[NEohioPAL]Re: Smoking

[Lori Cahan-Simon]

Which brings up a salient talking point here.  Since the law has passed
I have performed in at least one venue that has had the signs
prominently posted, but has just as prominently ignored them and allows
the patrons to smoke voluminously.  If I had been a customer I would
have complained and then left, but as I was getting paid by them I kept
my mouth shut with much difficulty.  I imagine those on this list in
the same situation have not said anything either.

If you have, what was the response?  I would imagine not to be asked bac=
k.

I am one of those allergic to smoke and have had to endure it for most
of my working life, although it is certainly better than 20 years ago
when it seemed that everyone smoked and the air in the clubs was so
thick with smoke that you could hardly see sometimes.  I won't bore you
again with the details of how it affects me, but I can't tell you how
thrilled I am when I go into a restaurant or club that has banned
smoking, even though some customers complain.  I understand that they
get used to it.


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-- "Scott Spence" <scotts at beckcenter.org> wrote:
There is little doubt that this is a touchy matter. And it's not just
because of the newly passed state law-----it's been a nerve ending
topic for some time. As a producer, I have been all to aware of the
stage smoking issues, and have tried to react as sensatively as
possible. For several seasons now I have made my "to smoke or not to
smoke" decisions based on several factors. The two largest factors are
(in no particular order)"importance to the production" and "audience
proximity". Having two venues of different sizes, we can run into quite
a few variables. Michael mentioned EQUUS specifically, so I begin
there. It was not before a ton of debate and conversation that a final
decision was made. At odds were the director's compelling argument that
this "communing" moment was crucial, and the newly passed law (yet to
be truly enforced until caviats, if any, are in place later this
spring). When smoking happens here, and letters are sent, "I" am the
one that gets them. And in the past, audiences have spared no trees in
writing. It has caused me to carefully consider each director's request
on a case-by-case basis. More often then not---I say no. Smoking in
groups for "ambiance" or "period establishment" does not provide a
strong enough argument. However....where ARE productions like (as Tony
said) "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and "Agnes of God" to live and
thrive if we don't have some caviat laws in place. We managed to pull
of the latter nicely in our Studio several seasons back, but not
without first investing in a filtration system that drew the smoke up
and out of the room. Without going on further---I think commen sense
must rule the day here. Those who have said that generous postings
should abound in lobbys and box offices could not be more correct. It's
all about getting the info to the audience to let them make informed
decisions. When we did that with EQUUS, we got not one single complaint
about the smoking---and that was a first for us.

Warmly,

Scott Spence
Beck Center =


-----Original Message-----
From: neohiopal-admin at lists.fredsternfeld.com
[mailto:neohiopal-admin at lists.fredsternfeld.com]On Behalf Of Michael D
Sepesy
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 7:40 AM
To: neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com
Subject: [NEohioPAL]Re: Smoking


The debate about smoking has gotten somewhat out of hand.  While I
dislike cigarette smoke, am in fact allergic to it, and applaud recent
laws that ban smoking from public places -- especially bars and night
clubs where the quantity of smoke could in fact be injurious, the notion=

that a limited number of cigarettes for a short span of time is
physically harmful shows a lack of understanding of why cigarettes are
dangerous.  Recently, a British study listed alcohol and cigarettes as
two of the top 5 most dangerous drugs around.  (I'm curious as to whethe=
r
people vehement about cigarettes are also nondrinkers.)  Cigarettes were=

listed above marijuana in terms of the damage the cause.  :Looking at th=
e
issue more closely, however, one can see that cigarettes are so
destructive because people use them every day.  No one smokes 4 packs of=

marijuana cigarettes a day--that substance is used mostly recreationally=
,
even by habitual users.  The smoking habit is the problem, as is living
around someone who has the habit.  Smoking for two months for a show wil=
l
not cause cancer.  any of the celebrities mentioned in a previous email
were habitual smokers (John Wayne was also exposed to radiation during
his film about Genghis Khan, a project that resulted in many cancer
deaths later, and so his case may not be completely attributable to
cigarettes).

That being said, during the Beck Center's excellent production of Equus,=

Dan Folino puffed voluminous clouds of cigarette smoke into the air.  A
note in the program explained why the decision was made to have real
cigarettes on stage.  However, while I didn't fear for my life or the
actor's the act was simply obnoxious.  Theaters will generally go to
great lengths to avoid annoying their patrons.  That's why you don't see=

many all-farting productions of Guys and Dolls.  Bang and Clatter's
production of Griller  featured a character who urinates all over an
outdoor grill.  Quite frankly, I didn't mind that the actor didn't use
real urine, or that his plastic false male member was visibly a
simulation.  In that company's subsequent version of Red Light Winter,
the use of an herbal substitute for a joint was perfectly acceptable, an=
d
no one felt cheated that two of the characters did not actually have
sexual intercourse.  (I don't know how the actors themselves felt, but I=

imagine they were okay with it.)

Tony Brown is wrong to suggest that smoking might be covered under one's=

right to free speech.  Simulation occurs on stage all the time.  We don'=
t
expect real houses on stage or real automobiles.  It's ill advised to ru=
n
a real chainsaw in performance and spew gasoline exhaust into the air,
regardless of whether or not the act would constitute a health hazard. =

People use fake knives, prop guns, costumes pinned together to look like=

authentic period clothing, iced tea instead of alcohol, stinky herbs
instead of marijuana, etc., etc.  Smoking in and of itself is not some
pure act that must only be performed in its pristine genuine state in
order to provide a show with suitable authenticity.  Murder and birth ar=
e
much more important acts and are done artificially all the time.  If an
audience can accept two guys sitting on folding chairs and one guy
steering with a pie plate as an acceptable substitute for driving a car,=

crowds would perfectly accept an unlit cigarette to indicate that someon=
e
is smoking.  Smoking, while not necessarily harmful, is quite simply an
annoyance that may be simulated without a great loss to a show's artisti=
c
integrity.
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