Even with a turkey that you know will fold
Read this first.
Now this.
Ok. It pained me to read Gass' knee-jerk defensive response to Scott's article. I have enormous respect for Ken Gass and the Factory Theatre, and Alec Scott does too, as is evidenced in the story, I think. But it's very disappointing that Gass doesn't pay Scott the same respect. "Flop Culture" is certainly not "beneath contempt and beneath comment", as Gass haughtily states. "Flop Culture" demands comment from the Toronto theatre community. I don't agree with everything Scott says, and I admit that he makes several sweeping statements, but he also makes some very salient points, some points that needed to be raised in a public forum. Does Gass have a right to be offended that Scott pretty much accused his theatre of being the George F. Walker Factory? Sure. But he has to concede that Scott has a bit of a point. (I'm totally biased in Scott's favour on this point, by the way - I'm really sick of George F. Walker. But I do miss This is Wonderland. I'm very conflicted, as you can see. But come on, Factory. Don't do a play from 1978. Do a new play.) Anyway, I'm not trying to indict the Factory. I love the Factory. One of the best, most moving shows I've ever seen was on the Factory mainstage (Still the Night by Theresa Tova. 1997. Holy shit.) The show I most regret missing from last season was the Factory co-pro The Four Horsemen Project.
(Ok, I just Googled Still the Night and the internet tells me that it was actually originally a Theatre Passe Muraille production. But I swear that I remember seeing it at the Factory. Never mind.)
Back to my point about Scott's piece demanding conversation.
I can't tell you how many times I have had the same conversation with various Toronto theatre folk about how stagnant theatre has become in Toronto. There are exceptions, certainly, the occasional play worth getting really excited about, but for the most part, going to the theatre in this city has become a chore. Too often I (and I am a girl who loves theatre, who has loved theatre the most since I was 3 years old and my parents took me to a production of Brigadoon at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario and it was the greatest thing that had ever happened in my life) find myself thinking "oh, I guess I should go see that...", when what I should be thinking is "I can't fucking wait to see that!" Many of my fellow theatre artists and enthusiasts often tell me that they feel the same way. There's too much repetition, not enough originality and freshness and fun.
I don't think things are as dire as Scott states (but he probably needed to exaggerate a bit, for effect. Also, I'm still young and optimistic). There are talented young artists whose work is starting to get seen. The Tarragon just announced their next season, and it's pretty inspired. At the Summerworks festival last August I saw a play about Thumbelina being put on trial for crimes against humanity. So things are looking up, really. But I'm glad someone wrote about this problem in Toronto Life magazine. And I really really really really really hope that, instead of denouncing Alec Scott as "malicious" (seriously?), Toronto's theatre artists take to heart what he has to say and do something to make Toronto the vibrant theatre city that it used to be. Prove him wrong. Stop being boring. Give us something we can't fucking wait to see.
Now this.
Ok. It pained me to read Gass' knee-jerk defensive response to Scott's article. I have enormous respect for Ken Gass and the Factory Theatre, and Alec Scott does too, as is evidenced in the story, I think. But it's very disappointing that Gass doesn't pay Scott the same respect. "Flop Culture" is certainly not "beneath contempt and beneath comment", as Gass haughtily states. "Flop Culture" demands comment from the Toronto theatre community. I don't agree with everything Scott says, and I admit that he makes several sweeping statements, but he also makes some very salient points, some points that needed to be raised in a public forum. Does Gass have a right to be offended that Scott pretty much accused his theatre of being the George F. Walker Factory? Sure. But he has to concede that Scott has a bit of a point. (I'm totally biased in Scott's favour on this point, by the way - I'm really sick of George F. Walker. But I do miss This is Wonderland. I'm very conflicted, as you can see. But come on, Factory. Don't do a play from 1978. Do a new play.) Anyway, I'm not trying to indict the Factory. I love the Factory. One of the best, most moving shows I've ever seen was on the Factory mainstage (Still the Night by Theresa Tova. 1997. Holy shit.) The show I most regret missing from last season was the Factory co-pro The Four Horsemen Project.
(Ok, I just Googled Still the Night and the internet tells me that it was actually originally a Theatre Passe Muraille production. But I swear that I remember seeing it at the Factory. Never mind.)
Back to my point about Scott's piece demanding conversation.
I can't tell you how many times I have had the same conversation with various Toronto theatre folk about how stagnant theatre has become in Toronto. There are exceptions, certainly, the occasional play worth getting really excited about, but for the most part, going to the theatre in this city has become a chore. Too often I (and I am a girl who loves theatre, who has loved theatre the most since I was 3 years old and my parents took me to a production of Brigadoon at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario and it was the greatest thing that had ever happened in my life) find myself thinking "oh, I guess I should go see that...", when what I should be thinking is "I can't fucking wait to see that!" Many of my fellow theatre artists and enthusiasts often tell me that they feel the same way. There's too much repetition, not enough originality and freshness and fun.
I don't think things are as dire as Scott states (but he probably needed to exaggerate a bit, for effect. Also, I'm still young and optimistic). There are talented young artists whose work is starting to get seen. The Tarragon just announced their next season, and it's pretty inspired. At the Summerworks festival last August I saw a play about Thumbelina being put on trial for crimes against humanity. So things are looking up, really. But I'm glad someone wrote about this problem in Toronto Life magazine. And I really really really really really hope that, instead of denouncing Alec Scott as "malicious" (seriously?), Toronto's theatre artists take to heart what he has to say and do something to make Toronto the vibrant theatre city that it used to be. Prove him wrong. Stop being boring. Give us something we can't fucking wait to see.