I Want To Make Something Really Clear

As a follow up on everything we've talking about here...

I don't hate institutions. i don't want them to go away. I don't want to blow them up. I want them to do their jobs better and in ways that are healthier for theatre in America.  I also want to be taken seriously by them, both as an artist and as a thinker.  I am not on any level a revolutionary, I'm a reformer. And, ultimately, I'm a pragmatist.  I do think that having big, even pie-in-the-sky ideas is a good thing, but I am ultimately concerned with how can we most effectively make things better in this country for theatre, and some of those changes have to come outside of theatre entirely (This would be the arts advocacy part of what I do), changes from funders or civic leaders etc. And some of those changes have to come from within theatre.

I was thinking some more about David Dower's post that I link to below... And where I said that institutions, should they choose to act for the good could have larger impacts and where I felt the burden was on them. I want to give one example:

One major problem facing theatre right now is the lack of opportunities for actors of color.  It's one that I feel very personally, and one I am committed to working to solve.  I don't think I've directed a play (other than The Last Five Years, but I was a replacement director on that) since 2003 that didn't have at least one actor of color in it.  Great, so there's a personal thing I can do to help make this slightly better.  Personal Virtue, as its called, is important. It's important to have Cap And Trade and for people to use less energy. It's important to have better regulations w/r/t agriculture and for people to eat less meat, and eat organic food.  (For more on this, read Michael Pollan'sa paean to personal virtue here).

But at the same time, it's worth noting that while it's important on some level that I work to cast actors of color, it's also very important that larger theaters that can give actors more money, more exposure and different opportunities work to cast more actors of color. So while I myself am making my personal casting decisions, I'm also looking around at the all-white casts (and all-white seasons) of theaters and complaining about it because I think it's scandalous (or should be).  Doing both of these things is important.  One is an example of looking up from my desk and trying to do what I can to affect change in theatre using the means I have control over.  The other is most definitely not. But they're both valuable.

Comments

[David]

Always good to read what you're thinking, Isaac. To the extent you felt implicated in the stuff I'm thinking, that's not what I intend in the least. I appreciate that you put in the effort you are putting in, that you are both kicking up dust and working at solutions. As you say-- both are important.

(It's funny. To read your post makes me think I come off as that teacher who always lectures the people in their chairs when the bell rints about how important it is to show up on time. The people who need to hear the story aren't the ones in earshot...)

I completely agree that the people working in the context of the institutions of the American theater have the same opportunity and burden to engage the problems as the people working outside that context.

I think we also agree that the problems will be solved by people in action. The dissent is a burr, a catalyst for action or a disincentive to slide into complacency. So, it's not that I think there's not a place for complaint. I just think there's an equal place for praise and that either thing only has value if we're engaged in solving problems.

Which, for the record, I think this blog is doing. And one of the reasons I wanted to engage 99's call for a defense of institutions was to keep moving the conversations you guys are having forward.

Do I have no critique for myself or my colleagues working in the institutional context? Not in the least. But the call there was for someone to take the other end of the rope and pull. And seeing no other volunteers, I'm happy to hold the line a while.