Disrupt the cliche and cluttered minds.
h/t DevilVet
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
guilt candy
Walking out of a restaurant on Sunday night Small took a quarter out of his pocket to buy a gumball. Right next to the gumball machine was a collection box for cancer research funds.
He hesitated, then dropped the quarter in the cancer research fund.
Small: I can't believe they put that right next to the gumball machine.
Me: Why?
Small: Well how could I buy a gumball with that being right there. I would feel awful.
Me: Yeah?
Small: Yeah, it would be like chewing a cancer ball.
Me: OK then.
He hesitated, then dropped the quarter in the cancer research fund.
Small: I can't believe they put that right next to the gumball machine.
Me: Why?
Small: Well how could I buy a gumball with that being right there. I would feel awful.
Me: Yeah?
Small: Yeah, it would be like chewing a cancer ball.
Me: OK then.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
solid earth
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them.
-President Barack Obama, Inaugural Address
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them.
-President Barack Obama, Inaugural Address
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 05, 2009
the future is close to home
I am going to head over and see Daisy's show next week. I am curious to see what the piece is like because I have felt like the discourse surrounding the show has become become fairly hyper at times. Its about time we have this conversation here, and it is a discussion I look forward to hearing. Heck, I may even stay for the round table discussion, even though I am going on the 'state of the union' night and not the '2034' discussion night, which I would rather hear.
My belief is that the future of American theatre may very well be regional. No, let me restate that, because regional implies that it is still in an urban setting. How about 'local theatre'. There is a vast population of educated, cultural people who do not live in cities. Movie theatres are abundant in every town, but not theatre companies.
When I dreamt of my theatre company I was centererd on it mission and the artistic realization of that mission. When I started out founding it, I did mostly market and demographic research of the area in which I wanted to establish the theatre. I have always had strong opinions about theatre, and about wanting to make theatre. That love for theatre, however, was not part of the answer to the question "How will this flourish?". I chose to create it outside of the city limits, and modeled my growth goals after other thriving theatres in the 'burbs.
It has occured to me for years that part of the reason that theatre audiences are dwindling has everything to do with location. My thought is that audiences are not actually dwindling as much as they are spreading out. As the urban sprawl continues so does the aggravation over commuting. I know that I currently commute into DC for every acting job I take, and its not easy. When I did a breakdown of education, cultural interests, and median income, I found that the outerlying suburbs of DC offered a very likely population of theatre goers. All of whom do not want to haul into the city to go to the theatre. They have to be hard core theatre lovers to stray that far from home after their work week. There is, of course, the ticket price issue as well. In my mind if I offered a resonable ticket price, free parking, and an easy commute, it would make theatre going the entertainment it is supposed to be instead of the chore it can become.
Case in point. I recently went to see a friends show at Woolly Mammoth. With both STC's stages going full swing, Verizon Centers events and Woolly's shows, the parking there has become nightmarish. Add to that the fact that many parking garages close at 9 and yeesh! I was 20 minutes late and so over it all by the time I took my seat (FYI, the remainder that I saw of BOOM was wonderfully done).
Why is it that as the population of this country spreads out, as do the coffee houses, bars, restaurants, movie theaters, yoga studios, and high end grocery stores, the theatre stays rooted in the city? Do we think folks living outside the city are just not that into us? I think they are just making do until something they really like comes along. The county I live in has been in the top three fastest growing counties in the U.S. for over 5 years. The folks who are moving my way are mostly former city dwellers - oh and their democrats as well (give it up for a recently BLUE Virginia!).
Here's hoping I am right and this new company becomes their new stomping grounds.
My belief is that the future of American theatre may very well be regional. No, let me restate that, because regional implies that it is still in an urban setting. How about 'local theatre'. There is a vast population of educated, cultural people who do not live in cities. Movie theatres are abundant in every town, but not theatre companies.
When I dreamt of my theatre company I was centererd on it mission and the artistic realization of that mission. When I started out founding it, I did mostly market and demographic research of the area in which I wanted to establish the theatre. I have always had strong opinions about theatre, and about wanting to make theatre. That love for theatre, however, was not part of the answer to the question "How will this flourish?". I chose to create it outside of the city limits, and modeled my growth goals after other thriving theatres in the 'burbs.
It has occured to me for years that part of the reason that theatre audiences are dwindling has everything to do with location. My thought is that audiences are not actually dwindling as much as they are spreading out. As the urban sprawl continues so does the aggravation over commuting. I know that I currently commute into DC for every acting job I take, and its not easy. When I did a breakdown of education, cultural interests, and median income, I found that the outerlying suburbs of DC offered a very likely population of theatre goers. All of whom do not want to haul into the city to go to the theatre. They have to be hard core theatre lovers to stray that far from home after their work week. There is, of course, the ticket price issue as well. In my mind if I offered a resonable ticket price, free parking, and an easy commute, it would make theatre going the entertainment it is supposed to be instead of the chore it can become.
Case in point. I recently went to see a friends show at Woolly Mammoth. With both STC's stages going full swing, Verizon Centers events and Woolly's shows, the parking there has become nightmarish. Add to that the fact that many parking garages close at 9 and yeesh! I was 20 minutes late and so over it all by the time I took my seat (FYI, the remainder that I saw of BOOM was wonderfully done).
Why is it that as the population of this country spreads out, as do the coffee houses, bars, restaurants, movie theaters, yoga studios, and high end grocery stores, the theatre stays rooted in the city? Do we think folks living outside the city are just not that into us? I think they are just making do until something they really like comes along. The county I live in has been in the top three fastest growing counties in the U.S. for over 5 years. The folks who are moving my way are mostly former city dwellers - oh and their democrats as well (give it up for a recently BLUE Virginia!).
Here's hoping I am right and this new company becomes their new stomping grounds.
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