MeyerBros

Eduardo Machado is a Cuban (/American) playwright with a lot to say. He gave a pretty gutsy talk a couple weeks ago that I find inspiring, challenging and moving. I am in the midst of finishing up plans for the next New World Arts season, and some of what he said hit me right in the gut.

He weaves together thoughts about immigration, the wall being built on the Mexico border, and his own experiences as a green card-carrying immigrant. His treatment as an “outsider” by a profession (theatre) that I believe should be on the cutting edge of acceptance is appalling. This flows into his thoughts about theatre, about not trying to make audiences happy, and about bravery. He rails against rampant entitlement issues, including the “entitlement” to be trained as a theatre artist - which really just plays into making theatre more corporate-minded.

I have had similar thoughts. And I’m speaking as someone who went through the system. I’m “trained.” I, like Mr. Machado, teach for the money (although I also love it, and see it as one of my callings). In addition to getting an MFA in theatre, I’ve poured money and time into training with SITI Company, and in areas like Butoh, extended voice, physical comedy, le Coq, and Alexander Technique. (And yes, that list of links is meant to make you go see what a wide range of theatre is out there!)

Machado makes me feel a responsibility to use that training well. He also makes me wonder if I needed any of it, or if my years spent just doing the work have been more important. And he makes me go back to the question: Why am I doing this? Am I plugging into that reason, do I hold it clearly in my mind and heart as I go about my work? Or am I getting caught up in being careful, doing what’s expected, catering to audiences, furthering a corporate model that discourages risk? How am I choosing the shows that New World (or Goshen College) will do? How am I choosing what art to create and support? These are important questions that can get lost in the midst of everyday logistics. And, I admit it, I have a desire to please. A desire to please does not make good art. (Not that art needs to alienate, either. But a desire to please can shut down the desire to speak difficult things. Things that need to be said, in a world where people are afraid to speak difficult things.)

We are supposed to get degrees. Then we are supposed to make money. We are supposed to make art that makes money (and/or teach to make money). We are supposed to make sure our audiences are “happy.” We are supposed to give everyone equal opportunity for “success” in theatre. We are supposed to stay on our side of the wall, quiet and contained.

Machado challenges:

“Are we afraid of style? Content? Maybe we’re just afraid of Conflict. And where is the theater without conflict? If we are not open and brave where are we going? What is non-profit for anyway if not to risk it all.”

He quotes Henrick Ibsen: “The majority is never right. Never I tell you!” (this is actually a longer quote - go to the transcipts to read it)

He berates us for trying to cater.

“How they [playwrights of the past] all must have turned in their graves at the thought of it. Asking the audience… How do you feel? Are you ready to be challenged? Oh you’re not? Then we won’t insult you. Please let’s breed silence and passivity here at home so there’s nothing to compare with your fascist wars all over the world. Let’s all be happy. Buy those tickets make those donations. And we will please you.”

He describes “…this farce where we believe we are all entitled to talent and success. No one is entitled to that. All we can hope for is the joy in the work, the joy of expression, the joy of creativity.”

He tells us to be brave. To create places where we can fail. To remember the part of each of us that is “on the other side of the wall,” the part that doesn’t fit in, that wants to rebel, that wants us to speak our minds.

Yes, we need to make money. I would love to see artists supported in a non-commercial way, and I don’t know what to do until that happens. But in the meantime, being braver seems like a good start.

I’ll stop paraphrasing Machado now. Go read the rest yourself.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 17th, 2006 at 6:35 pm by michelle and is filed under anti-racism, corporate criminals, border, political, peace and justice, the arts, personal, plays, quotes, theatre, integrity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.