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Is this just local or .....?

Tue, 23 Mar 2010, 11:03 am
Rapunzel15 posts in thread
I have noticed, over the past few months, what might be a local phenomenon. I wonder if it is not just confined to South Australia? I fear for the future... Our theatre companies are in peril. There seem to be fewer and fewer people willing to do the hard work to actually run them. This isn't new but I'm starting to wonder if it's becoming a plague or pandemic. A recent post by a well established and long running company on our SA website is an example, see the link below. http://www.theatreguide.com.au/current_site/notices/classifieds.php Now there will always be people who are very earnest and willing but who shouldn't be let near anything resembling a committee or other organisation because they haven't a clue and wreak unwitting damage. Then there are people who shy away nervously at the thought of joining a committee, it makes them quake with fear. Others flit from company to company "I'm only interested in acting darling". There are others who become excellent apprentices and rapidly become mainstays. There are the tireless workhorses who keep the flipping thing going regardless...and these are the ones who are dying out. Which sometimes means the company will die too. Which means there will be less companies for the "flitters" to perform for, with, whatever... I'm interested, is this a local disease, a theatrical form of H1N1 striking the hard workers of theatre companies, or is it Australia wide?

I have seen a change over

Thu, 25 Mar 2010, 10:24 am

I have seen a change over the last 50 odd years, where by it used to be at least 75% of a productions cast, would help build, bump in & out a season they were in. But theses days it's leass than 0,8% who are prepared to do 'it'!

Which at times I can't blame them, as most comeatres don't worry about it untill the death knock - then panic!

Mind you in a lot of cases there is a puple circle of custodians of thier own home grown policies, that thwart any involvement of others. Also weird ideas like using box frame flats, because someone eaons ago, suggested that traditional flats can't be used on thier stage. Or we don't use Borders on stage because of the lightining &/or other pathetic inhouse imposed rules which are just as ilogical.

Further a great lack of basic staging resources, to make the job easier for even warm props to handle & not perspire over.

The greatest & cheapest reuseable resource in ameatre - is people!

So why do we make it so difficult? 

I agree with James on the workshops, however as always, as there is a heap of emperical skills here in comeatre, why are not more workshops held to accomadate the needs of ameatres.

May be this is the domain of 'Aunty' to instigate? 

Thread (15 posts)

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