HowlRound: We ate, drank, and talked seriously about the theater. Mostly we talked about how talking about the theater is as vital to the theater as food is to the body, and that the various strands and strata of the local theater community could benefit from intersecting more often and directly. John said the six of us weren’t nearly enough, that there should be forty people at the table. So a few weeks later we threw a “Theater Salon” for forty invited guests on the stage of Last Planet Theater in San Francisco’s dicey Tenderloin district. To our delight, it went over very well.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Eat, Drink, and Talk Seriously about the Theater
HowlRound: We ate, drank, and talked seriously about the theater. Mostly we talked about how talking about the theater is as vital to the theater as food is to the body, and that the various strands and strata of the local theater community could benefit from intersecting more often and directly. John said the six of us weren’t nearly enough, that there should be forty people at the table. So a few weeks later we threw a “Theater Salon” for forty invited guests on the stage of Last Planet Theater in San Francisco’s dicey Tenderloin district. To our delight, it went over very well.
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8 comments:
This article makes a very good point. I feel that talking about theatre with other members of the theatre community is extremely important, especially because in many cases those outside the theatre community have no idea what you are talking about. Conversation also sparks creative ideas one might not have had if not for the person they were talking to. One part of this article that struck me was the admittance of hardly anyone in the room actually seeing theatre in their community. I know I am guilty of this and have been caught in many similar situations, admitting my lack of theatre attendance. Lets change this!!!
One of the things that I really appreciate in an audience member, collaborator, supervisor, or co-worker is the ability to be honest and open with what we say. Of course, I still has to be careful that I am not attacking or accusing, but simply stating facts and my opinion as one of many possible opinions. Communication is at the center of what we do as managers and as theater artists. Why is it so hard for us to talk about our work critically with others? The feedback could be enormously beneficial whether we agree with it or not. I think that this idea of the Theater Salon is a great one. It allows people who don't necessarily know each other, but who have a common interest and background to discuss the news, problems, and events of the day. It seems like the group discusses a wide range of topics from financial to artistic and always tries to include new people. I think that I often forget how much we can learn from those working around us and how much we can benefit from sharing ideas and resources when possible. What one can't achieve, maybe two or three can.
Some of the best conversations Ive had this year are the ones when we randomly begin talking about the works we do. We don't just say why we liked it or what we thought could be better, but have looked at it from a view with everyone in mind. Collaboration between everyone involved in the arts from the audience, to the critics, to the directors is essential. We always say that there needs to be collaboration and these get togethers help promote that. Understanding where everyone comes from and the different views is a tremendous step into creating a masterpiece. Coming together on the same playing field will allow everyone to be more accessible. Not only will it bring groups of people together in the way we all hope, but it provides a new social opportunity that should be more abundant in todays society.
It's important that we as theater practitioners talk about the theater we do, and see the theater that's being produced in the very building we occupy. I know I've had conversations too often with my peers about not being able to go see the shows here or elsewhere around Pittsburgh because we don't have the time, but it should be something we do make the time for because it's an important part of what we do and it's something we can learn from and discuss as a whole. As a freshman, I think Conservatory Hour is used as a starting point to get us talking about the various productions being put on here, but it is up to continue that conversation with each other, and also to be willing to go and talk to the designers, directors, and actors, and find out more about why they decided to pursue this piece in a certain way. As the author points out, it's also important to be open to that discussion, and be thinking about different ways in which things could have been done. Going to see theater, discussing theater is part of learning about theater and, as students, is something we should be actively pursuing as we move forward through our time here at Carnegie Mellon, but also as we move out into the real world and begin work there.
this sounds really awesome! In some ways it's what we attempt to do in our conservatory hour discussions by putting the artists directly in contact with their audience and letting them ask questions. Where this succeeds though is by making the event simple and completely devoid of networking potential (something that's really hard to do). Food in America is sort of the great equalizer; it puts us all into a friendlier mood, encourages sharing of ideas as well as tastes (both artistic and culinary), and seems overall really nicely social.
It is great that these theatre artists are coming together to discuss the art. The question is when do we have time? As a graduate student, I don't feel that there is enough time in the day, but then again we do it all day long in class. When we leave school it would be great to have groups that discuss the work, so that we all continue our education.
This sounds awesome. I wish I had time to do this now. But currently as a student I barley have time to sleep and eat but this is something I would love to take to my hometown during the summer and do. If more people could honestly come to theater creators and tell the truth our theater in America would grow so much. This would also be just a great way to meet other people in the business and I'm not talking about career climbing but just meeting other artist and hearing their opinions and what they are doing. I truly hope this travels all around America and starts something new for theater.
Lack of attendance is a huge issue, as Sam and the article indicate. The point of conversation being an important tool in theatre is spot on. Too often there is a lack of communication between theatre artists, albeit for good reasons (working in a different part of the country, having multiple projects at once, etc.), which can hinder the creative process and lessen the quality of the final product. Communication is the most important thing we have at our disposal, without it the whole process falls apart.
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