April Editorial
Thu, 15 Apr 1999, 06:17 pmWalter Plinge11 posts in thread
April Editorial
Thu, 15 Apr 1999, 06:17 pmGrant,Herewith, as directed by you and yes, twice, to your question.INTERNET IMAGESAll manner of developments are taking place on the web site with no apparent end to the flow of rich ideas. Clubs have been publishing the results of auditions; theres been a number of surveys; all sorts of administrative propositions have been discussed. Its all very positive and stimulating.Contributors are increasingly giving themselves descriptive middle names, so heres old David worry-guts CrewesIn a recent E-mail Grant invited us to showcase past productions on the website and linked to a spectacular example of one of his triumphs Pitchfork Disney. The page is presented complete with flyer, logos, photos, the lot. If budding archivists from all the clubs could follow this example it would make a fascinating resource. Incidentally, Kimberley Shaw mentioned at the last Committee meeting that she was willing to enter information, provided by clubs. I think she was particularly referring to print but the ITA office has a scanner so graphics and photos are a possibility.I can't avoid coming back to the problem of copyright and the danger I mentioned last month of the easy capability of publishing defamatory or unauthorized material world wide. Weve all seen examples of posters and flyers where the design looks very similar to the one used to advertise the film of the play say. I mean VERY similar. To send out a hundred or so of them in the post to local residents is probably a breach of copyright and the owner might, if he learnt of it, consider legal action to safeguard his intellectual property. Now, if some enthusiastic web archivist scanned the said poster onto their showcase, it would be made available to millions of surfers all over the world, and the owner of the original might have a very different reaction. Just a note of caution.One suggestion, from some web readers, was that reviews of productions would be an interesting addition to the site and a few have appeared already. I was reminded of my reaction, at the first ITA Committee meeting I attended, to the suggestion that the link should carry reviews. I said over my dead body, its not the function of the ITA to be criticizing the clubs, were here to support them not make their life harder. I guess the web is a different proposition but I still worry about the potential adverse affect for negative criticism. One type of review has been widely condemned by people who have talked to me. Its what we might call the Lolita syndrome where the critic voices a negative view without having seen the show. It goes something like this: Someone told me the actors were inaudible. Not helpful! I hope we can all try to be positive. For example instead of observing that the map, which formed the backdrop for the recent, beautifully staged production of Lawrence of Arabia, was inaccurate, one could marvel at the genius of Lawrence for managing to get to Akaba at all with such a cartographical inexactitude.
Re: April Editorial
Sat, 24 Apr 1999, 10:36 pmWalter Plinge
> Hi Trevor> And how should you judge?>> i take it that was said with your tongue firmly planted in your> cheek?> The reason the internet is so wonderful is that there are no> apparent controls. This is truly an egalitairian space where everyone> has an equal voice.> And it works!> Look at the response to what some considered injudicious remarks> about a show cancellation earlier this year. The internet is a live> thing and it responds very quickly to perceived instances of abuse.>> Absolutely, and that quality will be tried and tested by the> people who choose to visit the site, read and contribute. That doesn't> happen with the same immediacy with a traditional review.> There's a conceptual shift here. Publishing a review here on> the website is, as i believe you are trying to point out, a very different> thing to putting the same thing on to paper and distributing it in> the Link magazine. Placing a review here is more like saying the same> comments in a room at a party. Some people will agree or disagree.> Others may dispute what you say, some will just simply leave the room.> But if what you are saying is worth hearing, you will be heard. Discussion> ensues, debate occurs. Word will spread and people will stop what> they are doing in other rooms at the party and come to listen and> participate.> Publishing a review in the Link is like standing at a podium> in a crowded hall and reading a lecture, no questions, no discussion,> no debate. The audience can like it or leave. Of course, in the long> term people may learn to stay away from your lectures or they may> spread the word so that your audience grows.> Thanks for your contributions on this issue, David and Trevor.> I'll be coming back for more.> Cheers> GrantI have forgotten who said it, "all publicity is good publicity" probably P.J.Barnham.I have no idea how many subscribe to this site, but from the comments, I realise nearly all are from the City. I can see how the perception is that bad publicity reduces 'bums on seats'. However, it's my experience that poor crits and the like tend to increase the curiosity and punters numbers go up. There was a case many years ago in a certain Sunday rag, where the crit's banner head line was "sick - sick - SICK" and it apparently it was - a great success and packed house's - the crit was sacked and the injured party enjoyed counting the gate.This, as has been said, is possibly a better place of review, as it is instant and not just one way, as with local media and the like.Having been in the situations where I have had to review many C V's, no where in any of them is it mentioned that "I was in it" but it was "crap" "rubbish" or "completely hopeless" - so therefore we must assume (ass-u & me) it was great, as the chances of gaining the real story is impossible. These are another one way street!!!Sorry - off again! Back to my scrible.What I have seen to date, here and other places, does not warrant or need controls, censorship or a kill switch.Sorry I have not read the 'April Editorial' - so therefore should not comment!All I can say is unfortunetly, to date, I don't think anyone has placed or built any monuments or statues to any individual theatre critics - but I could be wrong.???Joe McCabe
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