Just Wrought

Openly We Carry

I recently mentioned this play in my last essay “The Misuses of Art” and then realized I had not posted it anywhere for those who might want to read it.

I had great fun watching my son open and close this piece at last year’s SOAPFest, as well as witness the exquisite work of his fellow cast members Tracy Hyland, Michael Patten and Heather Hawkins, so masterfully directed by Annie Lareau.  Such a great staging. I’ll never forget it.

 

The Misuses of Art

 

 

An essay called “The Uses of Art” has generated a lot of traffic here at Just Wrought in the three and a half years since I posted it.¹ I’m not sure why it’s so popular, maybe because it’s short and quick and has the kind of easily scannable list that’s very attractive on the internet these days.  I’m still quite proud of the piece, even though I should probably admit now that I just sort of tossed it off from accumulated old notes. Recently, however, my thoughts have gone in a converse direction, towards those employments we generally assume art can be put to that it really can’t, or at least not very well: the misuses of art. A few months ago I began brain-brewing a list (by no means complete):

 

• Persuade through rationality
• Sell itself
• Self-evaluate
• Maintain objectivity²
• Manage its own knee-jerk radicalism
• Recognize its own inborn conservatism
• Successfully proselytize for any particular religion or political party
• Know its own strength
• Pay its own way
• Know its own weaknesses
• Maintain its subversiveness beyond a generation
• Properly define the parameters of its success.
• Effectively manage its infection vectors³

 

The SOAP Poster!

 

I have said it before: one of the most exciting moments for this playwright is when the posters for a world premiere drop into circulation. Something about it says, “Yup, this is happening all right.” And I really love this one for SOAPFest. (Thanks to Sean Williams of Gigantic Planet for the evocative design.)

I plan on writing more later about why this upcoming festival of short world premiere plays is particularly special for me, but for now, let me simply share SOAPFest’s press release below the fold so you can have all of that important information now.

Remember, SOAPFest is three nights only in a small venue.  Tickets are on sale here, now!  So . . . you know what to do.