After dispensing with the obligatory, “gee, ain’t-Seattle-swell?” lovey-dovey lip service, we are finally getting to some questions in the comments on Vincent Delaney’s kick-off essay that point to ways in which we can truly progress towards being a world class theatre town.
Here’s playwright and novelist Nick Stokes:
Not that I'm not up for drinking beer and listening to our plays, but . . . I'd also venture to say that without original work being produced on some scale, we don't have a unique Seattle Theater scene. We just have the same theatre as everyone else and nothing to claim as our own. Which doesn't necessarily hurt actor careers, though it does stunt those of writers and directors and perpetuates everyone's obscurity.
Do we as writers have a bad self-image locally? I don't think so. I think the confidence problem is higher up the production chain. That said, the best we as artists can do to create a scene is create engaging, unique, provocative work and get it up however we can (Eclectic, West of Lenin, Fringe, self-production, etc.) ... and that said, the scene will remain pretty small without some serious institutional support and a belief among those in positions of influence that we have a scene worthy of discussion and capable of national relevance.
And here’s playwright Keri Healey (who just gave us the world class play Torso):
Can someone in-the-know provide us with a compare/contrast look at which services are provided through all the existing new play development programs in Seattle? What does "play development" mean to each of these programs -- and what are their goals with the plays/playwrights once the "development" portion of the program is over? Writers, are you getting your scripts produced at these theaters or getting help from them in securing productions at other theaters once you have gone through this process? I find that in Seattle, it's a fairly easy process to pull a few public readings of a new script together (gathering actors and a director and getting feedback). I've even found producing (at a small level) to be accessible to many folks. What is most difficult, for me, are those next steps...of getting the play beyond the public readings/first production stage and onto a broader platform. I'd love to hear about the other features that are available through the various programs, if any current/past participants can chime in on those.
Perhaps some of Seattle’s customarily silent Big House artistic administrators would finally care to weigh in during this nationally broadcast discussion of Seattle as a theatre town? It really ain’t too late for them to join the fray.
Or for you!
I know my buddy Vince would love to hear from you.
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