Last night, me and a bunch of other fools watched a song cycle by Portland’s Hand2Mouth Theater (based on the myth of Undine, occasionally feeling like a Regina Spektor/Tori Amos lounge show—and I don’t mean that as an insult). Then I loosely captaineered a discussion about the state of theater and making new works vs. putting new eyes on old works (doing more Ibsen, etc.).
Sounds boring, doesn’t it?
But it wasn’t. We had Jen Zeyl and Paul Mullin and some other barnburners in the house. People drank and talked and got mad. Certain persons told other persons they were sellouts. Latter persons told former persons they had mortgages to pay. Former persons told latter persons they had mortgages to pay and managed not to sell out and to fuck off. I told everyone to be polite or shut up. Nobody did. Then there was a knife fight. I won.
We’re going to go another round tonight—with a whole new crop of folks, so maybe it’ll be boring.
Or maybe not.
Eight pm, Theater off Jackson. May I suggest Tsukushinbo for dinner beforehand? Plus, there’s this to-do about Bart Sher.
“Captaineered” is suddenly my least favorite word.
“Sellout?” Jesus. I thought 12 year olds were too young to drink legally.
Ah, fiction. You really are its master, Kiley.
What? You don’t remember the knife fight? Or had you blacked out by that time?
I remember the knife fight. It’s the expression “sell-out” that I haven’t heard since my 80’s garage punk band days.
So, really this was just pretty much the same as any other typical evening of theatre people getting together?
Sounds like I didn’t miss anything…
Fools talking about theater is much preferable than fools talking IN the theater…
I resemble those 80s garage punk band days …
I’m sorry to have missed it – but really, Friday and Saturday nights are not the best time for people who, you know, are actually producing work.
I know it wasn’t your choice Brendan – I’m just suggesting that next time Sunday afternoon?
And if anyone is paying their mortgage with theatre money – my hat’s off to them.
I was sorry to have to miss the discussions; but honestly, my interest is primarily in keeping venues open. And that doesn’t seem to be a primary concern for most artists.