered a $25 BILLION INDUSTRY! In other words, despite the recession, the Arts have served as a Secret Stimulus package for New York State.
Why then, would the Governor, who is trying to save the State money, consider a cut which will COST it $10 Billion in revenues from tourism, jobs, and hurt the small businesses that depend upon the arts for their livelihood?
The arts also drive neighborhood revitalization. If these cuts go through, what will happen to Chelsea, Dumbo, Williamsburg, Fort Greene, and Jackson Heights?
While the $17 million he proposes to cut is a tiny portion of the State deficit, it represents over a third of the agency's funding! These cuts take us back to the Agency's budget levels in 1992 (when A.R.T./New York had 150 theatre members, as opposed to the nearly 300 members we have today). In fact, the cuts are so severe that NYSCA will have to institute staff furloughs.
Isn't $17 million a small price to pay for an industry that provides financial, social, and spiritual sustenance to New Yorkers? Do we really expect New York to remain the State of the Arts when we fund the arts at its lowest level since 1989? Do we really expect to remain the arts capital of the world when our per capita funding will rank 26th in the country, just above Arkansas?
Please support restoration to the New York State Council on the Arts.
Sincerely,
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
strength in numbers
Nice gathering last night at the Ohio. Full recap should be up on the LIT site and the NYITA site by the end of the week.
Rose stays silent so Ann goes down, never finding the cost of freedom.
Rose stays silent so Ann goes down, never finding the cost of freedom.
Monday, April 26, 2010
tonight
Need you there.
MMMQ at end of post.
On Monday, April 26th The League of Independent Theater and the Innovative Theatre Foundation will co-sponsor The Community Forum on the Ohio Theatre. The event will begin at 6:30pm at the Ohio Theatre located at 66 Wooster Street in Soho, NY.
After two years of negotiation, two lease extensions, and a 29-year history as an indispensable pillar of the downtown theatre scene, the Ohio Theatre must close the doors at its Wooster Street space forever on August 31, 2010.
The April 26th event will reunite local elected officials and members of the independent theatre community in an open forum to discuss solutions to the real estate crises affecting small theaters and the progress and momentum that has been made over the past year – specifically with regard to the tax abatement proposal currently before the Community Boards. In addition, there will be a discussion as to what steps can be taken to secure the remaining venues within the sector and help locate a new home for the Ohio Theatre.
Members of the community are invited to attend and are strongly encouraged to share their ideas regarding these issues. A list of speakers and more details will be posted at http://www.SohoThinkTank.org as they become available. The event will be streamed live at http://www.nyitawards.com/live beginning at 6:30pm on April 26th.
Academy Award winning actress, Olympia Dukakis encourages community participation saying, "It is so important to protect the cultural capital of New York City. Institutions like the Ohio Theatre, which for 3 decades has served this community and has been the home for many artists, needs the support of the city and the community. We must work together to preserve the remaining spaces and help develop new ones."
The Community Forum on the Ohio Theatre is a follow up to the Public Forum on Small to Midsized Theatres that was hosted by Manhattan Community Boards 1-5 at the Players Club in February 2009. The lack and gradual loss of adequate, affordable performance space was a key theme of that event. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer challenged attendees to hold their elected officials to a higher standard and provide them with a road map of what is needed to keep small to midsized theaters and performing arts companies in NYC alive.
The closure of the Ohio is the most recent example of a distressing trend affecting small to midsized performing arts venues throughout New York City. According to a study conducted by the Innovative Theatre Foundation, in recent years Off-Off-Broadway (OOB) has seen over 25% of their theaters either torn down to make way for new developments, or repurposed into non-performance spaces. With a number of theaters currently facing the same prospect, the urgency to find a solution to this growing problem has intensified.
The Ohio Theatre was one of Soho’s pioneering performance spaces and is now one of the last remaining. For 29 years, the Ohio Theatre has embodied the living history of the neighborhood of Soho, continuing the spirit of community and cutting-edge artistic practice that once defined the area. This is where Tony Kushner produced his first play out of college, where Philip Seymour Hoffman made his professional acting debut, and where Eve Ensler performed Dicks in the Desert – a decade before writing The Vagina Monologues. Today, the Ohio Theatre remains an incubator and platform for New York’s most exciting and widely recognized companies, like New Georges, Clubbed Thumb, Target Margin, Ma-Yi, International WOW, to name but a few of the many artists who are collectively changing the cultural landscape of New York and beyond.
The League of Independent Theater is a not-for-profit membership, advocacy and business league for the independent theater community in New York City (http://www.litny.org).
The Innovative Theatre Foundation was created to bring recognition to the great work being done in New York City's Off-Off-Broadway, to honor its artistic heritage and to provide a meeting ground for this extensive community (http://www.nyitawards.com).
And staying on topic, what was the B side to the 1970 Neil Young release "Ohio"?
1. Find the Cost of Freedom
2. Wooden Ships
3. Heart of Gold
4. War Song
MMMQ at end of post.
On Monday, April 26th The League of Independent Theater and the Innovative Theatre Foundation will co-sponsor The Community Forum on the Ohio Theatre. The event will begin at 6:30pm at the Ohio Theatre located at 66 Wooster Street in Soho, NY.
After two years of negotiation, two lease extensions, and a 29-year history as an indispensable pillar of the downtown theatre scene, the Ohio Theatre must close the doors at its Wooster Street space forever on August 31, 2010.
The April 26th event will reunite local elected officials and members of the independent theatre community in an open forum to discuss solutions to the real estate crises affecting small theaters and the progress and momentum that has been made over the past year – specifically with regard to the tax abatement proposal currently before the Community Boards. In addition, there will be a discussion as to what steps can be taken to secure the remaining venues within the sector and help locate a new home for the Ohio Theatre.
Members of the community are invited to attend and are strongly encouraged to share their ideas regarding these issues. A list of speakers and more details will be posted at http://www.SohoThinkTank.org as they become available. The event will be streamed live at http://www.nyitawards.com/live beginning at 6:30pm on April 26th.
Academy Award winning actress, Olympia Dukakis encourages community participation saying, "It is so important to protect the cultural capital of New York City. Institutions like the Ohio Theatre, which for 3 decades has served this community and has been the home for many artists, needs the support of the city and the community. We must work together to preserve the remaining spaces and help develop new ones."
The Community Forum on the Ohio Theatre is a follow up to the Public Forum on Small to Midsized Theatres that was hosted by Manhattan Community Boards 1-5 at the Players Club in February 2009. The lack and gradual loss of adequate, affordable performance space was a key theme of that event. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer challenged attendees to hold their elected officials to a higher standard and provide them with a road map of what is needed to keep small to midsized theaters and performing arts companies in NYC alive.
The closure of the Ohio is the most recent example of a distressing trend affecting small to midsized performing arts venues throughout New York City. According to a study conducted by the Innovative Theatre Foundation, in recent years Off-Off-Broadway (OOB) has seen over 25% of their theaters either torn down to make way for new developments, or repurposed into non-performance spaces. With a number of theaters currently facing the same prospect, the urgency to find a solution to this growing problem has intensified.
The Ohio Theatre was one of Soho’s pioneering performance spaces and is now one of the last remaining. For 29 years, the Ohio Theatre has embodied the living history of the neighborhood of Soho, continuing the spirit of community and cutting-edge artistic practice that once defined the area. This is where Tony Kushner produced his first play out of college, where Philip Seymour Hoffman made his professional acting debut, and where Eve Ensler performed Dicks in the Desert – a decade before writing The Vagina Monologues. Today, the Ohio Theatre remains an incubator and platform for New York’s most exciting and widely recognized companies, like New Georges, Clubbed Thumb, Target Margin, Ma-Yi, International WOW, to name but a few of the many artists who are collectively changing the cultural landscape of New York and beyond.
The League of Independent Theater is a not-for-profit membership, advocacy and business league for the independent theater community in New York City (http://www.litny.org).
The Innovative Theatre Foundation was created to bring recognition to the great work being done in New York City's Off-Off-Broadway, to honor its artistic heritage and to provide a meeting ground for this extensive community (http://www.nyitawards.com).
And staying on topic, what was the B side to the 1970 Neil Young release "Ohio"?
1. Find the Cost of Freedom
2. Wooden Ships
3. Heart of Gold
4. War Song
Thursday, April 22, 2010
save the date
On Monday, April 26th The League of Independent Theater and the Innovative Theatre Foundation will co-sponsor The Community Forum on the Ohio Theatre. The event will begin at 6:30pm at the Ohio Theatre located at 66 Wooster Street in Soho, NY.
After two years of negotiation, two lease extensions, and a 29-year history as an indispensable pillar of the downtown theatre scene, the Ohio Theatre must close the doors at its Wooster Street space forever on August 31, 2010.
The April 26th event will reunite local elected officials and members of the independent theatre community in an open forum to discuss solutions to the real estate crises affecting small theaters and the progress and momentum that has been made over the past year – specifically with regard to the tax abatement proposal currently before the Community Boards. In addition, there will be a discussion as to what steps can be taken to secure the remaining venues within the sector and help locate a new home for the Ohio Theatre.
Members of the community are invited to attend and are strongly encouraged to share their ideas regarding these issues. A list of speakers and more details will be posted at http://www.SohoThinkTank.org as they become available. The event will be streamed live at http://www.nyitawards.com/live beginning at 6:30pm on April 26th.
Academy Award winning actress, Olympia Dukakis encourages community participation saying, "It is so important to protect the cultural capital of New York City. Institutions like the Ohio Theatre, which for 3 decades has served this community and has been the home for many artists, needs the support of the city and the community. We must work together to preserve the remaining spaces and help develop new ones."
The Community Forum on the Ohio Theatre is a follow up to the Public Forum on Small to Midsized Theatres that was hosted by Manhattan Community Boards 1-5 at the Players Club in February 2009. The lack and gradual loss of adequate, affordable performance space was a key theme of that event. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer challenged attendees to hold their elected officials to a higher standard and provide them with a road map of what is needed to keep small to midsized theaters and performing arts companies in NYC alive.
The closure of the Ohio is the most recent example of a distressing trend affecting small to midsized performing arts venues throughout New York City. According to a study conducted by the Innovative Theatre Foundation, in recent years Off-Off-Broadway (OOB) has seen over 25% of their theaters either torn down to make way for new developments, or repurposed into non-performance spaces. With a number of theaters currently facing the same prospect, the urgency to find a solution to this growing problem has intensified.
The Ohio Theatre was one of Soho’s pioneering performance spaces and is now one of the last remaining. For 29 years, the Ohio Theatre has embodied the living history of the neighborhood of Soho, continuing the spirit of community and cutting-edge artistic practice that once defined the area. This is where Tony Kushner produced his first play out of college, where Philip Seymour Hoffman made his professional acting debut, and where Eve Ensler performed Dicks in the Desert – a decade before writing The Vagina Monologues. Today, the Ohio Theatre remains an incubator and platform for New York’s most exciting and widely recognized companies, like New Georges, Clubbed Thumb, Target Margin, Ma-Yi, International WOW, to name but a few of the many artists who are collectively changing the cultural landscape of New York and beyond.
The League of Independent Theater is a not-for-profit membership, advocacy and business league for the independent theater community in New York City (http://www.litny.org).
The Innovative Theatre Foundation was created to bring recognition to the great work being done in New York City's Off-Off-Broadway, to honor its artistic heritage and to provide a meeting ground for this extensive community (http://www.nyitawards.com).
After two years of negotiation, two lease extensions, and a 29-year history as an indispensable pillar of the downtown theatre scene, the Ohio Theatre must close the doors at its Wooster Street space forever on August 31, 2010.
The April 26th event will reunite local elected officials and members of the independent theatre community in an open forum to discuss solutions to the real estate crises affecting small theaters and the progress and momentum that has been made over the past year – specifically with regard to the tax abatement proposal currently before the Community Boards. In addition, there will be a discussion as to what steps can be taken to secure the remaining venues within the sector and help locate a new home for the Ohio Theatre.
Members of the community are invited to attend and are strongly encouraged to share their ideas regarding these issues. A list of speakers and more details will be posted at http://www.SohoThinkTank.org as they become available. The event will be streamed live at http://www.nyitawards.com/live beginning at 6:30pm on April 26th.
Academy Award winning actress, Olympia Dukakis encourages community participation saying, "It is so important to protect the cultural capital of New York City. Institutions like the Ohio Theatre, which for 3 decades has served this community and has been the home for many artists, needs the support of the city and the community. We must work together to preserve the remaining spaces and help develop new ones."
The Community Forum on the Ohio Theatre is a follow up to the Public Forum on Small to Midsized Theatres that was hosted by Manhattan Community Boards 1-5 at the Players Club in February 2009. The lack and gradual loss of adequate, affordable performance space was a key theme of that event. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer challenged attendees to hold their elected officials to a higher standard and provide them with a road map of what is needed to keep small to midsized theaters and performing arts companies in NYC alive.
The closure of the Ohio is the most recent example of a distressing trend affecting small to midsized performing arts venues throughout New York City. According to a study conducted by the Innovative Theatre Foundation, in recent years Off-Off-Broadway (OOB) has seen over 25% of their theaters either torn down to make way for new developments, or repurposed into non-performance spaces. With a number of theaters currently facing the same prospect, the urgency to find a solution to this growing problem has intensified.
The Ohio Theatre was one of Soho’s pioneering performance spaces and is now one of the last remaining. For 29 years, the Ohio Theatre has embodied the living history of the neighborhood of Soho, continuing the spirit of community and cutting-edge artistic practice that once defined the area. This is where Tony Kushner produced his first play out of college, where Philip Seymour Hoffman made his professional acting debut, and where Eve Ensler performed Dicks in the Desert – a decade before writing The Vagina Monologues. Today, the Ohio Theatre remains an incubator and platform for New York’s most exciting and widely recognized companies, like New Georges, Clubbed Thumb, Target Margin, Ma-Yi, International WOW, to name but a few of the many artists who are collectively changing the cultural landscape of New York and beyond.
The League of Independent Theater is a not-for-profit membership, advocacy and business league for the independent theater community in New York City (http://www.litny.org).
The Innovative Theatre Foundation was created to bring recognition to the great work being done in New York City's Off-Off-Broadway, to honor its artistic heritage and to provide a meeting ground for this extensive community (http://www.nyitawards.com).
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
plays and playwrights 2010
The new anthology from the New York Theatre Experience is out. Great launch party last night at Dixon Place hosted by the indefatigable Dentons.
You can get your discounted copy at www.nytesmallpress.com.
Congratulations to the playwrights: Brian Parks, Ellen Maddow, Nat Cassidy, Jerrod Bogard, Gyda Arber, Aaron Baker, Tony Asaro, Dan Collins, Will Le Vasseur, Josh Koenigsberg, John Crutchfield and Joshua Conkel.
Ann conjured up quite the experience, but at 51 words...
Wait.
Judges are allowing the extra word in consideration of the overall muscularity of the prose.
Don't know what that means, but the judges' decision is final.
You can get your discounted copy at www.nytesmallpress.com.
Congratulations to the playwrights: Brian Parks, Ellen Maddow, Nat Cassidy, Jerrod Bogard, Gyda Arber, Aaron Baker, Tony Asaro, Dan Collins, Will Le Vasseur, Josh Koenigsberg, John Crutchfield and Joshua Conkel.
Ann conjured up quite the experience, but at 51 words...
Wait.
Judges are allowing the extra word in consideration of the overall muscularity of the prose.
Don't know what that means, but the judges' decision is final.
Monday, April 19, 2010
LIT words
LIT had its second annual members meeting on Saturday and here's what I had to say:
The Bodhidharma says “All know the way; few actually walk it.”
For years, ever since I’ve been in this city, I’ve known that the only people who really care about the Off-Off independent theater world are the people who know it and work in it. And I’ve known, and I think we all know, that the only way we’re ever going to improve the conditions we all work in is to band together, to work together and unite the thousands of hard-working, innovative, creative artists and producers and the hundreds of dedicated, resilient, obstinate companies and collectives into the undeniable creative and economic force that they are in this city.
But only when we are united.
Otherwise, we just all tumble forward through the years as we’ve done for years, some individual success here, another venue closed over there, another art star anointed from above there, but no real progress; all of us just grimly toiling forward on our separate but equal paths, not really sure where we’re going, just glad to have the energy to take the next step.
And so the dream of the League of Independent Theater, dedicated to organize and protect our members to ensure that independent theater is economically viable for all of its practitioners, to advocate on behalf of the decades-old tradition of Off-Off Broadway theater and ensure that it remains, and grows, as a thriving artistic and economic sector in New York City.
You’ll hear from the Committee reports some of the specifics of the League’s efforts and accomplishments this year, but I just want to stay on the big picture for a moment and tell you how satisfying it’s been and how proud I’ve been to finally be walking towards something with all of you. I wish we were sprinting and I wish the path wasn’t quite so uphill, but we are walking towards solutions together and most importantly, we are walking together.
It’s the old Margaret Mead quote, “never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world, because indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” I don’t know if we can change the world, but I know we can change the way independent theater is practiced, created, supported and recognized in this city. And I know the way we can do it and that’s by continuing to walk and work together.
I want to thank the Board and all of the Committee heads for their work this year, recognizing that they all have their creative careers and day jobs and families and lives to juggle already and of course Jennifer Conley Darling and Paul Bargetto for their work and time and passion. You all have been wonderful traveling companions along this road and I look forward to many more miles ahead with all of you.
Our MMMQ is an essay question, Ann. In 50 words or less, have you ever been experienced?
The Bodhidharma says “All know the way; few actually walk it.”
For years, ever since I’ve been in this city, I’ve known that the only people who really care about the Off-Off independent theater world are the people who know it and work in it. And I’ve known, and I think we all know, that the only way we’re ever going to improve the conditions we all work in is to band together, to work together and unite the thousands of hard-working, innovative, creative artists and producers and the hundreds of dedicated, resilient, obstinate companies and collectives into the undeniable creative and economic force that they are in this city.
But only when we are united.
Otherwise, we just all tumble forward through the years as we’ve done for years, some individual success here, another venue closed over there, another art star anointed from above there, but no real progress; all of us just grimly toiling forward on our separate but equal paths, not really sure where we’re going, just glad to have the energy to take the next step.
And so the dream of the League of Independent Theater, dedicated to organize and protect our members to ensure that independent theater is economically viable for all of its practitioners, to advocate on behalf of the decades-old tradition of Off-Off Broadway theater and ensure that it remains, and grows, as a thriving artistic and economic sector in New York City.
You’ll hear from the Committee reports some of the specifics of the League’s efforts and accomplishments this year, but I just want to stay on the big picture for a moment and tell you how satisfying it’s been and how proud I’ve been to finally be walking towards something with all of you. I wish we were sprinting and I wish the path wasn’t quite so uphill, but we are walking towards solutions together and most importantly, we are walking together.
It’s the old Margaret Mead quote, “never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world, because indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” I don’t know if we can change the world, but I know we can change the way independent theater is practiced, created, supported and recognized in this city. And I know the way we can do it and that’s by continuing to walk and work together.
I want to thank the Board and all of the Committee heads for their work this year, recognizing that they all have their creative careers and day jobs and families and lives to juggle already and of course Jennifer Conley Darling and Paul Bargetto for their work and time and passion. You all have been wonderful traveling companions along this road and I look forward to many more miles ahead with all of you.
Our MMMQ is an essay question, Ann. In 50 words or less, have you ever been experienced?
Friday, April 16, 2010
sublet needed
Steve Kovacs, Hero of the Fringe and the battle of Charas el Bohio, is back in town from abroad. Anyone know of any available shelter, please let us know.
Happy weekend, all.
Happy weekend, all.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
not OK
From the batshit crazy bin, this in the Times yesterday:
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Frustrated by recent political setbacks, tea party leaders and some conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature say they would like to create a new volunteer militia to help defend against what they believe are improper federal infringements on state sovereignty.
Tea party movement leaders say they've discussed the idea with several supportive lawmakers and hope to get legislation next year to recognize a new volunteer force. They say the unit would not resemble militia groups that have been raided for allegedly plotting attacks on law enforcement officers.
Think it through. You believe there are "improper federal infringements on state sovereignty", so your solution is to get a bunch of armed guys together.
Not, say, a couple of lawyers.
And this in Oklahoma, home of the worst domestic terrorist attack in our history.
Crazy days.
Ann wins the MMMQ and so we award her the Pulitzer Prize for Lampshade Dancing and Music Trivia.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Frustrated by recent political setbacks, tea party leaders and some conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature say they would like to create a new volunteer militia to help defend against what they believe are improper federal infringements on state sovereignty.
Tea party movement leaders say they've discussed the idea with several supportive lawmakers and hope to get legislation next year to recognize a new volunteer force. They say the unit would not resemble militia groups that have been raided for allegedly plotting attacks on law enforcement officers.
Think it through. You believe there are "improper federal infringements on state sovereignty", so your solution is to get a bunch of armed guys together.
Not, say, a couple of lawyers.
And this in Oklahoma, home of the worst domestic terrorist attack in our history.
Crazy days.
Ann wins the MMMQ and so we award her the Pulitzer Prize for Lampshade Dancing and Music Trivia.
Monday, April 12, 2010
random monday
Calvitto's back out on the road with The Event. Ireland this week and then a week in London at the Cochrane starting April 20th and then on to Glasgow.
That boy loves the road.
The Civil War started on this day back in 1861. Wonder when that thing is ever going to end.
They announce the Pulitzers today, so we're keeping the phone lines open.
You never know.
Got baby names on the brain, what with the birth of the twins on Friday, so here's your MMMQ:
Who was born Farrokh Bulsara?
1. Seal
2. Freddie Mercury
3. Cat Stevens
4. Boy George
Winners get a Pulitzer, losers get a subscription to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
That boy loves the road.
The Civil War started on this day back in 1861. Wonder when that thing is ever going to end.
They announce the Pulitzers today, so we're keeping the phone lines open.
You never know.
Got baby names on the brain, what with the birth of the twins on Friday, so here's your MMMQ:
Who was born Farrokh Bulsara?
1. Seal
2. Freddie Mercury
3. Cat Stevens
4. Boy George
Winners get a Pulitzer, losers get a subscription to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Friday, April 09, 2010
two new ones
At 6:03 this morning, Lilavati and Siddarth Shirke came into this world.
Papa Sanjay and Mama Amy are both fine.
Now let's all do our part to make this a better world for the twins to grow up in.
Papa Sanjay and Mama Amy are both fine.
Now let's all do our part to make this a better world for the twins to grow up in.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
more from Melbourne
An extremely thoughtful review of the Melbourne production of Fatboy by Alison Croggon:
It's the kind of play which makes you laugh all the way through, and leaves you with a kind of bracing blackness. Its absurdity and grotesqueness cut through cant and piety, and brutally reveal how bad things are. Because they really are as bad as all that. Probably worse. The laughter makes it possible to see it, albeit briefly; human beings, as the poet once said, cannot bear very much reality.
You can read the whole thing at www.theatrenotes.blogspot.com
And then go and get out into that sunshine.
It's the kind of play which makes you laugh all the way through, and leaves you with a kind of bracing blackness. Its absurdity and grotesqueness cut through cant and piety, and brutally reveal how bad things are. Because they really are as bad as all that. Probably worse. The laughter makes it possible to see it, albeit briefly; human beings, as the poet once said, cannot bear very much reality.
You can read the whole thing at www.theatrenotes.blogspot.com
And then go and get out into that sunshine.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Albany blitz
This from NYS ARTS:
The Legislature will be in session starting April 7. Our message MUST be in front of them this week when they get back to Albany. Let's blitz the Senate and the Assembly at this critical time with 10,000 messages by April 9!!!!
Both Houses have printed their budget resolutions. Now they will negotiate to determine the final State budget. The arts can still LOSE or GAIN ground. It is up to you!
The Senate restored $3.25 million or 50% of the $6.5 million cut to NYSCA local assistance (grants) funding proposed by the Governor. The Assembly restored $1.6 million or 25% of the cut proposed by the Governor.
This is the time to send our legislators the following message:
1) To your Senator: Thank you for your support. Please be vigilant and make sure that the 50% restoration of $3.250 million to NYSCA local assistance is maintained.
2) To your Assembly members: Please increase the restoration from 25% or $1.6 million to 50% or $3.250 million, matching the Senate support of NYSCA local assistance funding.
Remember, we only have resolutions from each House. So we MUST to be heard during this step in the process, which is perhaps the most important time to make our voices heard.
Numbers can and do change in the final hours. Send your message NOW. Protect what we already have and help get us what we need.
Traveling yesterday, so missed the MMMQ. I'll get extra tricky next week, promise.
The Legislature will be in session starting April 7. Our message MUST be in front of them this week when they get back to Albany. Let's blitz the Senate and the Assembly at this critical time with 10,000 messages by April 9!!!!
Both Houses have printed their budget resolutions. Now they will negotiate to determine the final State budget. The arts can still LOSE or GAIN ground. It is up to you!
The Senate restored $3.25 million or 50% of the $6.5 million cut to NYSCA local assistance (grants) funding proposed by the Governor. The Assembly restored $1.6 million or 25% of the cut proposed by the Governor.
This is the time to send our legislators the following message:
1) To your Senator: Thank you for your support. Please be vigilant and make sure that the 50% restoration of $3.250 million to NYSCA local assistance is maintained.
2) To your Assembly members: Please increase the restoration from 25% or $1.6 million to 50% or $3.250 million, matching the Senate support of NYSCA local assistance funding.
Remember, we only have resolutions from each House. So we MUST to be heard during this step in the process, which is perhaps the most important time to make our voices heard.
Numbers can and do change in the final hours. Send your message NOW. Protect what we already have and help get us what we need.
Traveling yesterday, so missed the MMMQ. I'll get extra tricky next week, promise.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
R.I.P David Mills
Now that's a real loss. The man was 48 years old.
It's been awhile since I felt like I really understood or even recognized most of contemporary American culture, but The Wire sure made sense to me.
Not only could he write like a dream, he wrote about the Big Stuff.
There's a lot of talent out there, but it's all too rare that talent is matched with vision and moral clarity.
A real loss.
In other news, in a stunning turn of events, Ann and Rose win the MAMQ.
It's been awhile since I felt like I really understood or even recognized most of contemporary American culture, but The Wire sure made sense to me.
Not only could he write like a dream, he wrote about the Big Stuff.
There's a lot of talent out there, but it's all too rare that talent is matched with vision and moral clarity.
A real loss.
In other news, in a stunning turn of events, Ann and Rose win the MAMQ.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Fatboy review down under
Sounds like Red Stitch Actors Theater is delivering the goods in Melbourne.
MAMQ at end of post.
Larger Than Life (Fatboy)
Kate Rose, Herald Sun 28/03/10
Fatboy (March 17 - April 17) by John Clancy. Directed by Marcelle Schmitz
A WORD of warning: if you are in any way offended by swearing, don't bother reading any more. This play is not for you.
For those who secretly delight in infantile idiocy and profound profanity, step up.
Fatboy is a brutal, vicious update on Albert Jarry's Ubu Roi, and proves the importance of mocking dictators and their sheep-like subjects is as great now as it was when Jarry's play was written more than 100 years ago.
The new king is Fatboy (Daniel Frederiksen) and in this sinister burlesque he has consumed, killed or enslaved almost everyone and everything. His sins culminate in a war crimes tribunal, but with weasel words, manipulation and a filthy singalong it's clear justice is probably more than blind, she's also bored, bawdy and bigoted.
The manic energy, dark humour and self-referential irony of Clancy's writing thunders off the stage from everyone involved in this scathingly cynical spectacle.
I don't remember writing a filthy singalong, but what the hell. It's a collaborative art.
It's Passover, my friends, so let's get Hebraic with our quiz.
Which Ramone was born Jeffry Ross Hyman in 1951 out in Queens and was a nice Jewish boy underneath that leather jacket?
1. Joey
2. Dee Dee
3. Johnny
4. Marky
MAMQ at end of post.
Larger Than Life (Fatboy)
Kate Rose, Herald Sun 28/03/10
Fatboy (March 17 - April 17) by John Clancy. Directed by Marcelle Schmitz
A WORD of warning: if you are in any way offended by swearing, don't bother reading any more. This play is not for you.
For those who secretly delight in infantile idiocy and profound profanity, step up.
Fatboy is a brutal, vicious update on Albert Jarry's Ubu Roi, and proves the importance of mocking dictators and their sheep-like subjects is as great now as it was when Jarry's play was written more than 100 years ago.
The new king is Fatboy (Daniel Frederiksen) and in this sinister burlesque he has consumed, killed or enslaved almost everyone and everything. His sins culminate in a war crimes tribunal, but with weasel words, manipulation and a filthy singalong it's clear justice is probably more than blind, she's also bored, bawdy and bigoted.
The manic energy, dark humour and self-referential irony of Clancy's writing thunders off the stage from everyone involved in this scathingly cynical spectacle.
I don't remember writing a filthy singalong, but what the hell. It's a collaborative art.
It's Passover, my friends, so let's get Hebraic with our quiz.
Which Ramone was born Jeffry Ross Hyman in 1951 out in Queens and was a nice Jewish boy underneath that leather jacket?
1. Joey
2. Dee Dee
3. Johnny
4. Marky
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
midweek mumbling
Slow week here at the Museum. Sirens screaming outside, sun shining down, spring trying to sneak its way into the calendar.
Just heard that an old high school buddy of mine is the head of the St. Louis Tea Party chapter.
For Christ's sake, Bill. Really?
Rosie rides on the coat tails, 'cause no one reads Freud.
Just heard that an old high school buddy of mine is the head of the St. Louis Tea Party chapter.
For Christ's sake, Bill. Really?
Rosie rides on the coat tails, 'cause no one reads Freud.
Monday, March 22, 2010
great god almighty
Hats off to Speaker Pelosi and President Obama.
We got health care reform, kids.
And it may not be a magic ride to Instant Happy Land, but it's a serious step in a good direction. It means my niece can get insurance when she's of age and that's a good thing right there.
The Event is extending out in L.A. All details at www.needtheater.org.
Heavy Green Day rotation this weekend, so here's our MAMQ:
What is not an indication that the young lady in front of you is the last of the American girls?
1. She's riding her bike
2. She's on a hunger strike
3. She's paranoid
4. She's reading Sigmund Freud
Winners get health care reform, losers get it as well. It's a good Monday.
We got health care reform, kids.
And it may not be a magic ride to Instant Happy Land, but it's a serious step in a good direction. It means my niece can get insurance when she's of age and that's a good thing right there.
The Event is extending out in L.A. All details at www.needtheater.org.
Heavy Green Day rotation this weekend, so here's our MAMQ:
What is not an indication that the young lady in front of you is the last of the American girls?
1. She's riding her bike
2. She's on a hunger strike
3. She's paranoid
4. She's reading Sigmund Freud
Winners get health care reform, losers get it as well. It's a good Monday.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
anniversary
Two years ago today Nancy Walsh caught fire.
So I'm grateful today for the nurses and doctors and family and friends who all brought her back safely to me.
And I try to remember every day how lucky I am I have her.
Tell somebody you love them, it's always a good thing to hear.
So I'm grateful today for the nurses and doctors and family and friends who all brought her back safely to me.
And I try to remember every day how lucky I am I have her.
Tell somebody you love them, it's always a good thing to hear.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
join LIT
All right, folks. We're kicking off our spring membership drive.
Join before April 15 and receive a recession discount. Applications are available online at:
http://www.facebook.com/l/a2687;www.litny.org
Join the party.
And Ann and Rose are going to the beach.
Join before April 15 and receive a recession discount. Applications are available online at:
http://www.facebook.com/l/a2687;www.litny.org
Join the party.
And Ann and Rose are going to the beach.
Monday, March 15, 2010
women glowing, men plundering, etc.
David Calvitto is officially the Best Actor on the Planet, South Australian Division. Last night he won the Adelaide Fringe Award for Best Theater Performer for The Event.
The Event was also up for Best Theater Production, but bettybooke won it for en route. I heard it was amazing, so congrats to the good people at bettybooke.
MMMQ has to keep to the Aussie beat, so who sang (I Come from the) Land Down Under?
1. Men in Hats
2. Men At Work
3. Boys II Men
or
4. Menudo
Winners go to Bondi Beach, losers fly to Alice Springs.
The Event was also up for Best Theater Production, but bettybooke won it for en route. I heard it was amazing, so congrats to the good people at bettybooke.
MMMQ has to keep to the Aussie beat, so who sang (I Come from the) Land Down Under?
1. Men in Hats
2. Men At Work
3. Boys II Men
or
4. Menudo
Winners go to Bondi Beach, losers fly to Alice Springs.
Friday, March 12, 2010
some good news
The Event got nominated for Best Play and Best Performer at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.
Way to go, Dave.
Way to go, Dave.
the problem
“Making contributions about culture at cocktail parties still has priceless value for a great many people.”
That's Joe Melillo, Executive Producer at BAM, quoted in the Times today.
Joe's a good guy and he's right, but when I read these things the old heart breaks a little bit.
It's just a terrible truth that we labor in the arts in America so that upper-class people have something to talk about. We do it for other reasons, of course, but think about it.
If rich people stopped caring about the arts tomorrow, how many theaters would close? How many orchestras would fold?
Dark thoughts on a gray day, sorry about that.
Happy weekend, all.
That's Joe Melillo, Executive Producer at BAM, quoted in the Times today.
Joe's a good guy and he's right, but when I read these things the old heart breaks a little bit.
It's just a terrible truth that we labor in the arts in America so that upper-class people have something to talk about. We do it for other reasons, of course, but think about it.
If rich people stopped caring about the arts tomorrow, how many theaters would close? How many orchestras would fold?
Dark thoughts on a gray day, sorry about that.
Happy weekend, all.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
L.A. love
Nice words from Steven Leigh Morris, writing in the L.A. Weekly:
Clancy's analysis expands into an allegory for the roles we are all playing in life, equated to the various frauds of the 21st century: the faked lines, spoken by rote, the stream of pleasantries en route to the grave, the drifting thoughts rolling around while the faked lines written by somebody else are being uttered. The physical costume that "the actor" doesn't even own. The anonymous lighting technician , who's calling the cues, in order to secure the fake effect for a fake "insular economy of friends going to the theater." So it's not just dot-coms, the mortgage and debt industries that have false economies. Playwright Clancy simply uses every conceivable aspect of the theater as an allegory for all the world being a stage. That he does it so simply turns his one-act into something like one of those luminous shafts of light that shoot up into the night from a truck outside some celebrity event or advertising event.
Clancy's analysis expands into an allegory for the roles we are all playing in life, equated to the various frauds of the 21st century: the faked lines, spoken by rote, the stream of pleasantries en route to the grave, the drifting thoughts rolling around while the faked lines written by somebody else are being uttered. The physical costume that "the actor" doesn't even own. The anonymous lighting technician , who's calling the cues, in order to secure the fake effect for a fake "insular economy of friends going to the theater." So it's not just dot-coms, the mortgage and debt industries that have false economies. Playwright Clancy simply uses every conceivable aspect of the theater as an allegory for all the world being a stage. That he does it so simply turns his one-act into something like one of those luminous shafts of light that shoot up into the night from a truck outside some celebrity event or advertising event.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
talk to me, Oz
Under the loving wing of the Lampshade Queen, Rose wins legit.
Doit doit, indeed.
Now, let me tell you that I'm big down under.
This is Stephanie Johnson writing for www.australianstage.com:
Profound. One word.
If a review could be written with just one word then this would be the one to describe The Event.
Take a moment to soak in the true meaning of the word “profound”. Let it resonate in the mind for a while. Meditate on the meaning of the word “profound”. Perhaps profound thoughts will follow. Maybe the truth of the universe will begin to echo in ensuing contemplation. For this is the effect of The Event.
It is a one-man show that starts simply enough with short, sharp, punchy lines.
Actor David Calvitto delivers his lines with charm, self-deprecating humour and finesse, enchanting his audience and outlining truisms about the theatre. Theatre initially is “The Event”. Thus theatre in all of its forms is cleverly and humorously dissected leaving no stone unturned – actors, directors, technicians, audiences and reviewers all take a bow in Calvitto’s repertoire, directed and penned by John Clancy.
The humour is wry, the script witty and the delivery simple and effective. But it is deceptive. Herein lies the rub. This brilliantly, and cunningly crafted, play takes a twist. Before long it is apparent that the theatre of life has become “The Event” and then another twist as insightful and universal truths are revealed. Theatre and philosophy combine to produce a brilliant and thought provoking hour. The words and thoughts provoked linger long after the final bow in a refreshing manner.
Doit doit, indeed.
Now, let me tell you that I'm big down under.
This is Stephanie Johnson writing for www.australianstage.com:
Profound. One word.
If a review could be written with just one word then this would be the one to describe The Event.
Take a moment to soak in the true meaning of the word “profound”. Let it resonate in the mind for a while. Meditate on the meaning of the word “profound”. Perhaps profound thoughts will follow. Maybe the truth of the universe will begin to echo in ensuing contemplation. For this is the effect of The Event.
It is a one-man show that starts simply enough with short, sharp, punchy lines.
Actor David Calvitto delivers his lines with charm, self-deprecating humour and finesse, enchanting his audience and outlining truisms about the theatre. Theatre initially is “The Event”. Thus theatre in all of its forms is cleverly and humorously dissected leaving no stone unturned – actors, directors, technicians, audiences and reviewers all take a bow in Calvitto’s repertoire, directed and penned by John Clancy.
The humour is wry, the script witty and the delivery simple and effective. But it is deceptive. Herein lies the rub. This brilliantly, and cunningly crafted, play takes a twist. Before long it is apparent that the theatre of life has become “The Event” and then another twist as insightful and universal truths are revealed. Theatre and philosophy combine to produce a brilliant and thought provoking hour. The words and thoughts provoked linger long after the final bow in a refreshing manner.
Monday, March 08, 2010
reading tonight
Spitfire and I play an embattled husband and wife team in a reading tonight, details below. Been rehearsing these roles for about twenty years.
MMMQ at end of post.
terraNOVA COLLECTIVE presents
GROUNDBREAKERS READING SERIES
play readings from the 2009 Groundbreakers Playwrights Program
Performance Space 122
150 First Avenue at 9th Street
All readings begin at 7pm.
Monday, March 8, 7pm
SUICIDE ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE
By Susan Ferrara
Directed by Jessi D. Hill
Timely and terrifying, this tale is one woman's fight to get her head above water after the death of her husband, which left her drowning in debt. Faced with supporting two young sons on her own, Fran reaches out to her sister and brother-in-law for help, but this well-meaning duo doesn't know the first thing about how to fill the void. Desperate and out of options, Fran begins receiving phone calls from a mysterious man offering help. But, the voice on the other end of the line has a grander agenda, and Fran is only a small part of a dark movement to change government policy.
Now then.
Was listening to the old stuff over the weekend and Ms. Rickie Lee Jones went into heavy rotation. So what does the jukebox do downstairs in Danny's All-Star Joint?
Does it go
1. Wonk wonk
2. Schwink schwink
3. Juke juke
or
4. Doit doit
Winners get the Easy Money, losers take the Night Train.
MMMQ at end of post.
terraNOVA COLLECTIVE presents
GROUNDBREAKERS READING SERIES
play readings from the 2009 Groundbreakers Playwrights Program
Performance Space 122
150 First Avenue at 9th Street
All readings begin at 7pm.
Monday, March 8, 7pm
SUICIDE ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE
By Susan Ferrara
Directed by Jessi D. Hill
Timely and terrifying, this tale is one woman's fight to get her head above water after the death of her husband, which left her drowning in debt. Faced with supporting two young sons on her own, Fran reaches out to her sister and brother-in-law for help, but this well-meaning duo doesn't know the first thing about how to fill the void. Desperate and out of options, Fran begins receiving phone calls from a mysterious man offering help. But, the voice on the other end of the line has a grander agenda, and Fran is only a small part of a dark movement to change government policy.
Now then.
Was listening to the old stuff over the weekend and Ms. Rickie Lee Jones went into heavy rotation. So what does the jukebox do downstairs in Danny's All-Star Joint?
Does it go
1. Wonk wonk
2. Schwink schwink
3. Juke juke
or
4. Doit doit
Winners get the Easy Money, losers take the Night Train.
Friday, March 05, 2010
light at the end of the tunnel
Spring hit Rat City this afternoon for about an hour.
Glorious.
Come on, you sunny bastard.
Need you.
Glorious.
Come on, you sunny bastard.
Need you.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
nationwide
The Event opens tonight in L.A., details below.
Rose and Ann take a victory lap, Ann because she's right and Rose because she knows me all too well.
needtheater Presents
Two one-person shows
The Event, By John Clancy
Starring Paul Dillon
and the World Premiere of
The Interview
By Lawrence Bridges
Directed by Ian Forester
Produced by Sara Scott
WHEN:
March 2nd – March 25th
Four weeks only!
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
The Event performs at 8 pm.
The Interview performs at 9:30 pm.
WHERE:
At the Son of Semele Ensemble Theatre
3301 Beverly Blvd, @ Hoover
Los Angeles, CA 90004
TICKETS:
Tickets available at the door or at http://www.needtheater.org.
The Event- $15
The Interview- $10
Rose and Ann take a victory lap, Ann because she's right and Rose because she knows me all too well.
needtheater Presents
Two one-person shows
The Event, By John Clancy
Starring Paul Dillon
and the World Premiere of
The Interview
By Lawrence Bridges
Directed by Ian Forester
Produced by Sara Scott
WHEN:
March 2nd – March 25th
Four weeks only!
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
The Event performs at 8 pm.
The Interview performs at 9:30 pm.
WHERE:
At the Son of Semele Ensemble Theatre
3301 Beverly Blvd, @ Hoover
Los Angeles, CA 90004
TICKETS:
Tickets available at the door or at http://www.needtheater.org.
The Event- $15
The Interview- $10
Monday, March 01, 2010
six days
Almost a week since I've opened the Museum's doors, time flies when you're fighting robots. Quick recap:
Wednesday Jen Conley Darling and I drove up to Albany representing LIT for Arts Day. Very cool to sit in the Senators and Assemblymen's offices and make the case right to them. Some people didn't even know what NYSCA's budget was, reminding me how easy it is to get caught in the echo chamber/choir practice of the Off-Off world.
Thursday was the Summit and I, for one, was glued to the screen. Our president is a brilliant man. What a joy to be able to type that sentence. My gut is that they'll pass something this month and it won't be great but it will be a start, it will be something at least.
Friday was the Great Storm. Beautiful to watch.
And now Monday, first day of March, spring out there somewhere ahead.
This is also the day in 1970 when, no lie, Charles Manson released his debut album. Name that slice of vinyl bizarrity.
Was it
1. You Give Love a Bad Name
2. Lie
3. People Say I'm No Good
or
4. Helter Skelter?
Wednesday Jen Conley Darling and I drove up to Albany representing LIT for Arts Day. Very cool to sit in the Senators and Assemblymen's offices and make the case right to them. Some people didn't even know what NYSCA's budget was, reminding me how easy it is to get caught in the echo chamber/choir practice of the Off-Off world.
Thursday was the Summit and I, for one, was glued to the screen. Our president is a brilliant man. What a joy to be able to type that sentence. My gut is that they'll pass something this month and it won't be great but it will be a start, it will be something at least.
Friday was the Great Storm. Beautiful to watch.
And now Monday, first day of March, spring out there somewhere ahead.
This is also the day in 1970 when, no lie, Charles Manson released his debut album. Name that slice of vinyl bizarrity.
Was it
1. You Give Love a Bad Name
2. Lie
3. People Say I'm No Good
or
4. Helter Skelter?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
tonight
Dear Community,
The League of Independent Theater is proud to present the first Get Lit with LIT
event of 2010 with:
DAVID PINCUS, Chair of the Theater Task Force for Manhattan Community Board 4. TUESDAY,
FEB. 23 at 7PM
David will discuss the important new Tax Credit proposal that is making it's way
through the the Community Boards now. If you make theater in New York, and work
in the not-for-profit sector, you cannot afford to miss out on the conversation.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT NEW PROPOSAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE JOIN US!
WITH Special Guests:
David Diamond Chair of CB5's Theater & Arts Committee
David Gruber and Robin Rothstein, CB5 and co-authors of the resolution.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7PM
The Lark Play Development Center
939 Eighth Avenue, 2nd Floor Between 55 & 56
The League of Independent Theater is proud to present the first Get Lit with LIT
event of 2010 with:
DAVID PINCUS, Chair of the Theater Task Force for Manhattan Community Board 4. TUESDAY,
FEB. 23 at 7PM
David will discuss the important new Tax Credit proposal that is making it's way
through the the Community Boards now. If you make theater in New York, and work
in the not-for-profit sector, you cannot afford to miss out on the conversation.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT NEW PROPOSAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE JOIN US!
WITH Special Guests:
David Diamond Chair of CB5's Theater & Arts Committee
David Gruber and Robin Rothstein, CB5 and co-authors of the resolution.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7PM
The Lark Play Development Center
939 Eighth Avenue, 2nd Floor Between 55 & 56
Friday, February 19, 2010
two openings
Just realized that the Malta production of Fatboy opens tonight. Actually because of the time difference it's already opened and they're all at a bar in Valletta.
And Calvitto starts his Adelaide Fringe run of The Event tonight as well. Again, time difference means he's opened, been to the bar, insulted some strangers and is now dreaming in his Australian hotel room.
And strangers on the other side of the globe just heard the words I scribbled down at this very desk years ago.
Kind of cool.
Happy weekend, all.
And Calvitto starts his Adelaide Fringe run of The Event tonight as well. Again, time difference means he's opened, been to the bar, insulted some strangers and is now dreaming in his Australian hotel room.
And strangers on the other side of the globe just heard the words I scribbled down at this very desk years ago.
Kind of cool.
Happy weekend, all.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Get LIT
This is happening Tuesday, come on down.
The League of Independent Theater is proud to present the first Get Lit with LIT event of 2010 with guest DAVID PINCUS, Chair of the Theater Task Force for Manhattan Community Board 4. David will discuss the important new Tax Credit proposal that is making it's way through the the Community Boards now.
WITH Special Guests:
David Diamond Chair of CB5's Theater & Arts Committee
David Gruber and Robin Rothstein, CB5 and co-authors of the resolution.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7PM
The Lark Play Development Center
939 Eighth Avenue, 2nd Floor Between 55 & 56
Come and join an important conversation with the League and David Pincus and Guests on this exciting new legislation that could really make a difference for the viability and sustainability of small theaters in New York City.
FREE BEER!
The League of Independent Theater is proud to present the first Get Lit with LIT event of 2010 with guest DAVID PINCUS, Chair of the Theater Task Force for Manhattan Community Board 4. David will discuss the important new Tax Credit proposal that is making it's way through the the Community Boards now.
WITH Special Guests:
David Diamond Chair of CB5's Theater & Arts Committee
David Gruber and Robin Rothstein, CB5 and co-authors of the resolution.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7PM
The Lark Play Development Center
939 Eighth Avenue, 2nd Floor Between 55 & 56
Come and join an important conversation with the League and David Pincus and Guests on this exciting new legislation that could really make a difference for the viability and sustainability of small theaters in New York City.
FREE BEER!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
beautiful words
This is Arlene Goldbard speaking at the California Arts Advocates Visioning Retreat. Thanks, Ginny L. for the tip.
What we know in every cell of our bodies and learn every hour of the day is true. The essence of being human is to make art. We do it in red-carpeted halls and ramshackle huts, at every moment of history, every time we mark the unfolding of our lives. Even under harrowing conditions, in SuperMax prisons and concentration camps, people save precious crumbs or scrape up clumps of mud to make sculptures. They scratch on prison walls with rocks or the burnt ends of matches.
I am awestruck to think that Herbert Zipper, the founding director of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, led a clandestine orchestra in Dachau. When human history began, our ancestors circled their fires, turning their backs on the darkness to share stories of the hunt, the trek, the storm and their meanings. Today we sit in neat rows in darkened multiplexes, warming ourselves by the light of much busier and more complicated stories. But underneath, we are the same.
Torpitude is an excellent word, Rosie, but Ann wins the Cambodian cruise.
What we know in every cell of our bodies and learn every hour of the day is true. The essence of being human is to make art. We do it in red-carpeted halls and ramshackle huts, at every moment of history, every time we mark the unfolding of our lives. Even under harrowing conditions, in SuperMax prisons and concentration camps, people save precious crumbs or scrape up clumps of mud to make sculptures. They scratch on prison walls with rocks or the burnt ends of matches.
I am awestruck to think that Herbert Zipper, the founding director of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, led a clandestine orchestra in Dachau. When human history began, our ancestors circled their fires, turning their backs on the darkness to share stories of the hunt, the trek, the storm and their meanings. Today we sit in neat rows in darkened multiplexes, warming ourselves by the light of much busier and more complicated stories. But underneath, we are the same.
Torpitude is an excellent word, Rosie, but Ann wins the Cambodian cruise.
Monday, February 15, 2010
No word from the little laptop shop, so we live in hope and work on a borrowed computer.
Presidents Day, so gob bless them all. Except for Reagan, of course. And Bush. And his dad. And Nixon. And that idiot Hoover. And...
Here's an MMMQ in questionable taste on this day:
In 1985 after releasing Frankenchrist, The Dead Kennedys were criminally charged with:
1. distribution of harmful matter to minors
2. plagiarism
3. criminal mischief
or
4. moral turpitude
Winners get a holiday in Cambodia, losers get drafted.
Presidents Day, so gob bless them all. Except for Reagan, of course. And Bush. And his dad. And Nixon. And that idiot Hoover. And...
Here's an MMMQ in questionable taste on this day:
In 1985 after releasing Frankenchrist, The Dead Kennedys were criminally charged with:
1. distribution of harmful matter to minors
2. plagiarism
3. criminal mischief
or
4. moral turpitude
Winners get a holiday in Cambodia, losers get drafted.
Friday, February 12, 2010
robots take a round
After an hour on the phone with Dell support and poking at the damned thing with a screwdriver we declared defeat and walked the laptop over to the little laptop repair shop on Clinton. When I consider how much I have stored on that little machine and how long its been since I backed anything up, well...
I'm screwed.
I can get online with Spitfire's old laptop, but all of those files...
Deeply screwed.
I'm screwed.
I can get online with Spitfire's old laptop, but all of those files...
Deeply screwed.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
calling Yoshimi
The CB4 Theater Task Force letter was approved unanimously by the Board last night.
Now that's what I'm talking about.
Here at home, the Museum seems to be under some sort of cyber-attack. My technical expertise extends only to turning on and off the computer, so if we go dark for awhile you can assume we're being overrun by giant, pink robots selling us discount pharmaceuticals.
Not to worry.
Now that's what I'm talking about.
Here at home, the Museum seems to be under some sort of cyber-attack. My technical expertise extends only to turning on and off the computer, so if we go dark for awhile you can assume we're being overrun by giant, pink robots selling us discount pharmaceuticals.
Not to worry.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
CB4
Got this today, passing it on. Come if you can.
And Ann knows her produce.
This Wednesday, February 3rd, at the Fulton Center Auditorium, 119 Ninth Avenue (between 17th and 18th Streets), Manhattan Community Board 4 is going to consider a letter written by its Theater Task Force for passage.
At 6:30, on that evening, members of the public are invited to sign-up for
a public session at which they will be given two minutes to speak on any
topic that interests them.
Any member of the public, who resides or works (or performs) within the
confines of Community District 4, 14th Street to 59th, 8th Avenue to the
Hudson River, is invited to attend.
If you are a theater artist, who supports the tax credit initiative that
the unprecedented alliance of Community Board Arts related committees are
developing, we need your support at that meeting.
We need you there to speak up on its behalf.
The chances of the passage of the CB4 Theater Task Forces letter which informs our elected officials of the Community Board alliance formed to support small to mid-sized non-profit performing arts organizations, and in addition, asks for their
consideration of an innovative tax credit proposal to help us reduce the
crisis confronting the independent theater sector, can only benefit from
your presence and participation at this public session.
And Ann knows her produce.
This Wednesday, February 3rd, at the Fulton Center Auditorium, 119 Ninth Avenue (between 17th and 18th Streets), Manhattan Community Board 4 is going to consider a letter written by its Theater Task Force for passage.
At 6:30, on that evening, members of the public are invited to sign-up for
a public session at which they will be given two minutes to speak on any
topic that interests them.
Any member of the public, who resides or works (or performs) within the
confines of Community District 4, 14th Street to 59th, 8th Avenue to the
Hudson River, is invited to attend.
If you are a theater artist, who supports the tax credit initiative that
the unprecedented alliance of Community Board Arts related committees are
developing, we need your support at that meeting.
We need you there to speak up on its behalf.
The chances of the passage of the CB4 Theater Task Forces letter which informs our elected officials of the Community Board alliance formed to support small to mid-sized non-profit performing arts organizations, and in addition, asks for their
consideration of an innovative tax credit proposal to help us reduce the
crisis confronting the independent theater sector, can only benefit from
your presence and participation at this public session.
Monday, February 01, 2010
come see Dave
Calvitto is doing one showing of The Event before he gets on a plane. It's happening this Saturday, come on down.
Here are the details:
Location: 45 Bleecker St Theater (Bleecker and Lafayette)
Time: 3:30
Running time: 65 minutes
Ticket price: $10
And our MAMQ references the recent arctic conditions:
Cold, Cold, Cold tells the sad story of Lowell George stuck in a cold hotel room with a busted T.V. set and no female companionship. When, for some reason, he calls up room service and asks for some fruit, what doesn't he request?
1. A coconut
2. A kiwi
3. A peach
4. A pear
Here are the details:
Location: 45 Bleecker St Theater (Bleecker and Lafayette)
Time: 3:30
Running time: 65 minutes
Ticket price: $10
And our MAMQ references the recent arctic conditions:
Cold, Cold, Cold tells the sad story of Lowell George stuck in a cold hotel room with a busted T.V. set and no female companionship. When, for some reason, he calls up room service and asks for some fruit, what doesn't he request?
1. A coconut
2. A kiwi
3. A peach
4. A pear
Friday, January 29, 2010
salinger dead
Boy, when you're dead, they really fix you up. I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetery. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody.
The Catcher in the Rye
Please god let there be a big trunk in the study stuffed with manuscripts and someone with the sense to go against a dead man's wishes.
He had to have been writing all these years.
The Catcher in the Rye
Please god let there be a big trunk in the study stuffed with manuscripts and someone with the sense to go against a dead man's wishes.
He had to have been writing all these years.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
stirring words on a sinking ship
Watched the President last night. Another beautiful speech.
And yeah, he's lost traction on health care and yeah, he sounds silly when he puts on the populist jargon and yeah, the proposed spending freeze is both bad politics and policy and yeah, he could end DADT tomorrow if he really wanted to, but all the same I can't lie.
I still love the guy.
Ask yourself, is there anyone else out there you'd rather have sitting behind the Desk?
And yeah, he's lost traction on health care and yeah, he sounds silly when he puts on the populist jargon and yeah, the proposed spending freeze is both bad politics and policy and yeah, he could end DADT tomorrow if he really wanted to, but all the same I can't lie.
I still love the guy.
Ask yourself, is there anyone else out there you'd rather have sitting behind the Desk?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
KC love
The Event just played three nights out in Kansas City. Sounds like they nailed it.
This is Christopher Guerin at kcmetropolis.org, Kansas City's Online Performance Journal:
The Event, by John Clancy, directed by Hughston Walkinshaw, and performed masterfully last Sunday evening by John Robert ("Bob") Paisley at the Kansas City Metropolitan Ensemble Theater (MET), was a brief glimpse behind the wizard's curtain in search of the answer to the question: "What is theater?" Truth be told, it also revealed a lot about the question: "What is life?"
I took its brevity as an implied challenge to answer with an equally brief critical analysis, for if The Event proves anything, it is this - while words matter, more of them doesn't necessarily carry greater meaning than fewer of them. Now, I have never been a fan of "stars" or "thumbs" (up or down) or other artifice when it comes to such an analysis, but if I were so inclined, I would use all of them for The Event. It was a remarkable, witty, irreverent and poignant introspection.
Readers who have attended other MET performances already know that this cutting-edge theatre carves out, on a shoestring, a formidable place in the Kansas City arts community and with The Event, Bob Paisley has single-handedly proven this again. Armed with the barest of stages - prop-less for about two-thirds of the performance, and only a chair thereafter - Paisley drew in the audience (the "strangers," as they are referred to throughout the monologue) from the first line, and he held them rapt to the last. The famous stage director, Peter Brook, had a powerfully austere vision of "theater" that seems to speak directly to what Bob Paisley was able to demonstrate so eloquently: "... take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him - and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged."
And thus The Event so engages the "strangers," asking them to consider the significance (or lack) of the power of words and the paradoxes those words, in that context, imply. In that mindset, consider this: All you, the reader, are doing at this very moment is reading my words about the words that were spoken by Mr. Paisley, whose words were, in turn, merely words that were written down - prior to mine, and prior to Paisley speaking them - by someone else (Mr. Clancy). What import do such words have? What gravity do they impose on the people - the "strangers" - around them? What consequence do they have outside the walls of the theater in which they are spoken? Much like life itself, The Event provides no answers - and therein, arguably, lies the magic that is theatre. We see theater - and life - all around us, but cogently verbalizing their essences remains forever elusive.
I came away from The Event with one line, in particular, haunting me: "A man, armed with memorized words, can only do so much." Though phrased as a statement, it begs analysis more as a rhetorical question. So - how valid a statement-question is that, really? For if it is true that the pen, as artistic lore suggests, is mightier than the sword, imagine how much more powerful those penned words can be when life is breathed into them by an actor.
Sunday evening, Bob Paisley breathed life into John Clancy's penned words. He carried no sword - but for that hour, he quite possibly may have been the most powerful man on earth ...
This is Christopher Guerin at kcmetropolis.org, Kansas City's Online Performance Journal:
The Event, by John Clancy, directed by Hughston Walkinshaw, and performed masterfully last Sunday evening by John Robert ("Bob") Paisley at the Kansas City Metropolitan Ensemble Theater (MET), was a brief glimpse behind the wizard's curtain in search of the answer to the question: "What is theater?" Truth be told, it also revealed a lot about the question: "What is life?"
I took its brevity as an implied challenge to answer with an equally brief critical analysis, for if The Event proves anything, it is this - while words matter, more of them doesn't necessarily carry greater meaning than fewer of them. Now, I have never been a fan of "stars" or "thumbs" (up or down) or other artifice when it comes to such an analysis, but if I were so inclined, I would use all of them for The Event. It was a remarkable, witty, irreverent and poignant introspection.
Readers who have attended other MET performances already know that this cutting-edge theatre carves out, on a shoestring, a formidable place in the Kansas City arts community and with The Event, Bob Paisley has single-handedly proven this again. Armed with the barest of stages - prop-less for about two-thirds of the performance, and only a chair thereafter - Paisley drew in the audience (the "strangers," as they are referred to throughout the monologue) from the first line, and he held them rapt to the last. The famous stage director, Peter Brook, had a powerfully austere vision of "theater" that seems to speak directly to what Bob Paisley was able to demonstrate so eloquently: "... take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him - and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged."
And thus The Event so engages the "strangers," asking them to consider the significance (or lack) of the power of words and the paradoxes those words, in that context, imply. In that mindset, consider this: All you, the reader, are doing at this very moment is reading my words about the words that were spoken by Mr. Paisley, whose words were, in turn, merely words that were written down - prior to mine, and prior to Paisley speaking them - by someone else (Mr. Clancy). What import do such words have? What gravity do they impose on the people - the "strangers" - around them? What consequence do they have outside the walls of the theater in which they are spoken? Much like life itself, The Event provides no answers - and therein, arguably, lies the magic that is theatre. We see theater - and life - all around us, but cogently verbalizing their essences remains forever elusive.
I came away from The Event with one line, in particular, haunting me: "A man, armed with memorized words, can only do so much." Though phrased as a statement, it begs analysis more as a rhetorical question. So - how valid a statement-question is that, really? For if it is true that the pen, as artistic lore suggests, is mightier than the sword, imagine how much more powerful those penned words can be when life is breathed into them by an actor.
Sunday evening, Bob Paisley breathed life into John Clancy's penned words. He carried no sword - but for that hour, he quite possibly may have been the most powerful man on earth ...
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
pay me
A really thoughtful and comprehensive summary of Outrageous Fortune is over on Matt Freeman's blog, matthewfreeman.blogspot.com. Here's a taste:
Our view of the value of creators in the US is upside down. We value distribution and middle-management over creation. We pay the gatekeepers; we pay the decision makers; we pay the marketers. But we shrug at the naivety of creative artists who want to make a living. The very people who produce the fuel that many institutions run on are paid less than the people who write grants on their behalf.
This is not to belittle the hard and wonderful work done by development staff and marketing staff and literary staff. It's just a reminder that we must rethink how artists are compensated.
Also, my LIT compadre and fellow officer Paul Bargetto is guest blogging on the NYITA site and he argues the same case, check it out at nyitawards.blogspot.com.
Ann and Mickle score big and collect the bonus points, too.
Our view of the value of creators in the US is upside down. We value distribution and middle-management over creation. We pay the gatekeepers; we pay the decision makers; we pay the marketers. But we shrug at the naivety of creative artists who want to make a living. The very people who produce the fuel that many institutions run on are paid less than the people who write grants on their behalf.
This is not to belittle the hard and wonderful work done by development staff and marketing staff and literary staff. It's just a reminder that we must rethink how artists are compensated.
Also, my LIT compadre and fellow officer Paul Bargetto is guest blogging on the NYITA site and he argues the same case, check it out at nyitawards.blogspot.com.
Ann and Mickle score big and collect the bonus points, too.
Monday, January 25, 2010
tour dates
The Event is heading overseas, dates below, MMMQ (MAMQ) at end of post.
Feb 11 Thurs Axis Arts Centre, Crewe
Feb 19 - Mar 14 ADELAIDE FRINGE
April 14 Weds Linenhall Arts Centre, Co. Mayo
April 15 Thurs An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, Eire
April 16 Fri Hawk's Well, Sligo, Eire
April 17 Sat Down Civic Arts Centre, Down Patrick
April 20 Tues The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 21 Weds The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 22 Thurs The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 23 Fri The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 24 Sat The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 25 Sun The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 30 Fri Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot
May 4 Tues Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
May 5 Weds Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
May 6 Thurs Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
May 7 Fri Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
May 8 Sat Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
Now, down to serious business.
Elvis Costello is surely one of the finest songsmiths of the last fifty years. But which bit of genius didn't he write?
Bonus points for knowing who did.
1. Alison
2. Radio, Radio
3. Oliver's Army
4. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding
Feb 11 Thurs Axis Arts Centre, Crewe
Feb 19 - Mar 14 ADELAIDE FRINGE
April 14 Weds Linenhall Arts Centre, Co. Mayo
April 15 Thurs An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, Eire
April 16 Fri Hawk's Well, Sligo, Eire
April 17 Sat Down Civic Arts Centre, Down Patrick
April 20 Tues The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 21 Weds The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 22 Thurs The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 23 Fri The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 24 Sat The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 25 Sun The Cochrane Theatre, London
April 30 Fri Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot
May 4 Tues Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
May 5 Weds Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
May 6 Thurs Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
May 7 Fri Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
May 8 Sat Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
Now, down to serious business.
Elvis Costello is surely one of the finest songsmiths of the last fifty years. But which bit of genius didn't he write?
Bonus points for knowing who did.
1. Alison
2. Radio, Radio
3. Oliver's Army
4. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding
Friday, January 22, 2010
crucial difference
"...corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires. Corporations help structure and facilitate the activities of human beings, to be sure, and their “personhood” often serves as a useful legal fiction. But they are not themselves members of “We the People” by whom and for whom our Constitution was established."
Justice John Paul Stevens, dissenting opinion, Citizens United v Federal Election Commission
Right?
For the love of gob, who can argue with a straight face that "corporate speech" needs protecting?
Oh.
That would be the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
Quis custodiet custodias? as the old-timers used to mumble.
Justice John Paul Stevens, dissenting opinion, Citizens United v Federal Election Commission
Right?
For the love of gob, who can argue with a straight face that "corporate speech" needs protecting?
Oh.
That would be the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
Quis custodiet custodias? as the old-timers used to mumble.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
if you're in Kansas City
next week, here's a guaranteed good time:
The Event will be performed at 8 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday, Jan. 24-26 at the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, 3604 Main St.
Call 816-569-3226 or go to www.metkc.org.
Rocking the Midwest, just like the old days.
The Event will be performed at 8 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday, Jan. 24-26 at the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, 3604 Main St.
Call 816-569-3226 or go to www.metkc.org.
Rocking the Midwest, just like the old days.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
they're sledding in hell
Holy Christ in a crock pot.
Senator Scott Brown.
I'm just...
I mean...
Senator Scott Brown?
Senator Scott Brown.
I'm just...
I mean...
Senator Scott Brown?
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
the old man grumbles
Finally getting around to reading Outrageous Fortune, the TDF report on the plight of the American playwright.
Lots of depressing statistics and anonymous kvetching, not much breaking news so far.
Here's the terrible truth, kids, from the mouth of old Scrappy hisself:
If you're going to stay in the American theater and make it your life's work, you are going to be poor. No vacation poor. No savings account poor. No dentist poor. No health care poor. Seriously poor.
That's the road. I know of no shortcut, no detour.
It's a wonderful road and you meet phenomenal people walking along it, but you need to know that at the end of each day you'll be making your bed out under the stars.
And being poor at 46 is a lot different than being poor at 28.
I can't imagine what it's going to be like at 66, but if I'm still around I imagine I'll still be walking that road.
Unless, of course Pablo and Ann come by in the El Dorado and give me a lift.
Lots of depressing statistics and anonymous kvetching, not much breaking news so far.
Here's the terrible truth, kids, from the mouth of old Scrappy hisself:
If you're going to stay in the American theater and make it your life's work, you are going to be poor. No vacation poor. No savings account poor. No dentist poor. No health care poor. Seriously poor.
That's the road. I know of no shortcut, no detour.
It's a wonderful road and you meet phenomenal people walking along it, but you need to know that at the end of each day you'll be making your bed out under the stars.
And being poor at 46 is a lot different than being poor at 28.
I can't imagine what it's going to be like at 66, but if I'm still around I imagine I'll still be walking that road.
Unless, of course Pablo and Ann come by in the El Dorado and give me a lift.
Monday, January 18, 2010
mlk, d and d, mmmq
This is happening tonight:
SAINT MARKS' TRIBUTE TO LYNNE STEWART
Saint Marks' 25th Annual King Dinner
Monday January 18th, 2010 7:00 pm. Parrish Hall
131 East Tenth Street Tenth and Second Ave...use the 11th street entrance.
This year the program for our 25th Martin Luther King ..I Have A Dream Remembrance program, we will pay tribute to Lynne Stewart. Preist-in Charge Winnie Varghese, Pastor Micheal Releyea, and Vestry Warden Cynthia Copeland as representatives of the Saint Marks Community are pleased to urge the community-at-large to come out and support Lynne who is a beloved member of our congregation.
The event will feature Norman Marshall, the Rev Paul Chandler, Joy Kelly, actress, members of the Saint Marks Choir and musical ensemble and actor Earl Gianquinto.
Hosted by Music Director Jeannine Otis, the event will explore the connection to Dr. King's writing from the
Birmingham Prison.
It promises to be a soul-filled uplifting evening. Food will be coordinated by Annette Hendrikse, Saint Marks vestry member and well-known lower eastside chef. Guests are encourage to bring special dishes.
Took part in the Devoted and Disgruntled gathering this weekend. Left feeling less Despondent and Deranged, so something stuck.
And here's a big can of corn right over the plate since I'm feeling pressed for time today:
What does Pablo Picasso drive when he's eyeballing the young ladies and not being called an asshole?
1. Mustang
2. Coupe de Ville
3. Mercury
4. Eldorado
I'm just praying that my anonymous robot pal answers this one.
SAINT MARKS' TRIBUTE TO LYNNE STEWART
Saint Marks' 25th Annual King Dinner
Monday January 18th, 2010 7:00 pm. Parrish Hall
131 East Tenth Street Tenth and Second Ave...use the 11th street entrance.
This year the program for our 25th Martin Luther King ..I Have A Dream Remembrance program, we will pay tribute to Lynne Stewart. Preist-in Charge Winnie Varghese, Pastor Micheal Releyea, and Vestry Warden Cynthia Copeland as representatives of the Saint Marks Community are pleased to urge the community-at-large to come out and support Lynne who is a beloved member of our congregation.
The event will feature Norman Marshall, the Rev Paul Chandler, Joy Kelly, actress, members of the Saint Marks Choir and musical ensemble and actor Earl Gianquinto.
Hosted by Music Director Jeannine Otis, the event will explore the connection to Dr. King's writing from the
Birmingham Prison.
It promises to be a soul-filled uplifting evening. Food will be coordinated by Annette Hendrikse, Saint Marks vestry member and well-known lower eastside chef. Guests are encourage to bring special dishes.
Took part in the Devoted and Disgruntled gathering this weekend. Left feeling less Despondent and Deranged, so something stuck.
And here's a big can of corn right over the plate since I'm feeling pressed for time today:
What does Pablo Picasso drive when he's eyeballing the young ladies and not being called an asshole?
1. Mustang
2. Coupe de Ville
3. Mercury
4. Eldorado
I'm just praying that my anonymous robot pal answers this one.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
never turn your back
Sometimes a director will ask you to do it, usually an actor will make the move first.
It's an argument or a debate and the other player has a long (or what feels to you like a long) monologue.
You step away, turn your back and slowly shake your head, sometimes even softly vocalizing, grunting your amazement at the outlandishness of the words you are forced to hear. This "listening" shtick lasts, miraculously, exactly until you have lines to say, at which point you spin around and attack.
Just think back to any actual argument you've ever had, an argument that mattered to you, an argument that wasn't scripted.
You never turn your back on your opponent.
What you do is the opposite.
You lean in, you lock eyes, you watch the words come out of their mouth.
So why not do that onstage?
It's an argument or a debate and the other player has a long (or what feels to you like a long) monologue.
You step away, turn your back and slowly shake your head, sometimes even softly vocalizing, grunting your amazement at the outlandishness of the words you are forced to hear. This "listening" shtick lasts, miraculously, exactly until you have lines to say, at which point you spin around and attack.
Just think back to any actual argument you've ever had, an argument that mattered to you, an argument that wasn't scripted.
You never turn your back on your opponent.
What you do is the opposite.
You lean in, you lock eyes, you watch the words come out of their mouth.
So why not do that onstage?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
scrappy gets soppy
I was reminded last night, shivering in a lobby in midtown waiting to go into a show, how many good people there are in my life.
Thank you Laura and Sheila and Norma and Martin and Rik. And Dave.
Good friends, man. Cherish them. Nothing can warm you up faster on a cold night.
Thank you Laura and Sheila and Norma and Martin and Rik. And Dave.
Good friends, man. Cherish them. Nothing can warm you up faster on a cold night.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
stats
The indefatigable Innovative Theatre Foundation has released their latest demographic study of the Off-Off and independent world. Interesting stuff.
You can read the whole thing at www.nyitawards.com, but it's of note that we're mostly young, college educated white women.
For a good overview of the report, check out Leonard Jacobs at www.clydefitchreport.com.
You can read the whole thing at www.nyitawards.com, but it's of note that we're mostly young, college educated white women.
For a good overview of the report, check out Leonard Jacobs at www.clydefitchreport.com.
Monday, January 11, 2010
whoops
Looks like 2010 got started without us here at the Museum.
Travel, family and general indolence were all factors, but now we resume our established duties.
Aretha and T. T. harmonize only in my mind, sorry, Rosie.
Travel, family and general indolence were all factors, but now we resume our established duties.
Aretha and T. T. harmonize only in my mind, sorry, Rosie.
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