for the love of the game

The opening ceremonies for the 2012 Olympics were held recently. Theater and the Olympics both trace their roots to the ancient Greeks.

When I was growing up the Olympic athletes were amateurs, not professionals. I've used the words "amateur" and "professional"- and the Olympics- as conversation starters in teaching theater.

The definition of "amateur" is contrasted with "professional". The connotation- and even, these days, the definition- of amateur includes the idea of unskilled, lacking in competence, or a dilletante.

The definition of professional, on the other hand, includes the ideas of expertise, great skill, and learning.


Originally, the words were not antonyms of one another. At one time, professional meant that you were paid for your work (or that you were one of the "learned professions"- such as law).

And the word amateur comes from the Latin for love.

An amateur does what they do for the love of it; a professional does what they do as their occupation, to earn a living. As in the Olympics, the amateur is not necessarily unskilled; the amateur can be one of the best in the world.

And so it is with theater. Some of the greatest innovations and triumphs of theater have come from amateurs, or those who began as amateurs. I do not suggest for a moment that actors, directors, stage managers, designers, technicians or any of the myriad artists of the theater should not be paid. I would merely like to suggest that if some of us still have a "day job" that our work should not be ignored or assumed to be of poor quality.

Whether or not one holds an Equity card does not determine the excellence of the work. It is up to each artist to give passion, effort, intensity and creativity to the task at hand.

For the love of the game.

building community through blogs

I have had two responses to my post soliciting questions and conversation on theater. One asked for- all of it! All the topics suggested and then some. That will take some time. As a first step, I will be putting live links from previous thoughts up on the topics listed.

The other request was to talk about casting in small communities. I have started that post and will be publishing in the future.

Keep the questions and conversation coming! I have been active in many different theater communities and I want to start building synergy among those of us who believe in the art of ensemble.

Ask and Answer

Wouldn’t you like to know?

What would you like to know about theater or directing? I’m renewing my commitment to my blog and to my theater writing. I’d love to have your help.

What topics are the highest priority to you? What questions do you have? What answers do you have? What dilemmas? Discussions? Insights? Inspirations?

Either email me or post on my professional page. I look forward to your rants, raves, trials, triumphs, greatest moments, worst moments, your fears, your jeers, your cheers.

Some topics I’ve tackled and/or I’ve been thinking about:

Art vs. Commerce

Audience: check here or here

Auditions

Awards

Casting: check here

Choosing Scripts: check here

Comedy

Community building

Competition vs. Collaboration

Criticism

Directing

Director’s concept

Ensemble

Feedback

Funding: check here

Giving Notes: check here

Hell week

Playwriting: check here

Scheduling: check here

Set building

Shakespeare

Stanislavski

Teaching and directing: check here

Theater magic: check this, or this one, or this by Beth, or Beth again

Youth artists: check here

... what else should we be thinking about?

building ensemble, building community

I have founded two successful youth theater troupes. Now that I have retired from both, I can look back on what was accomplished.

Both the troupes were successful. Both went through phases of growth and development, sometimes exhilarating and sometimes frustrating. There were challenges that led to growth, and challenges that led to breakups and break downs. There were opportunities that were seized and opportunities that were missed.

Both troupes were successful in financial terms: while I was actively operating the troupes, every production finished in the black. We ultimately grew to a point that we were able to pay guest artists, and then directors.

We served hundreds of young people in learning more about the art of theater by doing the art of theater.

We served thousands of young people by bringing live theater- performed *well* by young artists- to audiences in schools, camps, libraries and parks over two decades. I firmly believe we have helped develop the audience and the participants for live theater for the next generation.

What I am most proud of is the ensemble of artists we created, and the community that we built.

In our best years, members of our troupe learned through experience that the whole of the production is greater than the sum of each of our individual efforts; that our best work makes the work of our co-creators better, that their work makes our own work better, and that by giving generously to the other artists on stage and backstage, we enrich ourselves and our audience.

We shared pot-luck marathon tech rehearsals and late night after-glows. We created a community by building on shared experiences.

In our community, we shared marriages, divorces, illnesses, deaths, births, graduations.

Perhaps one day I will be a part of building another such ensemble. Whether or not this happens in the future, our shared past has made me a richer and wiser woman. Thanks to all of you.