tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902716.post5199615246057203341..comments2024-02-22T01:36:48.427-08:00Comments on On Theatre and Politics - Matthew Freeman: IdeasFreemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01183078884824734105noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902716.post-65926350819380879942009-02-24T11:24:00.000-08:002009-02-24T11:24:00.000-08:00David -Glad there's some discussion there. I don't...David -<BR/><BR/>Glad there's some discussion there. I don't know much about how health plans must be administered by unions, but I do know there was a recent (as in a few years ago) extension of the number of weeks actors must work Equity jobs in order to be insured. So those rules aren't entirely rigid. I'm no expert. Perhaps as opposed to giving prorated to weeks to the actors, you simply asked small companies to contribute to that particular fund. If they alleviate the burden for Equity, Equity compensates with a new code that works better for actors in NY.<BR/><BR/>Not sure...but I do know there has to be something offered from the producers side that appears to benefit actors (or Actor's Equity) in another way, if we can't afford more money in weekly pay.Freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01183078884824734105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902716.post-33107116110731667122009-02-23T12:07:00.000-08:002009-02-23T12:07:00.000-08:00I've circulated your blog with ideas from the ...I've circulated your blog with ideas from the community meeting (you & John Clancy) around the office, Freeman. Good stuff, although not sure if the pro rated health weeks would fly - simply because AEA is subject to all the fed laws & regulations that come with being a union. What you advocate sounds really interesting - but in reality may be a nightmare to administer, or simply not be permissible under the law.David Johnstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11757746662824867452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902716.post-18833004112134072502009-02-21T12:55:00.000-08:002009-02-21T12:55:00.000-08:00I wonder if you implement #3 if you'll end up comp...I wonder if you implement #3 if you'll end up competing with yourself. On the other hand, if I like a play, I might want to see three different productions of it. If I don't though, I won't want to see any of them. It reminds me of when Chuch Mee had Big Love, True Love and First Love all up at the same time. (I think those are the titles.) Or Johnna's trilogy that just went up this summer. Maybe that is more the way to go.Adam Szymkowiczhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10195622524268234675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902716.post-67973851589788401262009-02-19T13:47:00.000-08:002009-02-19T13:47:00.000-08:00I fully intend to bring that checklist/questionnai...I fully intend to bring that checklist/questionnaire to a theatre I'm a member at and see how it goes. We really need to start thinking about different ways to revitalize our community.99https://www.blogger.com/profile/11955916620902994495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902716.post-82239749231046649802009-02-19T12:54:00.000-08:002009-02-19T12:54:00.000-08:00I completely respect how overburdened everyone is ...I completely respect how overburdened everyone is and it's not my intention to say "Hey! Why isn't this done already? Start digging!"<BR/><BR/>I think we all know how hard this all is. I am, for example, writing this from a cubicle at my salary day job. I try, like everyone else, to balance immovable objects and irresistible forces.<BR/><BR/>That doesn't mean we shouldn't try (in my small way, in the way John Clancy thinks big, for example) to do what's hard, to hope for the hard things to be overcome. This isn't criticism of the over-extended; it's just my way of helping and hoping.<BR/><BR/>I hope you'll take it as such.Freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01183078884824734105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902716.post-17382261621756801002009-02-19T12:35:00.000-08:002009-02-19T12:35:00.000-08:00Matt, you really have some terrific Ideas, and I’m...Matt, you really have some terrific Ideas, and I’m glad that you brought up the National Play Production thingy, cuz it really reminds me of just how useless Ideas are until the talk results in Action.<BR/><BR/>Don’t get me wrong, I believe that Talk is vital to our community’s growth, and I hope that you’ll talk more about just how hard it is to execute the Ideas that you’re proposing. I believe that things like this are even harder for theater folks than it is in other careers, cuz we already have to be so diversified just to cobble together a life and career.<BR/><BR/>1. Don’t almost all local artists work some day-job to pay the rent – at least 40 hrs/wk?<BR/>2. Don’t many that you’re addressing run a theater company, which takes more time than god provided?<BR/>3. Don’t most theater folk wanna do their own art more than anything? Writing, directing, acting – any one of which takes so much time.<BR/>4. And still, don’t most artists wanna have a real life, too (esp’ if ya sacrificed having a family for your art)?<BR/><BR/>So, Showcase Reform or any other community involvement starts as the 5th priority at the very highest, but already there is no time remaining. Where are the resources (not money, Time) to turn your Ideas into Action?<BR/><BR/>Also, much of what you’re saying needs to be done is already being done, and even if it’s still not enough, I wonder if your “myopic apartment dweller and internet lazybones” is just not seeing it. Just on my end, I know that I and members of my company as well as Aisling Arts recently spent the day painting the lobby floor of the new Dixon Place. Funeralogues is still using lights I went and got out of our storage months ago. My company was part of hooking up Theater Askew with their recent production of Cornbury. I helped Culture Connection with their recent Roar, and my partners and I often provide producing advice to other groups, including Mad Shag Prod’s and Concrete Temple’s recent The Whale. I’m on the Archives Committee for Judson Church, helping them preserve their theater material. I am on AEA’s OOB committee and 2 LIT committees (one of which met a couple of nights ago and only 2 other people showed up). I keep up with the LCT Directors Lab and try to help Paul Adam’s Artistic Director’s forum when I can. One of my partners is on the Board of ART/NY, and the other is currently helping with Drama League awards. A we are each on Boards of other theater companies. On top of all that, we feel it’s really important to actually show up to see the work of our peers – that’s at least a couple of nights a week.<BR/><BR/>Producers learn after a few meltdowns that whenever someone says, “I know what you should do, you should….” (and we all hear it often), the only reply is, “You’re so right; you should head that up for us.” It’s the only way to move Talk to Action, cuz Talk without Action is eventually depressing.<BR/><BR/>Comments like yours always make me wonder what that person is doing for the community, so feel free to share how you have addressed your sage advice to the rest of us. I know that we all are doing more than is humanly possible, so I hope you’ll reflect that more in posts as you encourage us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com