Thursday Break

Drag Queens and Epictetus   In Defense of Leaving at Intermission

Ten Things Theaters Need to Do Right Now to Save Themselves


This end of week break brought to you by The Stranger

Dear Don Rubin

Further to the last post regarding  Non-Traditional Casting and Criticism I have received permission from Tony Nardi to post this email.

Dear Don Rubin,

I just heard about your  event at Tarragon Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 21, to debate the subject of “Non-Traditional Casting and Criticism.”  I hope I can make it. I hope Rocco Galati (Constitutional lawyer and producer of the filmed version of "Two Letters... And Counting!") can make it, as well.
It's too bad I wasn't informed earlier about this panel. Given the subject of Letter Two, which specifically takes issue with cultural stereotyping by critics, directors, actors (even those from non-Anglo and non-Franco
backgrounds), and from a centuries-old infestation of colonial mindsetting, it would have been interesting to be a part of it.
I confess, I find "Non-Traditional Casting and Criticism" problematic. It presumes that there exists a normal, standard position, set by a casting God, and another standard that deviates form the norm, and, that there are
people who are "like this", 'this tight' with the casting God and could define normal for all the others. Is casting a white Canadian male as Treplev or Trigorin with a phony affected English accent considered traditional (normal) casting in Canada? The answer is ‘yes’. Has been ‘yes’ for many years.

Oh...That Old Thing

So I got this today:   Event: Non-Traditional Casting and Criticism, Canadian Theatre Critics Association



and I thought...How nice. Another discussion about the relative merits of the Spider Phaeton 

vs



the Cocking Cart 

Sunday Quickies

I hate the idea that this might be lurching our way as well.
Canary in the coal mine: Theatermaking gets scary in Hungary

 To intermission or not to intermission?
 Long Enough To Reach

Down that old road again.
 Make your auditions more color inclusive

I'm still working on this one.
The magic and challenge of 'sunk costs'

I'm not sure I'm buying as original but maybe.
First US performance of Shakespeare in the original pronunciation