For any interested Lex-ville's parties, there's also some cool chatter going on a a site Bo List put up though Yahoo. Check it out at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LexingtonTheatre/....
I've done so much shameless shilling for this blog there, that I just fugured I owed 'em one! Check it out...
All this bloging and chatting and swapping of virtual spit has got me to thinking alot about the craft lately, and about what I love about it and what I hate about it too! Being involved in University Theatre I also get to see the best and worst of the business from a different perspective from say, a professional actor or an artistic director or a TD somewhere...so I'm interested (and let's go to the negative first) What do you HATE about this business/craft? We'll accentuate the positive next round, but for now try to elaborate without naming any names (cause God knows I could!!!) or being overly harsh.Just what is it that sticks in your craw (and what IS a CRAW, exactly? I've never really known...) about this thing we call the DRAMA! (and there's one for me- people who call theatre DRAMA! GOD, doesn't that just irk the shit outta you?????)
Should be an easy call for all 90's rock fans this week!!!! I'm giving Synge a chance to catch up, cause I bet she knows this one too! AND, it's a little shout out from me to the Scoobies....
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22 comments:
smashing pumpkins. off of melon collie and the infinite sadness.
-Fevered Egos
-Lack of respect for the craft by civilians and by people working in it (who ought to fucking know better)
- Being old enough that comfort issues are making some work impossible (Like outdoor allergies)
-Feeling like people in this town will never pay attention to it's local theater scene because it doesn't involve an orange ball.
Argh! This is what I get for having a flakey cable modem right now. Yes, this is the Pumkins, and I believe the song title is "Bullet with Butterfly Wings".
Lessee ... what do I hate ... well, the generally low pay stinks. And I'll second Kinesys on the fevered egos remark. But X, you know I'm basically a positive person :-)
And, since Fletch got the Group and al;bum and Nat got the song title, I'll give them EACH a point, which I believe ties them up again!
Rev. Kinesys, glad to have you aboard! And GOD i know what you mean about the allergies! For my two seasons directing at Boone, I left a trail of used Kleenix behind me wherever I went...I had to have an intern just to clean up after me! ...the low pay sucks ass too!
Note to all USM alum...please notice that Rick's diva's was with a small d, not the capital D we've all come to be known by collectively!
Incidently, dude, I hate all those things as well...I also hate people who show up at an audition and claim to have never worked for that theatre when we know damn good and well they did, don;t you??
I hate for theatre to be spelled theater
a theater is where one sees a motion picture, a Theatre is where one witnesses the performance of a play.
Scoobies? Um...i think i am one of them...and since that song is synonomous with scoobies BECAUSE i karaoked the HELL out of it i think i should get a point.
I hate actors calling themselves artists...ditto for directors.
I hate words like craft, artist, technique...blah blah...
I hate the school of breathing exercises.
I hate theatRE people...you know the type....
I hate movie stars that get Broadway roles when they have never been onstage before.
And just because i dont want to be strictly negative...i love being married to someone who understands my love hate of the world of theatre.
And for the "craw" definiton (and a whoppin good post!) Scott Mc racks up THREE POINTS!!!!!
You're in the running, dude!!!
Anyone want an extra point for my other mystery reference on the home page? I'm feelin' charitable...
POINT!!!
i've always hated closing night, the rest of the shit I can put up with.
So some awesome posts, today...had as many on this one in one day as I had for 5 days on the last topic (I've always SAID the 90's were lame!)
So I guess I should chime in while there's still time: To paraphrase George Carlin "Here is a list of things (about THEATRE) for which I have no use....
1- Lack of appreciation for all the hard work! (as Pete said by Civilians and those who should f'ing know better!)
2- LOUD, OBNOXIOUS AUDIENCES WHO LAUGH AT INAPPROPRIATE PLACES- I had to physically restrain an actress from going after an audience member after a performance of KEELY AND DU (mondo serious ply, btw)who laughed at an attempted rape and a botched abortion...I should've let her tear the prick to pieces...
3- Theatre folk whose entire life revolves around Theatre- Quoth William Shatner "GET A LIFE!"
There was a real persnickity bunch of Theatre types at my undergrad who , when the conversation turned to music or sports, would immeadiately, in a VERY loud voice , start talking about something theatrical, as if to say HOO-HUM! BORED NOW!!!!... those people suck...hard...
4- People in the craft who tell you that "THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO DO...(whatever)..." Theatre is for the creative of mind and adventureous of heart. There is no ONE WAY to do anything (Except, ROCK- so sayeth SAmmy Hagar!) Beware these people who proclaim their way or the highway ...they are evil and should be shunned...
5- People (students, mostly- here comes the educational beef) who, after about 6 months in Theatre, think they know it all and can do it better than you, who have been doing it a lot longer and alot better! Then there are the ones who are so damned naturally gifted that they CAN do it better than you after 6 months...boy, I REALLY hate them!!!
6- The OVER-DOER- you know this gal/guy...the one who spends 36 hours straight in the theatre without eating or sleeping to prove how COMMITTED they are...these people should BE committed...take a break, get some damned sleep, and , once again, get a life! Let me tel you,folks (and just axe Mikey T if you don't believe me) I'm a card carrying HCMF when it comes to the biz...I've been known to direct two shows at once, act in a side project, work a full time job AND be a good husband to boot! But even I give it a friggin rest now and again!!!!
7)"Woo- Woo" Theatre "systems" and methodologys that turn the Art into some kind of MYSTICAL bullshit.... It's a craft, people...it ain't Voodoo!
So there, dammit!
I hate that theatre isn't as popular a football.
Nothing against football, mind you.
Y'all know what I'm sayin'.
I strongly dislike (shouldn't hate, hmm?)
... actors who refuse to learn their lines & think it's cute to ad lib.
... people who come to rehearsals late.
... techies who disdain actors.
... actors who disdain techies.
... actors who are constantly asking for their "motivation."
... scene designers who absolutely refuse to consider the needs of the actors.
... actors who loudly and continually expound on how and why something should be done, because--after all--they've been there and done that.
and most of all ... not knowing why I didn't get the part when, obviously, I auditioned so much better that the scabrous twit of a ham who was cast.
Yep, I hate that last one, too!
(dislike, hate...you say POTATO...etc,etc...)
After reading all of the above, I am now soundly convinced to quit theatre once and for all. Every single post wrung from me flood of cursing and squirming, the like of which I have not experienced since... hey wait. I have something to add...
* People who audition with movie monologues.
* People who sing anything from Les Miserables in an audition.
* People who politick for roles.
* People who regale you with story upon story of their role in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"
* People who don't read the damn script before coming to auditions.
... and all that was just in college... aside from that tripe...
* Boards of Directors. Fuck you all.
* State-run facilities.
* Nights when people get in free. Stampeding, ungrateful bastards.
* More than a few rain-outs.
* A theatre closing on my watch. Want a blow to your ego? Take that! (My knowledge that it was dying when I walked in notwithstanding.)
* Waiting for Guffman... and the bastards who quote it.
* Picking up timx's Kleenex (an intern my ass!)
* The fact that Scott McElheney is reproducing (haha- sorry Mac. You know I love you.)
Hey ,timocein, actually most of our posts revolve around our dislike of "bitchy little " Theatre people ( I want only say actors, cause as we know, bitches come in all variaties )if that makes us bitchy too,so be it!!!!!Anyway, I SAID we're gonna accentuate the positive next round...sheesh!
BTW, mikey...I sailed that ship right over the falls with you, so at least you weren't alone!
I guess the point is that we get frustrated form ALL sides - once again, reading the posts you see alot more here than a dislike for ACTORS- our problems come from boards, audiences, the government,techies, unions,students, etc.. It IS a frustrating business, and those of us who have chosen to immerse ourselves in that life have to deal with a tremendous amount f shit on a daily basis. The POINT, however, which I'm hoping will manifest itself in our next round of postings, is that we STILL love it...warts and all. and FYI, most of us DO take the high road...(to quote...ugghhh...Tom Cruise via Jerry MacGuire..."it is a pride-swallowing SIEGE...") maybe that's why we like blowing off steam every now and again in places like this. Anyhoo...
...did I just lose ALL credibility quoting Tom Cruise??? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...
Tom is an artist just practicing his craft at the highest level............................................now that he has rid himself of all traces of those pesky thetans he is clear to make the most of his life and become the most powerful actor ever.
He'll have to beat up John Travolta first. Poor Tom (to quote Lear). Somebody give him some Ritalin.
The reason why we can be so passionately negative about our chosen form of art is rooted in it's inherent fragility.
When a play comes together in a certain way and all the minds and hearts that make it up are flowing in the proper direction, there is no experience more sublime. There is no artform that can be more subtly and overtly life changing for actor and audience member alike.
It takes only one jerk to fuck that all up.
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