[NEohioPAL]Response to Mr. Berko's article

Tue Nov 19 16:36:01 PST 2002

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Ok Fred I'm only back in town four months but I'm going to climb out on =
a limb here.  I will probably hang myself in such a small community, but =
I feel this needs to be said.

In response to Roy Berko's piece on the Cleveland Play House... First of =
all there aren't many, if any, major regional theatres that have won =
Emmy awards.  Chicago's Stepenwolf may have for some piece of theirs =
that was taped for television broadcast.  I vaguely remember something =
of theirs from the mid '80's written by Douglas Post garnishing some =
awards.  There may have been a others, but it is not the norm.  Perhaps =
Roy is referring to the Tony Award given each year to an outstanding =
regional theatre.  I had the privilege of serving as Conservatory =
Director for one of those theatres, South Coast Repertory.  They were =
very pleased to be able in their publicity to call themselves the Tony =
Award Winning theatre.  The statue was beautifully displayed in the =
lobby.  But let me tell you, it didn't help sell tickets, and it didn't =
make their choice of productions any more or less courageous.  They had =
some remarkable hits, some dismal failures, and a whole lot of safe bets =
in between.  Being that my livelihood depended upon the revenue of those =
safe bets, I'm delighted that someone was balancing economic realities =
with artistic vision.

I have also had the pleasure of a three-year association with the =
Sundance Institute.  No, they didn't ever win a Tony Award, but good ol' =
Bob had to approve everything that went up on stage in his back yard.  =
There were lots of beautifully done safe bets with a few mildly risky =
selections thrown in for art's sake.  Guess what?  Last summer was the =
last year the Sundance Institute will be producing full scale =
productions at Sundance in Utah.  Those mildly risky selections did =
nothing to build a young enthusiastic audience.  It's hard to run a =
theatre if you don't sell tickets.

Now, both South Coast Repertory and The Sundance Theatre Program use =
professional casting directors.  As do most successful world-class =
regional theatres.  It has nothing to do with the ability of the =
artistic staff to identify talent.  It has everything to do with knowing =
the world-class talent pool, knowing their availability, and their =
price.  There is a lot more that goes into casting and the subsequent =
negotiations than knowing if an actor can act without bumping into the =
furniture.  True it would be nice if there were more professional =
opportunities for local actors.  But once again, if you really want to =
be up there with the big boys of the regional theatre world, you have to =
find your talent outside your own city walls.  Why?  Who knows.  Perhaps =
it's just the grass is always greener syndrome.  The truth, regardless =
of its logic, or necessity is that Seattle theatres cast out of New =
York, New York theatres cast out of Chicago, Chicago theatres cast out =
of Milwaukee, and Milwaukee Rep has recently fallen in love with Seattle =
actors.  It's crazy, but that's the way it's done.

Roy, I think if you have some questions and some ideas for the artistic =
staff of the Cleveland Play House you might want to give them a call and =
ask them out to lunch.  No professional regional theatre ever got any =
better by beating up the Artistic Director. It behooves the greater =
Cleveland arts community to support the growth and future of the =
Cleveland Play House, the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, and all of the =
rest with open dialogue.  Uninformed criticism closes minds and closes =
wallets.  That's not going to help anyone.

Lisa Beth Allen

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Ok Fred I'm only back in town four =
months but I'm=20
going to climb out on a limb here.  I will probably hang myself in =
such a=20
small community, but I feel this needs to be said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In response to Roy Berko's piece on the =
Cleveland=20
Play House... First of all there aren't many, if any, major regional =
theatres=20
that have won Emmy awards.  Chicago's Stepenwolf may have for some =
piece of=20
theirs that was taped for television broadcast.  I vaguely remember =

something of theirs from the mid '80's written by Douglas Post =
garnishing some=20
awards.  There may have been a others, but it is not the =
norm. =20
Perhaps Roy is referring to the Tony Award given each year to an =
outstanding=20
regional theatre.  I had the privilege of serving as Conservatory =
Director=20
for one of those theatres, South Coast Repertory.  They were very =
pleased=20
to be able in their publicity to call themselves the Tony Award Winning=20
theatre.  The statue was beautifully displayed in the lobby.  =
But let=20
me tell you, it didn't help sell tickets, and it didn't make their =
choice of=20
productions any more or less courageous.  They had some remarkable =
hits,=20
some dismal failures, and a whole lot of safe bets in between.  =
Being that=20
my livelihood depended upon the revenue of those safe bets, I'm =
delighted that=20
someone was balancing economic realities with artistic =
vision.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have also had the pleasure of a =
three-year=20
association with the Sundance Institute.  No, they didn't ever win =
a Tony=20
Award, but good ol' Bob had to approve everything that went up on stage =
in his=20
back yard.  There were lots of beautifully done safe bets with a =
few mildly=20
risky selections thrown in for art's sake.  Guess what?  Last =
summer=20
was the last year the Sundance Institute will be producing full scale=20
productions at Sundance in Utah.  Those mildly risky selections did =
nothing=20
to build a young enthusiastic audience.  It's hard to run a theatre =
if you=20
don't sell tickets.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Now, both South Coast Repertory and The =
Sundance=20
Theatre Program use professional casting directors.  As do most =
successful=20
world-class regional theatres.  It has nothing to do with the =
ability of=20
the artistic staff to identify talent.  It has everything to do =
with=20
knowing the world-class talent pool, knowing their availability, and =
their=20
price.  There is a lot more that goes into casting and the =
subsequent=20
negotiations than knowing if an actor can act without bumping into the=20
furniture.  True it would be nice if there were more professional=20
opportunities for local actors.  But once again, if you really want =
to be=20
up there with the big boys of the regional theatre world, you have to =
find your=20
talent outside your own city walls.  Why?  Who knows.  =
Perhaps=20
it's just the grass is always greener syndrome.  The truth, =
regardless of=20
its logic, or necessity is that Seattle theatres cast out of New York, =
New York=20
theatres cast out of Chicago, Chicago theatres cast out of Milwaukee, =
and=20
Milwaukee Rep has recently fallen in love with Seattle actors.  =
It's crazy,=20
but that's the way it's done.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Roy, I think if you have some questions =
and some=20
ideas for the artistic staff of the Cleveland Play House you might want =
to give=20
them a call and ask them out to lunch.  No professional regional =
theatre=20
ever got any better by beating up the Artistic Director. It behooves the =
greater=20
Cleveland arts community to support the growth and future of the =
Cleveland Play=20
House, the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, and all of the rest with open=20
dialogue.  Uninformed criticism closes minds and closes =
wallets. =20
That's not going to help anyone.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Lisa Beth =
Allen</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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