Mike Daisey bemoans the state of the American theater:
It may seem a little ungracious given Daisey’s VIP status on the LORT scene, it’s still a point well-taken. If regional theater becomes just another Broadway, shallowly pandering to put the butts in the seats, what’s the point? Surely many would argue that Daisey is ignoring the facts of economic life, that theaters must pay their bills like anyone else (given the tragic lack of government support for the arts) but there’s no denying the terrifying plausibility of all theater in America becoming as bland and safe and homogenous as the Great White Way.
Whatever you think of Daisey’s arguments, it’s clear to me that he’s a true believer. He wants the theater to be rough and ready instead of rarified to the point of oblivion. He wants the theater to, well, keep it real. As he once put it: “Theater doesn’t have to be like fine china, safely tucked away in the cabinet. I say let’s get messy.’’
3:18 AM
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