Of All The Stupid Ideas!!!
Mon, 26 Apr 2004, 04:57 pmAHarwood8 posts in thread
Of All The Stupid Ideas!!!
Mon, 26 Apr 2004, 04:57 pmLadies and Gentlemen - and the rest of you (you know who you are).
Over the last few months I have received paperwork from a certain group disucssing plans for a new theatre sturcture in Perth. There have also been discussions about whether to place an already established company or develop a new company to take up residence in this theatre. I may not be fully informed on the current situation or the details but I have my soap box and its about time it got some airing.
I believe in a vote held at a meeting the majority of the attendents believed we should migrate an already established company into the new building. I am here to say "I TELL YOU NO!"
I have just finished working on what might be my 64th or something near that production. Some of you may have seen it - no one really wrote a review on it - and some of you might not. But those that did would have seen the talent in this company.
They were - in my opinion - absolutely brilliant.
I am well aware that every show in Perth, even the world, requires dedication, commitment and effort. And I know it has been there in almost every show I have been involved in. But never so much as in this group of fine people.
They put their hearts, time and lives into this show as so many people around Perth do.
But the thing that stood out in this show was the lack of back biting, bitchiness, competition, hate and malice. There was none of this usually obligatory rubbish going on behind the scenes. They got together and worked, became friends and it rocked my world. And I think it goes without saying - but I will - that it has been one of the most gratifying experiences in my theatrical life. I will genuinely miss th cast, the show and the experience.
And the funny thing.. despite all the shows I've done and seen, I had never met over half the cast before. And yet they have so many talents and strengths.
Why should a group of actors who have already established a company and most of the professional companies in perth have a venue already - be moved into a new venue when there are so many damned talented actors, singers and dancers out there with only the odd community theatre show to get involved in?
I am sick and tired of all the shows coming from the east or over seas and thinking we could do a hell of a lot better than that. (with exception of Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack). So why not give the people out there who are not permanent members of a company a go and have a company in the venue that is open to auditions to the whole public much like community theatre is and advertised on a wide scale as that. There is a hell of a lot of untapped talent in this state and its about time it got seen.
I am only going to be in Perth for a few more months but I am only leaving because there are too few opportunities here. But I WILL BE BACK TO HELP MAKE PERTH BETTER FOR THE THEATRE PEOPLE! Its just getting stupid now so I will stop. But I wish everyone in perth luck with theatre cos we're better than that imported crap we've been getting of late. Maybe we SHOULD start touring over there and show we are better than them. But that will have to wait till we have the money and the balls to do it:)
Take care everyone!!
Anthony
[%sig%]
Over the last few months I have received paperwork from a certain group disucssing plans for a new theatre sturcture in Perth. There have also been discussions about whether to place an already established company or develop a new company to take up residence in this theatre. I may not be fully informed on the current situation or the details but I have my soap box and its about time it got some airing.
I believe in a vote held at a meeting the majority of the attendents believed we should migrate an already established company into the new building. I am here to say "I TELL YOU NO!"
I have just finished working on what might be my 64th or something near that production. Some of you may have seen it - no one really wrote a review on it - and some of you might not. But those that did would have seen the talent in this company.
They were - in my opinion - absolutely brilliant.
I am well aware that every show in Perth, even the world, requires dedication, commitment and effort. And I know it has been there in almost every show I have been involved in. But never so much as in this group of fine people.
They put their hearts, time and lives into this show as so many people around Perth do.
But the thing that stood out in this show was the lack of back biting, bitchiness, competition, hate and malice. There was none of this usually obligatory rubbish going on behind the scenes. They got together and worked, became friends and it rocked my world. And I think it goes without saying - but I will - that it has been one of the most gratifying experiences in my theatrical life. I will genuinely miss th cast, the show and the experience.
And the funny thing.. despite all the shows I've done and seen, I had never met over half the cast before. And yet they have so many talents and strengths.
Why should a group of actors who have already established a company and most of the professional companies in perth have a venue already - be moved into a new venue when there are so many damned talented actors, singers and dancers out there with only the odd community theatre show to get involved in?
I am sick and tired of all the shows coming from the east or over seas and thinking we could do a hell of a lot better than that. (with exception of Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack). So why not give the people out there who are not permanent members of a company a go and have a company in the venue that is open to auditions to the whole public much like community theatre is and advertised on a wide scale as that. There is a hell of a lot of untapped talent in this state and its about time it got seen.
I am only going to be in Perth for a few more months but I am only leaving because there are too few opportunities here. But I WILL BE BACK TO HELP MAKE PERTH BETTER FOR THE THEATRE PEOPLE! Its just getting stupid now so I will stop. But I wish everyone in perth luck with theatre cos we're better than that imported crap we've been getting of late. Maybe we SHOULD start touring over there and show we are better than them. But that will have to wait till we have the money and the balls to do it:)
Take care everyone!!
Anthony
[%sig%]
Re: Not stupid, perhaps mis-interpreted?
Wed, 28 Apr 2004, 04:37 pmGÂ’day Anthony
I applaud your zest in getting up and speakingÂ…but there might be a few details that perhaps need clarifying.
>>"Â…..Over the last few months I have received paperwork from a certain group discussing plans for a new theatre structure in Perth. There have also been discussions about whether to place an already established company or develop a new company to take up residence in this theatre. "
Yes, there is a commitment from the state government to construct a new state-of-the-art theatre performance venue in the next few years. This is partly because some venues like the Subiaco Theatre Centre and the Playhouse are due to be de-commissioned as theatres and possibly torn down. The industry is trying to plan the best way to effect this transition. Check the ArtsWA website for more information. They are initiating the discussion with the WA Govt. There have been many professional artists invited to submit ideas and attend discussions. After all, we are talking about a new PROFESSIONAL venue, built and funded by government to be a flagship venue.
Community theatre HAS been a part of the discussion, as major events like this are going to effect everyone, and production houses like the Blue Room work closely with the amateur sector through co-ops.
>>" Why should a group of actors who have already established a company and most of the professional companies in perth have a venue already - be moved into a new venue when there are so many damned talented actors, singers and dancers out there with only the odd community theatre show to get involved in?"
I appreciate your sentiments about the group of people you have recently worked with. I’ve felt the same about almost every other cast I’ve worked with also, especially if we’d not known each other previously. But your premise is wrong. When they talk here about an established ‘company’ they are talking about a company STRUCTURE (ie artistic directors, management, technicians) who would inhabit the building….not a company of actors.
In my mind there are great benefits to having an ensemble of performers resident in a company, but general sentiment (including a poll I posted last year on this website) doesnÂ’t see that as particularly high priority.
There actually arenÂ’t too many groups of performers in Perth who have established a professional company Â…Bizircus is the only one that springs to mindÂ…where an ensemble is identified as BEING the company. Likewise, there are virtually no companies that really have full control over their venueÂ…it is almost all managed by the Perth Theatre Trust on behalf of the government; the companies have to rent/hire the theatre spaces, same as anyone else does.
So during the discussions with government about what would be desirable for a new theatre venue, it became apparent that we want it to be controlled by a resident companyÂ…not an auspicing body. Rather than create such a company from scratch, it makes sense that a currently operating structure be set up in the new venueÂ…although this is still under debate (who; how; what happens to the existing status quo..?).
But no, performers would still audition for shows, same as they always have with all the companies. There is no talk of preference to any particular group of artistsÂ…that is a mis-interpretation .
Your second post sounded like you fear that the venue will be tenanted by a company not from Perth..? IÂ’m pretty sure this is not anyoneÂ’s intention and is not at all likely to happen. However, your vision of a community theatre group, or group of actors currently without a venue, becoming resident of the new theatre venue is also not at all likely to happen.
As far as Perth competing with the rest of the countryÂ…only yesterday I visited the Sydney Theatre Company at their venue, the Wharf Theatre, and just walking down the corridor of past shows you realise what a wealth of talent has been a part of making this company the flagship of Australia. Perth needs a venue of similar prestige, and then a state flagship company operating its programme, before we can even hope to competeÂ…regardless of the individual talents involved onstage.
Hope this clears some things.
Cheers,
Craig
[%sig%]
- ···