tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1296790474430208977.post9027655441226617696..comments2022-11-01T03:34:18.084-05:00Comments on Ghostlight Chicago: All For One and One for AllStephen F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10520642344822125330noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1296790474430208977.post-25989971889885699472009-04-27T16:26:00.000-05:002009-04-27T16:26:00.000-05:00An interesting argument, but I think there are a f...An interesting argument, but I think there are a few key points being glossed over. First, a commitment to an ensemble does not necessarily indicate that the group is not committed to the advancement of art. Sure, there are several groups in Chicago that are only interested in themselves that will fade away, but I think the same is true of several non-ensemble groups that will also fade away because of lack of direction from the board.<br /><br />Even the bastion of doing the cutting-edge work isn't an escape clause from falling by the wayside. Many artists in many mediums have delivered heartstoppingly beautiful work or work way ahead of its time, only to become a minor footnote in the annals of history.<br /><br />One could also argue the lack of theatre space in Chicago is a much larger hurdle than artistic intent. With an ever-shrinking list of places that are affordable to do theatre, the failure of companies start to become not of artistic intent. A lot of companies have a commitment to their audience to not be an art that only well-to-dos can afford, so ticket prices are always precariously places against mounting costs.<br /><br />Chicago has a few monoliths of theatre with a lot of small-timers, yet that breadth of opportunity produces a lot of possibility. New York searches for the next big thing, but does so out of a business perspective. Theatre is a business there, and by running like a machine it can sometimes sacrifice a lot. There is a reason a lot of the big shows in NY start in Chicago. Much of the national stage doesn't want it unless they think it can be profitable and is tested.<br /><br />In the end, theatre has to serve all involved or it fails, and so the needs of the artist will always be a part of the equation. How artistic direction is chosen is up to personal tastes, and the outcry over the ATC seems more aimed at the coup-like nature in which everything played out. Business is business, but when loyalty is put out to pasture, even businessmen call foul.Derekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13049038733559007705noreply@blogger.com