Looks like A Great Discussion was Had Last Night

And if, like me, you weren't able to get to West of Lenin for Seattle Theatre: What's Next? you can get a good sense of it by reading José Amador's evocative blow-by-blow here.

Comments

[Steven Gomez]

Missed it due to class, though one of my classmates did make arrangements to miss class and attend, plus he actually spoke at the event (Aaron Moore).

If there's one item of input I'd be willing to add: NO MORE COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES. If, for example, someone wants to restart Seattle Fringe Festival (clearly a popular idea at last night's meeting), the one thing that's likely going to keep the plane on the ground is to hold a bunch of meetings about the idea to start a festival. Seattlites, not just theatre people but most Seattlites, are obsessed with sitting around in meetings and talking about ideas or doing stuff instead of the one and only thing that's ever manifested anyone's ideas: Actually DOING it.

Somebody just needs to take the ball and go. Others will follow: There's clearly enough interest in reviving the festival that if someone says go, we're raising funds now, we're getting a space now, we're planning the festival for X date now, the committee's going to immediately form underneath it all. If there's as much passion as advertised, the community will immediately fill in the blanks. No task force required.

What's not going to revive the festival is a bunch of people sitting in a circle over drinks talking about the value of reviving a once-popular theatre festival.

[Jim Jewell]

Steven, I wish you had been there, because I think you missed the point. These aren't committees to talk about the idea - these are groups of people we called "committees" for lack of a better term, and who are all about getting to work.

Just doing isn't enough. We need to do smart, and a lot of smart people connected last night and got down to business.

That was the clear focus of the night, and absolutely fulfilled my vision for this and more events - action.

All those things you said had to be done without a task force? They are right now being done by a task force committee group whathaveyou.