Parabasis

Please Point Your Browsers To...

...Thanks to Parabasis columnist Anne Moore, I have discovered Antenna, a blog run out of the University of Wisconsin on all things television. It's a really, really good blog, and I highly recommend it to Parabasis readers.

Take this essay right here. It's about Miley Cyrus, something I couldn't care less about. But it held my interest and said some very smart things and covers a lot of thematically-related ground in its 1000 words. 

Anyway, check 'em out! I think you'll be pleased. 

Andrew Sullivan Continues to Steal Credit From His Employees

Andrew Sullivan maintains a blog that by any reasonable standard is partially co-written by two employees of his. But rather than call it that, he claims it is "solo-authored" and that he has two "under-bloggers". 

I think the term Sullivan is looking for is "ghost written" not "under-blogged".

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes (Part One)

 So... You might have noticed some changes around Parabasis lately. There's more writers now, and the look is different.  What's going on?

Well, dear reader, I decided it was time for a change. I've been writing Parabasis since 2003. In that time, the blog has become one of the top theatre blogs in the country, it's lead to a lot of great opportunities (including serving on Barack Obama's Arts Policy Committee) and it's been consistently a pleasure to write. 

Seven years is a long time to continue doing the same thing. Due to some life changes on my part that are decreasing my time to write (more on that in a subsequent post) along with the move away from pursuing a professional director career and, frankly, some exhaustion/boredom on my part on having so theatre- a blog (perhaps more on that in a subsequent post) has lead me, and this blog, to this moment.

And what is this moment?  Well, I've expanded the writing staff on Parabasis.  You've met two of the new writers, Ben Owen and Anne Moore already (and you'll get to know more about them soon).  There are two more writers coming on board whom you'll meet soon. We're going to be writing about a wider variety of subjects.  Some of the writers will be focusing on one subject (like Ben with comics) and some will be writing more generally.

I'm very excited about this move forward.  It feels like a big step up, and I'm humbled to have so many great writers come on board the USS Parabasis. 

Enjoy! Let me know your thoughts as things develop at parabasisnyc at gmail dot com!

Follow-Up

1. Adam R. Perlman, who used to write reviews for Backstage (and whom I wrote about here) has a new website called "What's Annoying Jews Today". It's a funny Stuff White People Like-ish bit of ole-fashioned jewish kvetching. The entry on Beyonce made me laugh out loud. 

2. Way back in 2008, I wrote a post entitled "Help a Youngin' Learn From Your Mistakes" It turns out, that youngins name was David Lawson and he has a one-man show in New York now, as part of the Frigid festival. Information can be found here. 

Sick

I have one of those headaches so bad it's making me nauseous and thus reading typeface on a monitor is kind of painful. Thus, no posting today. Which is too bad as this also means I don't think reading the section of IJ I'm on-- which is dense with medical terminology for deformities and sections of the brain- is really in the cards.

BTW

Safe to say that The Friendly Atheist is my new (to me) favorite blog.

I've discovered or gotten back into four blogs recently, The Friendly Atheist, Karl Miller's blog (that's the reconnected to, I feel like Karl maybe stopped posting for awhile and I stopped reading it or something but it's good to back!), Ta-Nehisi Coates' blog and The G Spot.  Of the four, only the last one am I a little disappointed with. Kathy G. is a formidable writer and political thinker, and I like her insights, but she's made the mistake of getting embroiled in a number of cross-blogger fights, particularly with Megan McArdle (aka McMegan, the Atlantic's resident libertarian blogger).  I agree with Kathy on pretty much every fight she's had with McMegan but seriously, blogger fights are capital-B-Boring. When she breaks out of those arguments and posts non-reactive content, the site is great. 

I heart Sadly, No!

For writing stuff like this.

Why am I not on this list?

just kidding. May I present to you:

The Fifty Most Powerful Blogs.

Thinking, Communicating, Acting, Blogging

Blogging is not "action" as we normally think of action. It is a form of communication. This communication takes as many forms as there are writers, and it is generally reflective of the individual writer's style. That is largely because bloggers don't have to conform to a "house style" or "house standards" the way writers for hire do. This is the double edged sword of blogging. I know that pretty much every blogger I have ever read has had to retract/clarify/apologize for something at some point. At the same time, this kind of direct downloading from someone's brain can provide fresher, more interesting ways of communicating.

We tend to separate communication and action into two separate activities. They are, however, intertwined. And while it is useful to remind people that concrete action is needed on top of communication, dismissing attempts to communicate because they are not in themselves action enough is counterproductive. We need people dreaming aloud, theorizing, making the case, starting the discussion just like we need people in the metaphorical streets gettin' shit done. Hopefully, some of us will do both. Perhaps the conversation/action ratio is off right now, but if it is, the answer is more action, not less conversation and more action.

No one really knows what the impact of theatre blogging is on Theatre as an art form or institution. In politics, we can look at things like dollars raised, or interviews with politicians done, or scandals created or researched and say "ah, yes, here it is! the impact!". I can explain in concrete terms how Talking Points Memo impacts politics, I cannot explain in concrete terms what Parabasis' impact on theatre is. This does not make keeping the blog pointless. If nothing else, it has connected me with my readers, and i have discovered numerous people, thinkers and artists whom I would not otherwise know. For that, I am grateful.

On a final note, one major tension that runs throughout blogging is the tension between individual and community. Blogs are not forums... they are not a group of people writing on equal terms, but rather one rather loud voice that invites commentary from other voices whose volume is turned down. I struggle with whether or not that's really the form I want my writing to take, but for now... it is. At the same time, what makes most blogs really valuable is the interplay between blogger and reader/commenter. And this tension interplays with what I was talking about earlier. Individuals don't accomplish much. Groups, on the other hand, do. And the way blogs can fit into that has to do with communicating via the individual voice into the group, hoping that something might come of it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I couldn't begin to figure out how or why or what makes the difference between those times.

Away!

I shall be away this weekend. So no blogging from me. But tune in for exclusive coverage from Denver by CGEYE! It'll be cold-tastic!

Other Blogs

I think it's important to note that while I am extremely grateful for the press attention this blog has been getting, there's a lot of really good blogs about theatre and/or written by theatre artists.  Here are just a few of the New York based blogs I visit regularly that weren't mentioned in the Time Out Chicago article. Many of these are written by friends of mine, but they became friends of mine because I admired their work here on the interweb:

Adam Szymkowicz.  He's a blogger and playwright and all around good guy. Although his posts are frequently short, they are also insightful and funny. And he's very honest about his own process and attitudes. Adam also keeps quite good track of when new theatre blogs crop up that are worth looking into.

Two Nosedive artists have blogs, Patrick Shearer's "Charlie Willis Blog" and James Comtois' Jamespeak. I am a great admirer of Nosedive.  They've figured out what kind of work they want to do and created an environment in which that work is supported and in which it can find the right audience. They work their ass off to do it, often toiliing away in less-than-ideal situations for the simple purpose of entertaining us.  Charlie Willis isn't updated nearly enough given Patrick's intelligence and insight, and pretty much every time James writes a post, I'm laughing at my cubicle by the end of it with whatever moniker he's chosen to sign off with.  For unpretentious, theatre loving musings, you can't go wrong with James' stuff.  I should also mention that when he actually posts (which is rare) Mac Rogers who appeared in and has written for Nosedive's work cannot be beat.

Jason Grote's star has been on the rise as a playwright of late, and reading his blog, it's easy to see why. He's a compelling writer with a firebrand's social conscience and an encyclopaedic knowledge of errata and ephemera to back it up.

Lucas Krech is a light designer and blogger who uses his site for a variety of things from research for his upcoming projects to discussions of philosophy and how they relate to light design. Also, gourmet coffee.

I link to Mark Armstrong pretty much every time he writes a post, but what the hey! I'll link to him again!

For the latest in the avant garde and performance art scenes, you must hie thee hither to Obscene Jester!

Matt Freeman... playwright... political thinker... funny dude. Matt was part of the second generation of theatre bloggers alongside Playgoer and many others. And I agree with Matt that it's odd whenever these articles come out that his blog isn't mentioned. It should be! Matt has a great sense of humor and writes with a good deal more reason and temperance than can usually be found on more reactive sites like... well... this one.

I have a feeling that ever since her secret identity was at-least-partially-unmasked, it's become difficult for Jaime to write about theatre in New York, although she still does from time to time. Regardless, her taste in book's is exquisite and  her charming LOLcat infested blog is not to be missed!

..Adding, check out Get The Guests.

There's a lot more out there, if you feel I've left one out, please put it in the comments!

No Double Standards!

by Mark from Mr. Excitement News

When Charles Isherwood penned the following criticism of August: Osage County, the blogosphere went crazy:

Mr. Letts is as yet more a skillful entertainer than a true visionary or a dramatic poet. “August: Osage County” is a ripsnorter full of blistering, funny dialogue, acid-etched characterizations and scenes of no-holds-barred emotional combat, but I would not say it possesses the penetrating truth or the revelatory originality of a fully achieved work of art.

Now, can you believe it, Martin Denton has come out and said the same thing!

It's extremely well-crafted, very involving and, in its singular way, a great deal of fun. Is it grand theatre? Absolutely. Is it great drama? Definitely not.
[--]
No, come to this expecting to find the author of gratuitously provoking works like Killer Joe and Bug at the top of his form, or, perhaps more accurately, in expansive form: this is a great big exciting breathless jaw-dropping adventure of a show, but—let's be honest—an entirely superficial one.

I assume that everyone who vigorously condemned Isherwood will no doubt rush to throw down against Denton. I mean, it's not like you guys would just take any opportunity to fire off anti-Isherwood posts! These sentiments must not be allowed to stand!

[Crossposted to Mr. Excitement News]

Mr. Excitement Returns!

Welcome back Mark Armstrong!

Wait a Friggin' Minute...

Welcome back MattJ? Are you teasing us? Or are you back?

Navel-Gazing QoD

Do things seem a might bit slow/quiet in the theatrosphere these days?

QoD

When has a blog entry or comment changed your mind about something substantial? What was it, and why? Could it be that blogs are not about changing minds, but about fine-tuning one's point of view?

Let's Do Something Together

I've been a-thinkin' bout this blog lately.  I'm enjoying it a great deal, largely because I'm enjoying the comments sections on my posts as much as I enjoy writing my posts.  New people seem to be writing in.  The regular What Would You Recommend feature gets people involved from all over the place etc.

I'd love to do more.  Specifically, I'd love to be able to create more opportunities for discussion here on the blog.  Some of that's going to come through how I write the posts, and thinking about comments threads when I do etc. But I think there's more opportunity (currently untapped) for us all to talk about commonly held experiences.

At first I thought... hey, it'd be great to organize a group of Parabasis readers to go see a show, and then we could talk about it on the blog. Problem... this blog is not just for readers in New York City, and while it's centered on NYC because I live and make most of my work there, I don't want it to be by/for/about NYC art and artists.

So then I thought... well, last week we generated that killer reading list, in addition there's the lists of US and international plays that Forte made.  It'd be pretty cool to do a book club.  Not like a serious commitment book club, but maybe just try it once, pick a book off that list and set a deadline to have it read by (a generous deadline) and then have a conversation together about it.  Would that interest you guys and gals?  Is there some other kind of thing you'd like to see on this site to help foster more cross-reader dialogue?

Memed Again!

Le Axelrod has created a meme and generously tagged your truly with it. Here's how it works:

The purpose of this meme is to get people talking about their passion in life. It’s called the 5/5 meme. Five questions, then pass it to five people. “Expertise” could be your profession, hobby, or area of intense interest.

If I haven’t named you specifically and you would like to do it, feel free. I’d love for everyone to answer these questions. I’ve named five just to get it going.

Remember: This is a “get to know you” meme. It’s supposed to be breezy and fun.

Here are the questions:

Name your area of expertise/interest

Theatre. Specifically directing of. But directing of also includes history/theory of. Writing of. Designing of. Acting of etc. But I like to study all those other ones. Directing's the one I do.

How did you become interested in it?

Theatre has always felt vocational to me. I can't remember a time when I wasn't going to grow up to try make a career in it. In high school, that meant acting which, for a high schooler, I was pretty good at. In college, I had a couple of experineces which made me realize that I didn't want to act anymore and I wanted to study directing. Telling my parents was akin to what I think a typical coming out conversation is like. are you sure this isn't just a phase? was actually asked of me at some point... But once they got over the shock, they've been very supportive.

How did you learn how to do it?

Watching other directors. Directing lots of plays. Being a drama major.

Who has been your biggest influence?

People I've met or worked with: Joy Zinoman, Ernie Johns, Les Waters,

People I haven't met or worked with: Peter Brook, Michael Kahn, (as a writer) Anne Bogart

What would you teach people about it?

Be as giving as possible all the time and remember that leading doesn't mean coming up with all of the ideas or having all of the answers. Nothing is going to get in your way more than your ego.

NOw I have to tag five others... eh? Okay...

Shaygo, Aaron, Noah, Terry and Ming-Zhu

Two Brief Pieces of Blog Business

(1) I am late in noting that I have recently gotten credit that I don't deserve. I did not think up the term Theatrosphere.  It was actually thought up by Dan Kois at NY Magazine as a substitute for his term "Theatre Bitchosphere" which many (including myself) found problematic.  I liked the term enough that I appropriated it.

(2) I am also late in mourning the passing of MattJ's Theatre Conversation and Political Frustration.  This is for the following reason:  I wait a week after someone says they're quitting blogging before I believe them, seeing as frquently bloggers (including Andrew Sullivan and George Hunka) flirt with the void, only to then say perhaps that really they're going to just scale back the blog only to really go back to blogging. Just when you thought you were out... we pulled you back in.  This seems to not be the case for friend, blogger and In Public stage manager MattJ, whose voice I'll miss 'round the ole sphere.

Help Wanted

Starting next week, I'll be at Lincoln Center a lot working on their blog (which I can't link to for now because it's password protected) but at the same time, I want to keep this blog up to speed. I'll be posting regularly, but I would love to take on a co-writer or two.

So... anyone out there want to write for Parabasis with me over the next month? Any interested parties should contact me at parabasisnyc at yahoo dot com so we can discuss it!

Thanks,
Isaac