[NEohioPAL]WARNING: The Economy Stinks!
Kato Buss
livchant at msn.com
Mon Mar 24 23:24:40 PST 2003
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Dear Mr Friedman,
I appreciate your comments.
The purpose of my posting was to create a dialogue and=20
judging from the length of your response I've succeeded.
I certainly wasn't passing judgement on any theatre, but=20
merely relating my own experience and posing a few questions.=20
However, if we've reached a point where we shouldn't ask questions,=20
because of the war or economy, than perhaps theatres are better off =
dark.
I'm sure your experience with Sunday in the Park with George=20
was humiliating and I wish your organization success in the future.
Incidentally, it's not Ms. Buss, it's Mr. I'm a boy.
Regards,
Kato Buss
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Martin Friedman=20
To: Kato Buss ; Neohiopal=20
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2003 6:25 PM
Subject: Re: [NEohioPAL]WARNING: The Economy Stinks!
Dear Ms. Buss,=20
In reference to your note to members of the Neohiopal and theatre =
participants everywhere, concerning the cancellations of their =
seasons....=20
As a producer/director who recently (Summer 2002) had to cancel a =
theatre production due to the changing economics, I have to wonder if =
you think producers and directors like to cancel productions. Have you =
looked around you? We are currently at war and the last thing people are =
thinking about is going to the theatre. This directly affects their =
bottom line. Non-profit or for profit, college theatre or community =
theatre, we are all in the same boat.=20
The decision to cancel a show or a season are not made lightly. Ms. =
Buss, the money to put on a show comes from individuals, corporations =
and foundations. All are under a great deal of financial stress these =
days, as are all theatre organizations. I personally believe it is =
going to get worse before it gets better. Given the choice of granting a =
small theatre company or a school system $20,000 for 'artistic =
enrichment' who do you think the Foundation, corporation or individual =
is going to make a grant to?=20
When I cancelled Sunday in the Park with George last year I positively =
outraged at least 30 people who had depended upon me for not only =
salaries but also artistic succor. It was a decision taken completely =
out of my hands. Yet, many blamed me. Indeed, while there were several =
individuals that understood the vicissitudes of the marketplace, there =
were those who did not. "That's life in the theatre," two of my Equity =
actors told me. They understood, and indeed felt worse for me than for =
themselves. I found the entire situation a humiliating experience that =
even now I am not quite over.=20
The theatres in Northeast Ohio who have had to cancels shows or parts =
of their seasons, I'm sure, are terribly dishearted and distressed at =
their decision. I can't believe that Ms. Casey or Ms. Colombi or Mr. =
Levin are very happy right now. I believe we owe them, and the other =
theatre producers/directors who have provided us with theatrical =
opportunities over the years, a great debt gratitude.=20
Yes, we love to hate their choices of casts and plays and =
interpretations but they are there for us 'theatre people.' =20
We do need to attend the theatre this weekend and next weekend. But we =
also need to understand where these producers and directors are coming =
from.=20
Martin Friedman, Ph.D. Lakeland Theatre/ John Carroll Unviversity=20
Kato Buss <livchant at msn.com> wrote:=20
Theatre artists hit by disturbing outbreak.
How many local directors, designers, technicians, and actors=20
have been affected by this spring's rash of season cancellations?
Personally, I was precast (last August) in Dobama Theatre's =
production of
Raised In Captivity, due to open mid-April, only to find out that =
Dobama has
cancelled the remainder of it's season..along with other local =
theatres.
It has left me quite disappointed and not necessarily due to the =
loss of revenue.
As any non-union actor can tell you the flat-fee at local theatres =
hardly covers
post-show libation. I'm far more disappointed in the loss of =
creative work.
I understand there are many facets to operating a theatre and the =
decision to
"close the doors" is not an easy one. However, if I may be so bold =
as to pose
a question. Does the artistic staff and board of directors of a =
theatre, who select
a season, hire a production staff for each play, and as in my case, =
precast actors
months-and-months in advance, rely on the general pubic to fulfill =
their season?
Finally, at the risk of sounding political, could there be a worse =
time for theatres to go dark?
Has there ever been a time in recent history when our country needed =
the voice of theatre?
And to quote a "Frenchman" (in an act of utter diplomatic irony):
=20
"The Theatre must give us everything that is crime, love, war, =
or madness,
if it wants to recover it's necessity. It is no wonder the =
Great Public looks=20
to the movies for violent satisfactions, whose intentions do =
not deceive them."
oh screw it..SPIDERMAN IV opens this weekend..popcorn anyone?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
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<DIV>Dear Mr Friedman,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I appreciate your comments.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The purpose of my posting was to create a dialogue and </DIV>
<DIV>judging from the length of your response I've succeeded.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I certainly wasn't passing judgement on any theatre, but =
</DIV>
<DIV>merely relating my own experience and posing a few questions. =
</DIV>
<DIV>However, if we've reached a point where we shouldn't ask questions, =
</DIV>
<DIV>because of the war or economy, than perhaps theatres are better off =
dark.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I'm sure your experience with <STRONG>Sunday in the Park with=20
George</STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV>was humiliating and I wish your organization success in the =
future.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Incidentally, it's not <STRONG>Ms.</STRONG> Buss, it's =
<STRONG>Mr. =20
</STRONG> I'm a boy.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Regards,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Kato Buss</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>From:</B> <A =
title=3Dmartinfriedman98 at yahoo.com=20
href=3D"mailto:martinfriedman98 at yahoo.com">Martin Friedman</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=3Dlivchant at msn.com =
href=3D"mailto:livchant at msn.com">Kato Buss</A> ; <A=20
title=3Dneohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com=20
href=3D"mailto:neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com">Neohiopal</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, March 21, 2003 =
6:25=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: =
[NEohioPAL]WARNING: The=20
Economy Stinks!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<P>Dear Ms. Buss,=20
<P>In reference to your note to members of the Neohiopal and theatre=20
participants everywhere, concerning the cancellations of their =
seasons....=20
<P>As a producer/director who recently (Summer 2002) had to =
cancel a=20
theatre production due to the changing economics, I have to wonder if =
you=20
think producers and directors <EM>like</EM> to cancel productions. =
Have you=20
looked around you? We are currently at war and the last thing people =
are=20
thinking about is going to the theatre. This directly affects their =
bottom=20
line. Non-profit or for profit, college theatre or community theatre, =
we are=20
all in the same boat.=20
<P>The decision to cancel a show or a season are not made =
lightly. Ms.=20
Buss, the money to put on a show comes from individuals, corporations=20
and foundations. All are under a great deal of financial stress =
these=20
days, as are all theatre organizations. I personally =
believe it is=20
going to get worse before it gets better. Given the choice of granting =
a small=20
theatre company or a school system $20,000 for 'artistic=20
enrichment' who do you think the Foundation, corporation or=20
individual is going to make a grant to?=20
<P>When I cancelled <STRONG>Sunday in the Park with George</STRONG> =
last year=20
I positively outraged at least 30 people who had depended upon me =
for not=20
only salaries but also artistic succor. It was a decision taken =
completely out=20
of my hands. Yet, many blamed me. Indeed, while there =
were=20
several individuals that understood the vicissitudes of the =
marketplace, there=20
were those who did not. "That's life in the =
theatre," two of=20
my Equity actors told me. They understood, and indeed felt =
worse for=20
me than for themselves. I found the entire situation a =
humiliating=20
experience that even now I am not quite over.=20
<P>The theatres in Northeast Ohio who have had to cancels shows =
or parts=20
of their seasons, I'm sure, are terribly dishearted and =
distressed at=20
their decision. I can't believe that Ms. Casey or Ms. Colombi or =
Mr.=20
Levin are very happy right now. I believe we owe them, and the =
other=20
theatre producers/directors who have provided us with theatrical=20
opportunities over the years, a great debt gratitude.=20
<P>Yes, we love to hate their choices of casts and plays and =
interpretations=20
but they are there for us 'theatre people.' =20
<P>We do need to attend the theatre this weekend and next weekend. But =
we also=20
need to understand where these producers and directors are coming =
from.=20
<P>Martin Friedman, Ph.D. Lakeland Theatre/ John Carroll Unviversity=20
<P> <B><I>Kato Buss <livchant at msn.com></I></B> wrote:=20
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px =
solid">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1141" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
<DIV><EM>Theatre artists hit by disturbing outbreak.</EM></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>How many local directors, designers, technicians, and actors =
</DIV>
<DIV>have been <EM>affected</EM> by this spring's rash of season=20
cancellations?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Personally, I was precast (last August) in Dobama Theatre's =
production=20
of</DIV>
<DIV><EM>Raised In Captivity</EM>, due to open mid-April, only to =
find out=20
that Dobama has</DIV>
<DIV>cancelled the remainder of it's season=85.along with other =
local=20
theatres.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It has left me quite disappointed and not necessarily due to =
the loss=20
of revenue.</DIV>
<DIV>As any non-union actor can tell you the flat-fee at local =
theatres=20
hardly covers</DIV>
<DIV>post-show libation. I'm far more disappointed in the loss of =
creative=20
work.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I understand there are many facets to operating a theatre and =
the=20
decision to</DIV>
<DIV>"close the doors" is not an easy one. However, if I may be so =
bold as=20
to pose</DIV>
<DIV>a question. Does the artistic staff and board of directors of a =
theatre, who select</DIV>
<DIV>a season, hire a production staff for each play, and as in my =
case,=20
precast actors</DIV>
<DIV>months-and-months in advance, rely on the general pubic =
to fulfill=20
their season?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Finally, at the risk of sounding political, could there be a =
worse time=20
for theatres to go dark?</DIV>
<DIV>Has there ever been a time in recent history when our country =
needed=20
the voice of theatre?</DIV>
<DIV>And to quote a "Frenchman" (in an act of utter diplomatic =
irony):</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> "The Theatre must give us everything =
that is=20
crime, love, war, or madness,</DIV>
<DIV> if it wants to recover it's =
necessity. It=20
is no wonder the Great Public looks </DIV>
<DIV> to the movies for violent =
satisfactions, whose=20
intentions do not deceive them."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>oh screw it=85.SPIDERMAN IV opens this weekend=85.popcorn=20
anyone?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><BR>
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Do you Yahoo!?<BR><A=20
=
href=3D"http://rd.yahoo.com/platinum/evt=3D8162/*http://platinum.yahoo.co=
m/splash.html">Yahoo!=20
Platinum</A> - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, <A=20
=
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m/splash.html">live=20
on your desktop</A>!</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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