Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Artists no longer mavericks at society's fringe
The Age: "SHAKESPEARE wrote in Measure for Measure that 'Truth is truth to the end of reckoning.' Shakespeare was a man who knew a thing or two. So what is the truth of Australian theatre? It's in decline. It's been in steady decline for most of the past two decades and, for some reason, policymakers cannot see it, and the industry and its audience have chosen to ignore it. Theatre in this country has, for too long, been trapped in a limited reality, a white middle-class sport both on stage and in the auditorium, comfortable in its homogeny, creatively self-referential and, it seems, almost determinedly culturally unrepresentative."
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4 comments:
Although I am relieved this article was a short one, I did not love it simply because I would have liked a little more information. However, I really like the topic, and think the argument was very effective, convincing, thought-provoking, and soul-stirring for theatre lovers especially. It's sad to think it will not accomplish more than just that, (at least initially). I especially liked the quote: "The public have begun to view the theatre as a creative distraction, an increasingly expensive one, devoid of higher meaning and almost culturally redundant."
This sounds familiar, yes? Honestly, I think Americans have been criticizing current Broadway shows, and our draw to revivals and musicals that lack in depth so much, we don't stop to appreciate the good aspects. This article was a true eye opener in those terms, and I am very glad someone decided to speak out and inform the public of this current crisis in Australia.
I will say this "decline" of theater has been occurring since the beginning of time. It's sad and unfortunate but people throughout time have always chosen to see something else besides theater. With the Greeks is was sports (and still is today, some things never change), for Shakespeare dog fights, and now today theater must compete in an economic troubled time against hollywood blockbusters. It's no wonder that theater chooses to perform light distractions rather than meaningful plays if they can make more money. Still, it's been 1000's of years and theater is still here. Theater also has its ups and downs, and its articles exactly like this that will hopefully help the problem of seemingly "meaningless" and fluffy stage productions.
the 10:21 anonymous is my comment, sorry for any inconvenience
I get the sense at times in this article that Pigot is going a bit overboard on his criticisms of Australian theatre.
A great majority of American theatre companies, upstanding and successful theatre companies, are non-profit and depend on donations and grants from the government, yet, they still have the capacity (and often are the only places with the wherewithal) to put on the greatest social analyses and biting criticisms of the hand that feeds. Even if a majority of Australia's theatre is doing schlocky Broadway-style musicals, this must be a very intentional choice because the theatre is following the demand of its audience, but a company is never exclusively locked into these commercial choices by anyone but themselves. And as for cost-cutting for maximum profit, that's basic economics for any production without a Cameron Mackintosh budget!
Pigot also discusses the flawed nature of critics offering *gasp* opinions about the show! While every theatre person would love their reviews to be a dramaturgical analysis of their production's intricacies, that's not the point of a reviewer. A reviewer is there to watch the show, take it in, and render an opinion on the merits and pitfalls of the production, ultimately offering a suggestion to his/her readership whether or not to see the show.
Pigot seems to be exaggerating the nitpicky subjects theatre people complain about during lunch breaks and overextend them into a theatrical crisis spanning his entire country.
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