tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886378560573423292.post1705991543570921719..comments2022-11-20T05:55:39.800-06:00Comments on The@er: Why I Think Court Theatre is So SmartBenedict Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00933067323059541654noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886378560573423292.post-20109046223212482812009-10-03T11:35:53.927-05:002009-10-03T11:35:53.927-05:00Thanks for this, Benno. After more than 3 years o...Thanks for this, Benno. After more than 3 years on staff, it's become difficult for me to tease out whether I work for Court because I love the plays, or I love the plays because I work here. Anyway, I agree with everything you say. In terms of sheer numbers, our commitment to African-American classics and our interest in the MCA space have provided truly mixed results (not code for "not good enough" --actually very up and down). But everyone here--staff, Trustees, major funders, and I think a majority of our audience base--understands that that work is important regardless of how it shakes out in the ticket sales short-term. And, for me personally as a theater lover, shows like CYRANO and THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER have been some of the most richly rewarding that Court has done since I started seeing the work.<br /><br />But there is another vital and unique strand to our work that you haven't mentioned (actually a couple, including musicals which--since that's been some of our most successful with press and audience--I won't go into): Plays like THYESTES, RADIO MACBETH, TITUS ANDRONICUS, and WHAT THE BUTLER SAW. Plays that, quite frankly, have alienated some of our traditional audience (whose history with Court goes back decades). These are productions that didn't push the definition of "classic play" by their inclusion in the season, but rather pushed the conventional wisdom around how one is supposed to approach a classic text. These are productions which were in active dialogue--sometimes even disagreement--with their base texts; productions that were after something more immediate, more provocative, and more intellectual. I think this work is utterly vital, and it would not have been possible without Court's unique position in residence at the University of Chicago. Not only the basic "we're not going to go under if a play doesn't do well" support of a large institution, but the environment of relentless inquiry practically demands that we approach our work in this way.<br /><br />Getting a "traditional" Chicago arts audience--particularly an avant-garde audience--to Hyde Park is a struggle. Sometimes it seems Sisyphean. And that's not even considering the challenge of encouraging the widely disparate communities within Hyde Park to come in the door. But I believe that it's possible. Thanks for noticing.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10478362720208985216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886378560573423292.post-21420338699167492272009-10-02T19:05:19.481-05:002009-10-02T19:05:19.481-05:00In addition to the consistent inclusion of African...In addition to the consistent inclusion of African-American plays, which is indeed a very important and wonderful thing, I was thrilled when I heard they were doing "Irma Vep" this season. First because I think it's completely hilarious. Second because it shows a definition that is wide, but not too wide. Yes, it's high camp, but it's exceptionally well-written and funny high camp, and undoubtedly theatrical. Ludlam's plays absolutely deserve inclusion among the classics. I can only contrast this to the "classical theatre" in my hometown of Cleveland, which this season is producing both "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and "Bat Boy," neither of which can be justified as classics--or even very good.Zev Valancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10239062791827527067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886378560573423292.post-91523758434991993192009-10-02T16:28:15.340-05:002009-10-02T16:28:15.340-05:00Amen. I also enjoy the fact that they do these th...Amen. I also enjoy the fact that they do these things without these things being their 'hook' or their whole identity.James Asmushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04351113299468506910noreply@blogger.com