What about theater?

Maybe you’ve noticed that I haven’t written about theater in a while. It’s not intentional. I’m not avoiding anything.

First of all, the theatersphere appears to be on summer hiatus. The Equity Showcase code is intriguing, but not inspiring… to me anyway. I have nothing to add to the conversation. Scott’s tribal discussion is interesting, but I’m too scattered to take part in it.

Secondly, books have taken over my life. About 90% of my existence deals with some aspect of the publishing and book industry. When I sleep, I’m literally surrounded by books. Throughout the day, I’m reading or writing reviews or looking up publishers. I’m thinking about how books help the community, or how one book differs from another.

Long story short: There’s been very little time to think about theater.

Thirdly, I wonder how much theatrical street cred I have left. I was aware that moving out of NYC would hinder more than a few opportunities. And I was correct. Leaving NYC was like dropping off a cliff in the eyes of a few. But in the end, I don’t think I was truly prepared for being marginalized.

Maybe that Red State discussion left a bad aftertaste…

None of this matters, of course. I don’t have much time to consider marginalization since I’m experiencing a wealth of opportunities… Just not in theater. Makes me wonder if what’s happening to me has happened to other playwrights. Books, tv or film – isn’t that where all the playwrights go?

Finally, Patrick took the words right out of my mouth. I don’t like being surrounded by so-called geniuses. I don’t like head trips, nor do I like looking down my nose at the general public. People who work in theater aren’t better human beings. They’re just regular folks who like to pretend in front of others.

Which is probably why so many of them try to mask themselves in real life. As I wrote to a friend a few months ago: Theater and I are at cross-purposes. I’d rather take masks off than put them on.

But with resources being what they are, perhaps the only way to get respect in theater is to be a genius – or get people to think you are an “artiste.”

This doesn’t mean I’ll quit writing about theater or that I’m quitting theater. But I thought that an explanation was probably in order.

Comments

[Adam]

All the playwrights do go to books, tv and film. It's no fun too much of the time. There are no resources, few slots, a small audience. But there's some good plays right now. i want to write a good play too. But right now i'm writing a screenplay and a novel (slowly). Who are you looking to get street cred from? Everyone I know in the street is tired of watching the traffic go by.

[Laura]

Yeah, I sense that as well. Back in 2005 I made a decision to de-emphasize theater because of what you just mentioned. It's bittersweet to go public with a passion that carries less baggage.

Street cred only refers to the mainstream, institutionally-accepted theater. I've found that people in that realm have a difficult time with my current location. But I don't want to be a part of that any longer anyway.

[Scott Walters]

I'm puzzled, Laura. You are in search of cred from the "mainstream, institutionally-accepted theater"? Why? You write book reviews for the Birmingham News -- do you need cred from the Chicago Trib or the NY Times? It seems to me that cred oughta be local...

Although you're right -- the Red State conversation DID leave a sour taste. Bigotry always leaves an aftertaste.

[Laura]

No, I'm not in search of street cred. Actually, I almost regret mentioning it because it's caused too much trouble. It was more a reflection on how things have shifted, and how alienated I feel from a world where I used to belong.

It was a knock-off comment, more about NYC theater than anything else.

I'm not actively pursuing NYC theater street cred. I haven't submitted anything in a very long time. I think this post was a closure on all that, and a recognition that things are now different.

[Joshua James]

Just so you know, Laura, I haven't left New York (not yet) but I often feel marginalized by much of what's going on in the theatre community, and as a result have also focused much, as of late, on writing for other mediums, in particular film and fiction.

I guess I'm saying I feel the same way, and have felt so for quite sometime . . . I just haven't left New York (I would but my lady doesn't drive, ;) ) . . . though there are many times that I would like to.

That's not to say I quit theatre, nor do I plan on it - it's simply that I felt that many (not all) in the industry treat playwrights quite badly . . . I've shared a few horror stories on the blog, but not nearly the more terrible ones . . .

Additionally, many of the development people I've met in other areas are much more appreciative of the work . . . it's not simply about the money, it's about access and appreciation . . .

I wrote a brand new play last year, I'm very proud of it . . . haven't been able to get anyone to read it . . . four people total, thus far . . . all four loved it . . . all four are in the theatre industry and achieve great things in it, all four called up theatres to read the script on my behalf.

No one has, thus far.

Which is par for the course, it takes a frightfully long time to get anything read . . . but what's really maddening is that I have twenty or thirty friends in the theatre community who haven't read the script either . . . after a year . . . people who know my work, who love my work, but just don't read new plays, or read much at all, or whatever they're involved in . . . I can understand someone not knowing me taking a year to read something, but people who run theatres who know my work, it's bizarre . . .

Four people out of twenty or thirty in the industry.

I don't share this to complain, mind you . . . just to note the actions. When I moved to New York in the nineties and handed out a play I wrote, people were glad to read it (and I would note, my first play was read and produced less than a year after I showed it to someone) . . . I think times have changed, I don't know that people are happy to read new plays.

On the other hand, if I write a new screenplay, I can get it read in a week by many, many people. That's not to say it will get bought or made, but people will read it and give me feedback.

I'm not sure if it's because theatre is so small an industry, or because theatre is more about recycling old work than doing new, I don't know.

I would agree that it seems to be full of geniuses who pretend to be better than everyone else, and know more than anyone else, and blog as though they know more than anyone else . . . I'd say that the theatre community, which has many wonderful people within, also has more than it's fair share of pretentious flakes as well . . . so maybe I've just been in the wrong business . . .

I am, after all, just a farm kid from Iowa . . . I didn't grow up doing this . . . just fell into it because it felt cool to do in the beginning . . .

[Laura]

Adam & Scott,

I didn't want you to think I was annoyed with you. I'm following the idea that for every one person who writes a note, there's three thinking the same thing.

Joshua,

I appreciate your note immensely. I think for the longest time I wasn't ready to make the transition to books. Now I am. The two worlds are strikingly different. Publishing has its problems, but it is nowhere near the the extent of theater's issues. I don't have bang my head up against a wall either. It's invigorating.

I, too, got involved with theater because I thought it was cool. I was fine with the financial aspects. But the deck is too stacked now. I'm happy to be in a world that isn't crying poverty most of the time.

[Mark]

Scott:

I'd like to invite you to review the conversation in question and select the portions you think are "bigotry". That's a serious charge and I'd like to see you explain further.

http://bloggingevent.blogspot.com/2007/06/red-state-hooey.html

I certainly think that all of the posts that you put up and then deleted during that week (Bloglines saves all that stuff, you know) are much more vitriolic and disrespectful than the comparatively mild rhetoric that appears on that post.

Mark

[Laura]

ALL ABOUT THE LATEST GOBBLEFEST - JULY 25

I thought it would be interesting to respond to the latest uproar here, rather than a post.

After all, this is a little bit of why I distanced myself from theater and blogging. So it's nice to see it validated, once again.

I really considered ignoring everything. After all, do I want to side with the wrong person - whoever that is?

And whenever discussions balloon out into these pissing matches, it makes theater bloggers look like fools in front of the general public.

I don't even do theater anymore - really. So what's the point?

There is none.

So thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the fabulous hits.

I haven't even updated my blog today. Wahoo! Maybe all these people looking at Gasp means that I won't feel as responsible for writing an entry today.

So what will I do instead? Oh yeah. I work on reading books on my review stack, writing reviews, and I can work on flipping my plays into books so perhaps they'll find an audience.

Hey, thanks for stopping in! Buh-bye y'all!

Love ya,
Laura