Comments on: Second rate? Second rank? A snarky dispute http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/ a Portland-centric arts and culture blog Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:25:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: brenda song nude http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-78 brenda song nude Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:05:42 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-78 <strong>brenda song nude...</strong> I Googled for something completely different, but found your page...and have to say thanks. nice read.... brenda song nude…

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]]> By: Eric J Pedersen http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-41 Eric J Pedersen Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:16:02 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-41 Yes. Well said, old mole. -ejp Yes. Well said, old mole.

-ejp

]]> By: Jim Cox http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-36 Jim Cox Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:02:10 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-36 Bravo Bob! I miss your genuine passion for theatre in the pages of "The Big O." Bravo Bob! I miss your genuine passion for theatre in the pages of “The Big O.”

]]> By: Greg Heaton http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-35 Greg Heaton Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:15:15 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-35 I think one of the problems is that no single theater company is devoted entirely to Portland, portland issues, portland thoughts. There's no Purple Rose, Steppenwolf, Humana, a single company devoted to creating Portland's theatre identity, method, thoughts. I think one of the problems is that no single theater company is devoted entirely to Portland, portland issues, portland thoughts. There’s no Purple Rose, Steppenwolf, Humana, a single company devoted to creating Portland’s theatre identity, method, thoughts.

]]> By: Bob Hicks http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-34 Bob Hicks Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:07:03 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-34 Thanks, all, for adding to the conversation. Arthur, you make a good point. To a certain extent a theater town is judged by the prominence of its central professional companies, which in most towns means a LORT B like Center Stage. One of the results of Portland being a midsize market (big enough for pro sports, but only one big-league team) is that the pool of Equity actors here is relatively small. Not that Equity's everything -- it isn't -- but it does reflect a serious intention to approach theater as a professional art form. (There are other historical contributors to the city's small Equity pool, but size of the city is a big one.) It's also worth noting that Center Stage WAS doing top-rate, nationally significant work in its early years, when it was aligned with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I continue to believe that the divorce of Ashland and Portland in about 1991 set back theater in both towns for several years and still has an effect. Ashland had the historical depth and technical expertise. Portland had the urban vigor. Each needed what the other had to offer, and if they'd managed to overcome their differences they could have forged a truly statewide theater company that would have been unique in American theater. Truly a wasted opportunity: a fear of greatness. My sense is that OSF gave Center Stage a firm sense of exactly who and what it was, and that that sureness of purpose has wobbled in the years since. Of course, most theaters have their ups and downs and even natural life spans. Seattle Rep's done great work over the years, but it's gone through its patches. And there was a time in the 1980s when I thought Seattle's Empty Space was surely one of the very best companies in America, although few people outside the Northwest knew anything about it. (Theater really IS local.) Shelly, you're right. An actor is an actor is an actor, and good ones come from all over the place. Of course, there are more good actors in New York than elsewhere, simply because more theater happens in New York, and it's a magnet. And Corey, what I love about your comment is that you understand that an organization is, after all, made up of individuals, who often disagree. It wasn't my purpose to try to embarrass The Oregonian. I worked for the company almost 34 years, and it afforded me wonderful opportunities. I have many friends there, I still freelance for the paper, and I'm even married to an editor at the O. But I never could have written a response like this until I retired from the paper: It's kind of liberating to be able to argue in public instead of in private with the old family. -- BH Thanks, all, for adding to the conversation. Arthur, you make a good point. To a certain extent a theater town is judged by the prominence of its central professional companies, which in most towns means a LORT B like Center Stage. One of the results of Portland being a midsize market (big enough for pro sports, but only one big-league team) is that the pool of Equity actors here is relatively small. Not that Equity’s everything — it isn’t — but it does reflect a serious intention to approach theater as a professional art form. (There are other historical contributors to the city’s small Equity pool, but size of the city is a big one.) It’s also worth noting that Center Stage WAS doing top-rate, nationally significant work in its early years, when it was aligned with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I continue to believe that the divorce of Ashland and Portland in about 1991 set back theater in both towns for several years and still has an effect. Ashland had the historical depth and technical expertise. Portland had the urban vigor. Each needed what the other had to offer, and if they’d managed to overcome their differences they could have forged a truly statewide theater company that would have been unique in American theater. Truly a wasted opportunity: a fear of greatness. My sense is that OSF gave Center Stage a firm sense of exactly who and what it was, and that that sureness of purpose has wobbled in the years since. Of course, most theaters have their ups and downs and even natural life spans. Seattle Rep’s done great work over the years, but it’s gone through its patches. And there was a time in the 1980s when I thought Seattle’s Empty Space was surely one of the very best companies in America, although few people outside the Northwest knew anything about it. (Theater really IS local.) Shelly, you’re right. An actor is an actor is an actor, and good ones come from all over the place. Of course, there are more good actors in New York than elsewhere, simply because more theater happens in New York, and it’s a magnet. And Corey, what I love about your comment is that you understand that an organization is, after all, made up of individuals, who often disagree. It wasn’t my purpose to try to embarrass The Oregonian. I worked for the company almost 34 years, and it afforded me wonderful opportunities. I have many friends there, I still freelance for the paper, and I’m even married to an editor at the O. But I never could have written a response like this until I retired from the paper: It’s kind of liberating to be able to argue in public instead of in private with the old family.
– BH

]]> By: Thom Bray http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-33 Thom Bray Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:06:59 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-33 First, it's nice to hear from Bob again. Here's what I think, having just finished a four performance a week schedule at Profile Theatre, a lovely company that works in a challenging space. As I reflect on my own work, and the quality of it, I realize that it simply is not as good as it was when I lived in towns (NY and LA) where I could make my living just being an actor. The fact that most Portland actors are forced by finances to have other jobs (I'm a teacher--I get up at 6 am and come home at 5 pm, and the have to gulp down food, go perform and crawl in bed at 11:30) means that the quality of my work will not be what it could be if I could focus on nothing but the work. It's not surprising that my best performances in this last show were Saturday and Sunday, days when I could rest and focus on the work at hand. That is the nature of the beast. That may be one reason why we are looked upon as "second rate." I don't agree with that term, but we are up against it as performers. I'm 54, and working all day and performing at night is like climbing two mountains in one day! Kind Regards Thom First, it’s nice to hear from Bob again.

Here’s what I think, having just finished a four performance a week schedule at Profile Theatre, a lovely company that works in a challenging space.

As I reflect on my own work, and the quality of it, I realize that it simply is not as good as it was when I lived in towns (NY and LA) where I could make my living just being an actor. The fact that most Portland actors are forced by finances to have other jobs (I’m a teacher–I get up at 6 am and come home at 5 pm, and the have to gulp down food, go perform and crawl in bed at 11:30) means that the quality of my work will not be what it could be if I could focus on nothing but the work. It’s not surprising that my best performances in this last show were Saturday and Sunday, days when I could rest and focus on the work at hand.

That is the nature of the beast. That may be one reason why we are looked upon as “second rate.” I don’t agree with that term, but we are up against it as performers. I’m 54, and working all day and performing at night is like climbing two mountains in one day!

Kind Regards

Thom

]]> By: Suzanne Owens-Duval http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-32 Suzanne Owens-Duval Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:53:07 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-32 What more can one add to this, acutely observed, piece of writing. What more can one add to this, acutely observed, piece of writing.

]]> By: corey http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-31 corey Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:30:29 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-31 what i love about this blog is that it reminds us that the staff of the paper doesn't always agree with the rest of the staff of the paper. they are individual huamn beings. so even if the "paper" said it, it may be a minority opinion. what i love about this blog is that it reminds us that the staff of the paper doesn’t always agree with the rest of the staff of the paper. they are individual huamn beings. so even if the “paper” said it, it may be a minority opinion.

]]> By: Shelly Lipkin http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-29 Shelly Lipkin Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:04:35 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-29 Bob, After reading the Oregonian op-ed I was boiling with disgust. Whoever wrote that op-ed did Portland a great disservice. Thanks for putting some much needed perspective on this topic. I've lived in LA, SF, Chicago and done theatre all over the country, and the city itself cannot be and should not be the qualifier on quality. When I hear the phrase "New York actor, or LA actor." I cringe because I know that those actors probably came from somewhere else and their locale had nothing to do with their talent. Bob, After reading the Oregonian op-ed I was boiling with disgust. Whoever wrote that op-ed did Portland a great disservice. Thanks for putting some much needed perspective on this topic. I’ve lived in LA, SF, Chicago and done theatre all over the country, and the city itself cannot be and should not be the qualifier on quality. When I hear the phrase “New York actor, or LA actor.” I cringe because I know that those actors probably came from somewhere else and their locale had nothing to do with their talent.

]]> By: Arthur Delaney http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-28 Arthur Delaney Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:05:29 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/second-rate-second-rank-a-snarky-dispute/#comment-28 Yes it's nice to be a DIY town, and I am proud to participate in that DIY kind of theatre...I don't think the author of the editorial was referring to Broadway as being the measuring stick of first rate however. I think a town the size of Portland with the cultural energy that it has does indeed have a surprising lack of what I would call first rate theatre at the top of the food chain as you say. I would miss the energy of the little local theatres like us if they were gone. But I would wish that our top of the food chain, PCS and ART were, not like Broadway, but like the Old Globe and La Jolla Playhouse. Like South Coast Rep or Intiman. That doesn't seem to be too much to ask. Regional theatre in a culturally energetic city like Portland should be more consistent here than it is. Yes it’s nice to be a DIY town, and I am proud to participate in that DIY kind of theatre…I don’t think the author of the editorial was referring to Broadway as being the measuring stick of first rate however. I think a town the size of Portland with the cultural energy that it has does indeed have a surprising lack of what I would call first rate theatre at the top of the food chain as you say. I would miss the energy of the little local theatres like us if they were gone. But I would wish that our top of the food chain, PCS and ART were, not like Broadway, but like the Old Globe and La Jolla Playhouse. Like South Coast Rep or Intiman. That doesn’t seem to be too much to ask. Regional theatre in a culturally energetic city like Portland should be more consistent here than it is.

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