Quotes much?

Once in awhile I run across a blog that is interesting. For all my writer and teacher friends out there (yeah, both of you), you might find this blog of interest:

http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/

The trouble with theatre.

I tend to look at theatre from a variety of viewpoints. I tend to see it as an insider, someone who works in the industry and plans for productions. Here my thinking is: "How much will that cost?" "Does it work for what we intend?" "How will that play?" "Are we over-producing--have we lost focus?" etc etc etc. In many cases there is no joy in the actual production other than seeing a final product on the stage and sensing that the audience enjoys what they see.

As a writer myself, I watch the structure of how a play builds. I listen to dialog for a ring of truth and unnecessary lines. Does the play have "forwards" -- something that keeps you wanting to know what comes next? Does the action build properly?

As a board member for a community theatre, I look at plays as possible productions. Would it be appropriate for our audiences? Does it entertain? Does it hold interest? Do we have the actors to play these parts?

And as a theatre-goer I want to be able to put my other identities away and just have a good time.

But as I look at theatre today, and look at the new plays that are out there, hopeful of being produced, I see what I think is a problem. There is a great deal of emphasis on writing about "issues."

Okay, I understand that all of our great plays throughout history tackle issues. Strong, dramatic theatre SHOULD challenge us with the way we look at modern problems. But there's a real abundance of that kind of material out there.

What about...gods forgive me for even asking...but what about laughter?

When was the last time you managed to go to a really good comedy? ...that wasn't a musical? ...that was written in the last ten years?

Is anyone writing comedy anymore? Can we find a new play that actually makes us laugh and enjoy ourselves?

Is the problem with the writers today? I read scripts for a competition for a theatre in Texas. I must have read 30-40 scripts this year and only one of them might be considered a comedy, and that one a dark comedy, along the lines of a Pinter or Beckett play. Are the hopeful writers of today only writing when they get the urge to tackle an issue?

Or does the fault lie with the theatres and producers? Are they producing plays that will make an audience laugh? Or are they looking for new plays that will challenge the audience with its thoughtful insight?

A comedy can do both. A good comedy, anyway.

Neil Simon, in his heyday, could do both. Bernard Slade managed to do it. Larry Shue was able to do both in an extremely short career.

The only funny scripts that I've seen in the last few years have come from David Ives, but I'm not sure that his work fits the "challenging the audience with thoughtful insight" category, and I don't know off-hand if he's done a full-length play.

I don't mind going to a play and having some heady stuff to think about, but I'd really like to go to a play and just relax and have some good chuckles!

I read about the challenges that theatres face, trying to get their audiences away from the television, get the kids off of the X-boxes and Playstations, and into the live theatre, but maybe we need to offer them something they'll enjoy. Maybe the younger crowd is hanging onto those video games because they want to escape the heady stuff. Maybe they'd like to kick back and laugh? They seem to be going out to the comedy clubs! By my observations, stand-up comedy is seeing an increase in business. So why isn't theatre offering a challenge to that.

The trouble with theatre is that it's gotten too dramatic. Yeah, yeah, laugh at the conflict in that sentence, but it's true. It's taken itself too seriously and seems to feel that it has to be socially relevent to be on the stage. I think it's forgotten how to entertain.

Why I love Netflix.

Okay...I really love Netflix. What a great program...pay a monthly fee, have up to three DVDs (or only two, or maybe as many as four) at any one time, and exchange them as often as you want by dropping them in the mail (and you don't pay anything extra for the postage).

Could it be any better?

Well, yes, what if you could watch some of their movies right NOW, while sitting at the computer?

Hey...guess what...?! You can! They have a "Watch Instantly" button and they send the movie right to your computer. The best part of this is that you don't have to watch the whole thing at once...it remembers where you stopped it I've been watching the television series "Heroes" (season one) in this way, and have watched the odd movie over the course of a few days by this method as well. It doesn't cost anything extra and I still have the three movies in rotation as well.

If you like movies, I really encourage checking out Netflix.