Actors' Equity, diversification, and more disgust

In honor of its 100th birthday, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg declared May 26th "Actors' Equity Day". It's been a century of organizing, strikes, and advocacy for Actors' Equity, and though situations have improved, the theatre life, Equity membership or no, still isn't easy; as National Public Radio reports, of Equity's 49,000 members, approximately 17,000 work in a given year. And of those working, the median income from theatre work is about $7,500. That isn't exactly rosy for actors that restrict themselves to theatre work, and it's a problem reminiscent to that of playwrights cataloged in Outrageous Fortune. For an actor only doing stage work, or a playwright only writing plays, making ends meet seems impossible. Our culture, especially for performers and writers, is one of increasing diversification, and hopefully that diversification snowballs into a sustaining career after an actor (or writer) has done work and made connections in multiple mediums. Here's to your second century, Actors' Equity. May it be even more successful than the last. And in honor of turning 100, I'll let that The Lost Colony item slide. For now. Local Penumbra Theatre has announced a full schedule for its 2013-2014 season. This is a welcome announcement, since the company's 2012 fiscal crisis had me worried about their future. But the company's season isn't all about stage plays, it also includes a variety of programming--student work, screenings, and panels. If an actor must diversify in this current economic climate, it's no surprise that a theatre company is doing the same. National In his 1971 artwork Shoot, Chris Burden was shot in the arm with a .22 caliber rifle. This was a controversial piece at the time, and recently it was repeated by artist Ryan Mitchell. It was done in secrecy for legal reasons, and you can read Brendan Kiley's recounting if you want to know more. That someone would be willingly shot, even as part of performance piece, disgusts me. Parsing the ethics of either piece causes me to sail from one emotion to another--that Burden did it amazes me, but that Mitchell repeated it makes me want to throw up. I'm not sure why I'm impressed with one and disgusted by the other, though I am unnerved by both. I was raised around guns and we were told explicitly to respect them and to never, under any circumstances, point them at another person. With every passing day, we are inundated with news of people that never learned what my family taught me or reached an age where they could begin to understand the lesson. Despite only reading about Shoot online, I am having a reaction, one that pushes the boundaries of what I consider art. Brian O'Neal likely did not have Shoot in mind when he praised disgusting theatre, but if I had to choose a work now as an example of disgusting theatre or performance art, Shoot would be it. I read about this a week ago, and even thinking about it now makes me uncomfortable. Q & A There are a few items I found while reading the Guardian this week, and they're all question related. First, Lyn Gardner asks "Which plays do you most want to see?" I was thinking that theatre was a more forgiving medium, meaning that companies are always looking through older works for stageable material. However, though producers may be reading old, forgotten plays, they aren't necessarily staging them. Producing Hamlet brings in audiences that have never seen it and/or those who view it as a classic--obscure plays, like obscure music, might be the acquired taste of aficionados. Gardner also asked this week if theatres should have money-back guarantees. This is a fair idea for theatres, and perhaps not in the way you're thinking. If I saw a show I thought was terrible but came with a money-back guarantee, and I asked for my money back, that company just inoculated their production against criticism. Every time I talked about the show, I would likely end my criticism with "But hey, they gave me my money back. I'd probably see a show from them again." And finally, Guardian readers answer other reader questions, including "How was it that King Hamlet's brother, Claudius, succeeded him to the throne when he died and not his son, Prince Hamlet?" Personally, I like CrypticMirror's answer. How would you answer these questions? Theatre at the Movies I didn't realize that David Tennant is such a big draw for the Royal Shakespeare Company that they have sold out all the seats for his every performance as Richard II before it's even opened. I should expect nothing less from the Doctor. But if you do want to see it, it will be shown live in cinemas all over the world. Fathom Events shows theatre and other live events this way, and though I like to see my theatre in a theatre, when this comes around I hope there will be a showing in the Twin Cities. In a world where I can see theatre on the big screen, how long will it take before I can get it on Amazon Instant-Performance? It seems, in a column where I've already spoken about actors and companies diversifying, that being able to watch theatre from the comfort of my own home--with access to productions I might never see because they're an ocean away--is where the theatre world is still behind the times. He Can't Name One? I'm bothered that Jerry Lewis doesn't have any favorite female comedians. It's made worse by Lewis pointing out that his new movie surrounding the relationship troubles of an 87-year-old man is about the elderly who are "ordinarily ignored," which would likely sum-up how many female comedians feel the mainstream views them. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow Use these actor pick-up lines if you don't want to go home alone or want to get slapped in the face. One or the other will likely happen, and I make no promises as to which. I will make a suggestion that #6 would be best utilized after seeing a production at the Bryant Lake Bowl or the Theatre Garage. --- That's all for this week! If you have feedback or comments on any of the articles above, or suggestions for future blog and news items, please leave them in the comments or e-mail me at [email protected].