What am I... Here to Amuse You?

New websites up and running!

2009-09-20T22:23:00.003-05:00

Well... looks like I'm going to be closing shop on this blog. Considering the last time I posted was about five months ago, I don't think it's served its purpose very well. Besides that, I've managed to set up two new webpages which have eaten up most of my time. Each have (or will have) their own blogs attached to them. And I think both will manage to cover the same ground I would have covered with this blog.

Anyway... here are the new pages:

Repertory Theater of Iowa - http://www.RTIowa.com/
RTI's Blog - http://www.RTIowa.com/blog

John Earl Robinson (me) - http://www.JohnEarlRobinson.com/
My Blog - http://www.JohnEarlRobinson.com/blog

I also managed one for a dance school - http://www.PaulaBrekkeDance.com/

Check 'em out. Feedback is alway welcome!

CLORIS!

2009-04-01T15:59:00.014-05:00

Just got this from the Iowa Film Office:

Cloris Leachman to Perform "Cloris!" at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines -

Des Moines' Cloris Leachman will return to the stage here in her hometown with a May 10th appearance at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines.

Leachman, the Oscar and Emmy Award winning actress, will perform her one woman biographical show, CLORIS! Leachman's appearance here in Des Moines is to benefit the Roosevelt High School renovation project. Tickets for the 4:00 p.m. performance of CLORIS! are on sale now and are priced at $60 and $45. Tickets are $55 and $42 for groups of 25 people or more. In addition, a special "Patron Ticket" is available for $250 which includes preferred seating along with the opportunity to take part in a private reception with Ms. Leachman following the performance. A limited number of these tickets are available.


Ticket and more information can be found at:

http://www.civiccenter.org/events/cloris_181.php

Happy World Theatre Day!!

2009-03-27T11:04:00.008-05:00

http://worldtheatreday.org/
World Theatre Day Message, 2009
from Author Augusto Boal:

All human societies are “spectacular*” in their daily life and produce “spectacles” at special moments. They are “spectacular” as a form of social organization and produce “spectacles” like the one you have come to see.

Even if one is unaware of it, human relationships are structured in a theatrical way. The use of space, body language, choice of words and voice modulation, the confrontation of ideas and passions, everything that we demonstrate on the stage, we live in our lives. We are theatre!

Weddings and funerals are “spectacles”, but so, also, are daily rituals so familiar that we are not conscious of this. Occasions of pomp and circumstance, but also the morning coffee, the exchanged good-mornings, timid love and storms of passion, a senate session or a diplomatic meeting - all is theatre.

One of the main functions of our art is to make people sensitive to the “spectacles” of daily life in which the actors are their own spectators, performances in which the stage and the stalls coincide. We are all artists. By doing theatre, we learn to see what is obvious but what we usually can’t see because we are only used to looking at it. What is familiar to us becomes unseen: doing theatre throws light on the stage of daily life.

Last September, we were surprised by a theatrical revelation: we, who thought that we were living in a safe world, despite wars, genocide, slaughter and torture which certainly exist, but far from us in remote and wild places. We, who were living in security with our money invested in some respectable bank or in some honest trader’s hands in the stock exchange were told that this money did not exist, that it was virtual, a fictitious invention by some economists who were not fictitious at all and neither reliable nor respectable. Everything was just bad theatre, a dark plot in which a few people won a lot and many people lost all. Some politicians from rich countries held secret meetings in which they found some magic solutions. And we, the victims of their decisions, have remained spectators in the last row of the balcony.

Twenty years ago, I staged Racine’s Phèdre in Rio de Janeiro. The stage setting was poor: cow skins on the ground, bamboos around. Before each presentation, I used to say to my actors: “The fiction we created day by day is over. When you cross those bamboos, none of you will have the right to lie. Theatre is the Hidden Truth”.

When we look beyond appearances, we see oppressors and oppressed people, in all societies, ethnic groups, genders, social classes and casts; we see an unfair and cruel world. We have to create another world because we know it is possible. But it is up to us to build this other world with our hands and by acting on the stage and in our own life.

Participate in the “spectacle” which is about to begin and once you are back home, with your friends act your own plays and look at what you were never able to see: that which is obvious. Theatre is not just an event; it is a way of life!

We are all actors: being a citizen is not living in society, it is changing it.

Augusto Boal

(Original Portuguese)

http://www.iti-worldwide.org/
* means also having the nature of a spectacle or show (note of the translator)

The Sign of a True Artist

2009-03-19T14:32:00.005-05:00

"What is the sign of a true artist?" There's only a handful of questions in the history of modern society that have elicited such an enormously varied number of responses. I decided to do a Google search using the term. It yielded about 1500 returns. Some were thought-provoking, others were grossly uninformed. Such is to be expected from the Internet. In any case, I decided to compile a short list of them.

As I read through these, I noticed that many of the authors seem to have a narrowly defined idea of what it means to be an artist. I think it's important to remember that it's impossible to define ANYONE in one sentence. And I think the truth probably lies somewhere within a cross-section of ideas. Still some of these, I don't necessarily agree with. Others I think have a definite place in the spectrum of thought. What do you think?

Here's what I found:

…[someone] who attempts to avoid glorification, preferring to allow the work to speak for itself. It’s the sign of a true artist. A consummate creator.

It's the sign of a true artist that she can write something that speaks deeply to the experience of a listener who superficially has little in common with her.

universal unpopularity: the sign of a true artist!

You can feel emotion in every single image … which is the sign of a true artist.

He basically said f___ you to everyone and fought to make the album that he wanted no matter what the record company, management and fans said. That is the sign of a true artist.

[I] have always thought that the sign of a true artist is how they confuse your sense of reality by pushing what you think you see over the top of what you can actually see.

It is the sign of a true artist when he can infuse the ordinary figure with a special sense of wonder.

I can't think of another artist … that elicits such passionate discourse. I've always thought that this was the sign of a true artist for to them nothing is as offensive as indifference.

He will lie even when it is inconvenient: the sign of a true artist. (Gore Vidal)

You have created a very powerful image to portray your feelings ... the sign of a true artist.

… if she performed in an empty room, she would still give it the works, the music is more important … than the people who witness it, and that is the sign of a true artist …

The sign of a true artist, in my most humble opinion, is the ability to reinvent him/herself.

I think that the sign of a true artist is somebody that can find beauty in almost anything.

… the sign of a true artist, in my opinion, is to make a piece of art that, at once, remains varied and cohesive at the same time.

… the sign of a true artist is the need to create, no matter what the circumstances …

I suspect that the sign of a true artist is to disguise themselves within their work because they realise [sic] the precious lifeline that anonymity allows.

… he wanted to express his feelings for everything that he came in contact with. This, to me, is the sign of a true artist.

… the sign of a true artist … is best measured by the many different ways he attempts during a lifetime to render the world as he and we are privileged to see it on a good or bad day.

the sign of a true artist is … one who is never totally pleased with the final project once it’s put to bed.

… eclectic taste. I think that’s the sign of a true artist, someone who isn’t locked into one particular scene or genre for inspiration.

The sign of a true artist is when you can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

How Long Must Iowa Remain Fringe-Festival-Free??

2009-03-09T00:19:00.006-05:00

The other night I was at an grand opening event for Des Moines's newest arts venue, The Des Moines Social Club, when a regular theater-going patron recognized and approached me. He asked me if I knew if there was going to be another Iowa Fringe Festival this year. I guess, for some reason, he thought I might have the answer. But, sorry to say, I did not.

For those unfamiliar with the history, Des Moines hosted Iowa's very first Fringe Festival in the summer of 2005. It was organized by the then newly-appointed Executive Director of Stagewest, Ron Ziegler. Ziegler had had the idea of organizing a Fringe Festival here in Des Moines for a while after having seen the success of the Orlando Fringe Festival down in Florida. Whether or not he brought the idea with him to Stagewest or helped fully realize it is a bit unclear. But since Stagewest touts itself as being "theater on the edge" they immediately jumped at the idea and got the ball rolling with Ziegler at the helm. Consequently, it was a smashing success thanks to all of the supporters throughout the community.

In 2006, after just one year of service, Ziegler stepped down from his position at Stagewest for reasons unknown. But with him went the sense of the fringe being a community-wide effort. The fringe, now solely under the direction of Stagewest, left a lot of people involved with the organization and planning from the previous year scratching their heads. Non-the-less, the event went on and again the community particapted despite some bitterness.

Because of this feeling of animosity that was left over from the 2006 fringe, a new independant committee comprised of people from various other theater groups throughout the community came together. This group was formed to address the Stagewest Board of Directors concerning opening up the Fringe Festival planning as a community-wide effort. With some persuation, the group was able to coerce the board into conceding their stronghold on the event.

In 2007, the Fringe was again on its feet with a renewed sense of openness throughout the theater community. And again the festival grew in both numbers of performers and numbers of attendees. Unbeknownst to everyone, that would be the last time Des Moines would be hosting the Iowa Fringe Festival.

It is now approaching the summer of 2009 and there's not one sign of another Fringe Festival. Why? What went wrong? What happened to the idea of the fringe being an open, communal experience? What happened to the SPIRIT the FRINGE??

Well.. I don't know. That's a question only Stagewest can answer. I've heard various reports from the independant organizers of the 2007 Iowa Fringe Festival. I'd hate to relay any of them if they weren't true. But I think the theater-going public deserves an official response. Because I'm tired of people asking me about it. And I've not read one public report concerning what happened or if there are any plans to continue. No one seems to know. And if they do, they don't want to talk about it.

So I'm laying down the gauntlet for anyone willing to comment here in public on what happened. Otherwise, I'm going to offer the version I was given.. true or otherwise and people can judge for themselves.

Any smart person knows that in order to build an annual event you have to keep it going. Businesses and artists know that in order to become successful, you have to produce. This is coming up on two years now without a Fringe Festival and I for one am a bit upset considering the thing was just beginning to take off and now we're back at square none. (And no, I didn't misspell that.) So if anyone has an explanation as to what transpired and how we can "fix" things please comment here.

We can't have another Fringe-free year!

An incomplete list of people and places.

2009-03-08T23:05:00.008-05:00

Looking over my list of performance groups and venues made me realize that as much work as I put into compiling that list, I'm sure there's probably someone or someplace missing.

If you are a with a theater group or work for a performing arts venue here in Iowa that isn't on my list and you are visiting this blog, please contact me and let me know. I've checked other sites and I'm proud to have one of the most complete lists out there and I'd like to keep it up to date.

Also, if you are a performing artist and have your own blog let me know that too. I'd love to provide a link.

More to come!

Trash to Treasure

2009-02-25T13:13:00.004-06:00

I was on a routine trip to the downtown public library here in Des Moines yesterday afternoon when I came across something I hadn't anticipated sitting in the concrete lobby... sculptures.

These unique creations, I came to find out, are the result of a partnership between an Iowa artist from Ogden named David Williamson and the Iowa DNR's Project AWARE.

The collaboration which began in 2003 is called "Riverse" and you can read about it here.

The unique thing about these beautiful sculptures is that all the materials used to create them came from refuse collected from the cleanup of individual Iowa rivers selected for Project AWARE. I'm not sure how long they are going to remain on display at the Central Library. The website did not offer any details. But I highly encourage you to go down one afternoon and check them out.

For more of my own photos, click here.

We Need Money.

2009-02-22T13:44:00.005-06:00

Saw an interesting article today about how the recession is affecting the Performing Arts industry nationwide. It makes sense. Performing Arts are as much of a business as they are an art form. I think people who work in the Performing Arts (especially those in the non-profit sector) tend to lose sight of that fact. They somehow think we're immune to the financial fallout of the corporate community. That is until various levels of government begin cutting public funding. Then they rally.

Just this last week here in Iowa we had such a rally. It's called Cultural Advocacy Day. It's an annual event that gives artists of all flavors a chance to showcase the importance of arts funding to legislators as they begin annual budget talks. This year was the biggest turnout the state of Iowa had for a while. I imagine it was/is probably like that for most states around the country. And I think that is due in part to the current financial crises.

But should we, as arts organizations rely so heavily on public funding? I agree that we don't spend nearly enough on the arts.. especially here in Iowa where we only spend $0.42 per capita. But why is it that the only time we organize is when public funding is at stake?

Seems to me, arts organization on the whole (at least here in Iowa) need to be more business-minded. Let's start talking Market Strategy, Segmenting, Diversifying, and creating alternative revenue streams. Big businesses do it all the time. That's how they make money. And they still get their share of corporate welfare from the public coffer.

Independent artists nationwide have, for a while, invested in cooperatives allowing them to share economic, social, and cultural resources. That idea has even recently gained momentum here in Des Moines with the establishment of co-working communities such as Impromptu Studio and the Market Street Media Foundry.

Perhaps if the Performing Arts industry on a whole were more forward-thinking in their approach to their own individual business models, they wouldn't be begging all the time. Or at least they wouldn't NEED to beg as much. And that's something everyone would love.

A Musical for the Emo generation?

2009-01-22T01:06:00.008-06:00

So last night I went to see what all the hype was about. That's right. The first touring cast of Spring Awakening performed last night right here in little ol' Des Moines. So I went.

And let me say right up front that I enjoyed the show. No question, it's definitely full of energy and has some very beautiful music by Duncan Sheik. Visually, it was marvelously simplistic in its design. The performers, musicians and singers alike, gave every bit of themselves to the audience. In a nutshell, it's a very well put-together show.

But I just couldn't get into the story. Maybe it's the fact that I just don't respond well to angsty whining from priviledged white kids. Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm a bastard, but that's how I feel. That's why I hate Emo music so much. I had a rough childhood too, a lot rougher than most of these scenesters and self-proclaimed emo kids that flock to this genre. But I don't go around bitchin' about it. It annoys me when people do.

And maybe I'm just getting old, I dunno. I liked RENT. I remember a few years ago when the one of the first touring casts came through town. An arts patron a number of years my senior said he didn't care to see a bunch of kids whining about not being able to pay rent when they could very well go out and get jobs! I thought it was kind of a fuddy-duddy thing to say at the time, but now I wonder if that's me.

In any case, maybe I'm just not the demographic. Theatre is a business after all. Some shows sell well to different market segments. Spamalot brought more 18-30 year old males to the theatre than many shows previous. It's all about how you sell it.

Maybe I'm just an innocent victim in the wrong market segment. Victim? Wait that sounded emo...

Making Chicago Connections

2009-01-18T12:27:00.007-06:00

Not even two days into setting up this site when I got a comment from a blogger in the Chicago area asking about my Twitter connection. I'm truly convinced of the power of this new medium. Reprinted below (with permission, of course) is a transcript of the email conversation Scott Zacher of ChicagoTheaterBlog.com. Check it out. And be sure to visit his site for information about theatre in the greater Chicagoland area!

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Hey there, this is Scotty Zacher from ChicagoTheaterBlog.com. Thanks for listing me on your bloglist. That's very nice of you.

Best of luck with your arts blog. Blogging can be time consuming, but also very rewarding. My goal is to try to get as many people out to see theater as possible. Looks like you're heading the same way.

By the way, I had no idea that you could connect a Twitter account with your blog. Have you found this to be useful/helpful? Are people able to send you info to post this way? (I guess I'm totally clueless when it comes to Twitter).

Take care, and PLEASE stay warm. scotty@whimzee.net

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Scott, Thanks for taking the time to write. I've only been blogging for a couple days now, so I can say how much having Twitter on my blog has helped. But it's kind of what gave me the idea to start doing it. I joined a couple of Twitter groups recently including #Actors and #Theatre and I noticed I began to get followers from those groups. In addition, I noticed a few of them who were theatre professionals from the Vancouver area who have their own blogs. I also noticed that they seemed to be connected through this online community of theatre bloggers. That's when I decided to jump in.

The thing about Twitter is that its a great social networking tool because of its simplicity and its portability. You can access it through a wide range of applications and your mobile device of choice. So you can micro-blog at just about anytime from anywhere. Plus you can set it to update your status on Facebook and Myspace automatically whenever you post. I connected it to my blog because I knew I could use it to post links to theatre-related articles quickly and easily without feeling obligated to blog about everything I come across.

Right now, Des Moines has one of the largest Twitter communities. The techies seemed to have latched onto the idea... lots of IT, Graphic Design, Social Media and Marketing professionals seem to be using it the most. The last DMTweetup (or Des Moines Twitter meetup) brought out about 100 people. I'm trying to bring more performers and theatre artists into the mix.

Thanks for the comments! Stop back again soon! -JR

---------------------------------------------------

hmmmm...you got my mind churning (which is a hard thing to do! LOL) - I was planning on buying an iPhone, and if I do I could plan that, when going to plays, I can take pics and send them to my blog as well as twitter about it. can you send pics with twitter?

 
(sorry to bother you about this - but I'm trying to find something that sets me apart with other theater sites here in Chi-town, and there's a lot of them!  I'm working on getting more video, signing up college students that are getting film degrees; something like that).  
 
So have you gotten to go to much theatre in Chicago?  I end up going to about a play a week, though have been known to see three openings in one weekend. (though don't recommend it).  I've been on a sort of dry spell being busy with my church, etc., so haven't been to a play since before Christmas!  If you get a chance, I would recommend "The Seafarer" at the Steppenwolf.  Wonderful play and very powerful.  It was supposed to close the end of December, but now has been extended through the middle of February.
 
Thanks again for the link.   A fellow arts-lover,   Scotty Z.

--------------------------------------

Scott,  You can upload a picture at Twitpic.com and it will automatically post a message and a link to that picture on your Twitter stream.
They say the Revolution will not be Televised. However, it will be streaming live online. ;) Viva la Relolucion!

Have heard great things about The Seafarer. Would love to see it, but I don't get to Chicago much. Last Steppenwolf production I saw was Topdog/Underdog. And that was in Houston!

You mind if I blog any of these emails?  Thanks, -JR

---------------------------------------------

sure, you can blog them. Be my guest.

I don't know if you knew this, but just in case - your Iowa readers - if they're planning a trip to Chicago for a weekend - might want to check out HotTix, which now offers half-price tickets online (as opposed to having to go in person downtown to the HotTix counter).  The link is www.hottix.org

I'm now off to see the play "Little Foxes" at Shattered Globe.  Hope I don't freeze my butt off waiting for the el!

Cheers,  Scotty Z 

Increasing Traffic and Dialogue

2009-01-15T15:41:00.006-06:00

One of the things I'd like to do with this blog is make it a "go to" place for Performing Artists and patrons alike... especially those living and working in Iowa. So if there is content you would specifically like to see included on this site. Please let me know.

Right now, there doesn't seem to be a "go to" site for Performing Arts in the Greater Des Moines Metro and Iowa at large. I'm trying to fill the void. Jeff Bruner, former critic from the Des Moines Register was the last person to write a performing arts blog that people here in the Metro would visit with any amount of frequency. At least that's the last time I remember there being any significant amount of discussion regarding theatre.

As far as getting out information, Thatcher Williams over at Change (formerly Theater... For a Change), has done a really good job at disseminating upcoming show info via a weekly email blast. But as far as there being a forum for discussion, there doesn't seem to be one. So I'm offerring to develop such a forum at this site.

I realize that confining disussion to theatre only would probably not generate a ton of discussion, so I'm keeping it open to Performing Arts in general including dance, opera, poetry slam, music... anything that involves performers and audiences. I will probably also include film-making as it pertains to the many disciplines of storytelling including writing, acting, lighting design, and sound design.

Lastly, this blog is also meant to highlight advancements in the Performing Arts and the incoporation of new technologies in and approaches to production. I strongly believe that in order for the Performing Arts to remain a strong and vital part of society and continue to grow they must reach out to newer, younger audiences. And part of doing that is embracing these ideals.

So please feel free to write in and comment.

Construction Begins

2009-01-14T22:30:00.002-06:00

And so I join the ranks of the theatre bloggers nationwide from right here in Central Iowa. It seems like the right thing to do at the right time.

For many years, Des Moines has seemed cut off from the rest of the world and even the rest of the State. Having lived and worked here now for the past 15 years, I've found myself falling into that seclusive mindset on occasion. Some people who've lived here all their lives are fine with this way of thinking and the island Des Moines seems to have created for itself. But in many ways, that is beginning to change. Revitalization of the Downtown has created new living space, new restaurants, and new shopping boutiques. Young professionals are moving in and a creative working class is emerging. People who aren't from here are beginning to take notice of some of these changes as evidenced by the New York Times article on Des Moines' "East Village" during the Iowa Caucuses.

But there seems to remain, at least among the vast majority of those in the performing arts community, a pervading attitude of seclusiveness when it comes to growing a professional market here. I can't say for sure exactly what this stems from, but it seems to be a combination of insecurity and low self-esteem. Outside influence is often seen as a threat. And collaboration is a foreign concept to people who participate only to feed their own self-serving egos. I imagine some of these problems exist in other markets as well. But it is especially frustrating in a market where very few professional opportunities exist for performing artists.

The overwhelming majority of people who perform in the theatre here do so because of the communal aspect of it, because it's "fun" and because they enjoy the applause. Some straddle the line, doing commercial work on occasion for the money and exposure. The rest are students who perform theatre to gain experience and do commercial work for the money until they finish their degrees and move somewhere like Chicago, New York, or LA where they can get "real" experience. Still, there remains a small fraction of folks that choose to live here who live, breath, eat, and sleep the art of the theatre and who are provided with absolutely no opportunities for professional development. That has to change.

One of the things I realized after joining the Twitter.com community is that it is possible (and in fact fairly easy) to network with those of like minds and similar professions throughout the state, the country and even the world. It's not that I didn't know this before (I've been using the Internet since 1993 for Pete's sake), it's just that the sudden accessibility that Twitter provided re-awoke the cosmopolitan in me. So now I'm tossing my two cents in the pot and joining the blogosphere... or in this case the theatrosphere.

A little about me at the present moment: I am currently unemployed thanks to downsizing and the current economy. Until May of 2008, I held a day job with a motion picture equipment facility. Now I do freelance film/video production. I have been acting and performing in the theatre now for over ten years and occasionally manage to make some money doing it. I consider myself a life-long student of the craft and have managed to "hook up" with like-minded individuals who have committed to bringing a professional repertory theater to Iowa's capitol city. This blog will exist in part to expound on some of the company's and my own personal endeavors as well as comment on the state of the arts in general both here in Central Iowa and the nation at large.

Comments are welcome and encouraged at home and abroad.