For a year, a friend of mine worked at a theater that I often frequented. Throughout the course of the season, there were shows that I loved and also shows I found lacking. When I liked a show, my friend and I would talk about it with excitement and joy and relish a friendship where theater is one of the things we have in common.
When I didn't like it, however, I would get something like this as a response:
"Well, I think it's important to be supportive of theater."
Unfortunately, after one season working at a theater, my friend had turned into one of those lovely people who believe that all theater--good, bad, or awful--should be unconditionally praised and encouraged, even if it devalues the meaning of "good theater."
I wasn't all that surprised.
It seems that lately a qualification for working at a theater is to act as you would working at a public relations firm. In other words, no matter what sort of product you put out, you're supposed to stand by it to the end even when it's clear you misfired.
I find this whole "drinking the Kool-aid" trend really disturbing.
A crucial part of art is criticism and feedback. If we remove those from the process, we're liable to wind up with a noticeable lack of artistic progress.
That may seem like common sense, but I don't know many people who wouldn't get fired from their jobs if they said they didn't like the product the company was putting out. That's understandable, but the problem is that it's a business-oriented way of thinking, and artistic business have to think differently than that. We're in the business for the art, not the art for the business.
There's a great book called "Imagine" by Jonah Lehrer about how creativity works. In the book, he profiles Pixar, and how a huge part of the company's success comes from it's willingness to be critical of itself and the work it does. If someone feels that the substance or quality is dropping, they say something.
(And yet they produced Cars 2...Well, nobody's perfect.)
Nowadays, those of us in the artistic community are scared to speak up if we didn't like a show even if we don't work at the theater, because we're afraid it may wind up costing us a future job there.
When did speaking your mind in an artistic community become a bad idea? Isn't freedom of expression one of the pillars of what it is we're all supposed to be doing?
Another friend of mine who's worked at a theater for years actually got into an argument with me when I tried to pin her down about the last show her theater did that she felt was subpar.
"I really can't think of one."
Keep in mind, she'd worked at the theater for almost a decade.
"You really can't think of one show in ten years that just didn't live up to expectations?"
"No."
I was about to ask if she watched the shows with actual blinders on, like some sort of racehorse, but I bit my tongue--and then I went ahead and said it anyway.
This cheerleader attitude is trickling down to the individual level. I know some actors who will start raving about how great a show they're in is going to be before the ink is even dry on the cast list. They think appearing as some sort of demented theatrical mascot will help their chances of continuing to get in shows.
What happened to your talent keeping you working instead of blind enthusiasm?
The whole situation unnerves me. I'm not saying we should see less theater. Good or bad, all forms of art teach you something. What I'm saying is that we have to continue to let theater be intellectually stimulating, and that happens when we process what we've seen and come up with a thoughtful opinion about it.
Otherwise, heck, we might as well just watch tv.
When I didn't like it, however, I would get something like this as a response:
"Well, I think it's important to be supportive of theater."
Unfortunately, after one season working at a theater, my friend had turned into one of those lovely people who believe that all theater--good, bad, or awful--should be unconditionally praised and encouraged, even if it devalues the meaning of "good theater."
I wasn't all that surprised.
It seems that lately a qualification for working at a theater is to act as you would working at a public relations firm. In other words, no matter what sort of product you put out, you're supposed to stand by it to the end even when it's clear you misfired.
I find this whole "drinking the Kool-aid" trend really disturbing.
A crucial part of art is criticism and feedback. If we remove those from the process, we're liable to wind up with a noticeable lack of artistic progress.
That may seem like common sense, but I don't know many people who wouldn't get fired from their jobs if they said they didn't like the product the company was putting out. That's understandable, but the problem is that it's a business-oriented way of thinking, and artistic business have to think differently than that. We're in the business for the art, not the art for the business.
There's a great book called "Imagine" by Jonah Lehrer about how creativity works. In the book, he profiles Pixar, and how a huge part of the company's success comes from it's willingness to be critical of itself and the work it does. If someone feels that the substance or quality is dropping, they say something.
(And yet they produced Cars 2...Well, nobody's perfect.)
Nowadays, those of us in the artistic community are scared to speak up if we didn't like a show even if we don't work at the theater, because we're afraid it may wind up costing us a future job there.
When did speaking your mind in an artistic community become a bad idea? Isn't freedom of expression one of the pillars of what it is we're all supposed to be doing?
Another friend of mine who's worked at a theater for years actually got into an argument with me when I tried to pin her down about the last show her theater did that she felt was subpar.
"I really can't think of one."
Keep in mind, she'd worked at the theater for almost a decade.
"You really can't think of one show in ten years that just didn't live up to expectations?"
"No."
I was about to ask if she watched the shows with actual blinders on, like some sort of racehorse, but I bit my tongue--and then I went ahead and said it anyway.
This cheerleader attitude is trickling down to the individual level. I know some actors who will start raving about how great a show they're in is going to be before the ink is even dry on the cast list. They think appearing as some sort of demented theatrical mascot will help their chances of continuing to get in shows.
What happened to your talent keeping you working instead of blind enthusiasm?
The whole situation unnerves me. I'm not saying we should see less theater. Good or bad, all forms of art teach you something. What I'm saying is that we have to continue to let theater be intellectually stimulating, and that happens when we process what we've seen and come up with a thoughtful opinion about it.
Otherwise, heck, we might as well just watch tv.
Comments
Post a Comment