Comments on: Are D.C. Theaters Playing It Too Safe? http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/theater/2012/04/19/are-d-c-theaters-playing-it-too-safe/ News and Criticism on D.C. and Beyond Sat, 18 May 2013 16:21:53 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Diane Wilshere http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/theater/2012/04/19/are-d-c-theaters-playing-it-too-safe/comment-page-1/#comment-148480 Diane Wilshere Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:19:24 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/?p=70656#comment-148480 I just wanted to point out that some of the productions like the mounting of Virginia Woolf at Arena last season was an imported production, in that case Steppenwolf. While Arena and Kennedy Center and Signature seem to be playing it safe this upcoming season, in the case of Signature that certainly wasn't true as they mounted several world premieres. I was most disappointed with the Kennedy Center as they did not attempt to remount the cancelled Pal Joey, and their choice to replace it, the Kander and Ebb review that had played at Signature was a poor substitute. I just wanted to point out that some of the productions like the mounting of Virginia Woolf at Arena last season was an imported production, in that case Steppenwolf. While Arena and Kennedy Center and Signature seem to be playing it safe this upcoming season, in the case of Signature that certainly wasn't true as they mounted several world premieres. I was most disappointed with the Kennedy Center as they did not attempt to remount the cancelled Pal Joey, and their choice to replace it, the Kander and Ebb review that had played at Signature was a poor substitute.

]]> By: Richard Layman http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/theater/2012/04/19/are-d-c-theaters-playing-it-too-safe/comment-page-1/#comment-148470 Richard Layman Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:15:52 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/?p=70656#comment-148470 (what I mean by "nationalization" is an extension of the world politics/geography "center-periphery" theory of Johann Galtung to various sectors within nations.) (what I mean by "nationalization" is an extension of the world politics/geography "center-periphery" theory of Johann Galtung to various sectors within nations.)

]]> By: Richard Layman http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/theater/2012/04/19/are-d-c-theaters-playing-it-too-safe/comment-page-1/#comment-148469 Richard Layman Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:13:42 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/?p=70656#comment-148469 Well, I think you're missing the point of the "nationalization" of most artistic disciplines, especially theater. The issue is the DC theatre market strong enough to be a "producer" and developer of new and different and innovative work, or is it merely another city that merely "presents" work, and more popular and accessible work at that, created and produced elsewhere, most likely from NYC. see my paper "Art, Culture Districts, and Revitalization" which proposes that as a discipline, local theatre needs its own cultural plan, focused on both institutions and artists, and artistic development. (The point of the paper is that all artistic disciplines need to do similar planning, and not rely on uber authorities such as municipal cultural affairs agencies to do it.) http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2009/07/art-culture-districts-and.html Well, I think you're missing the point of the "nationalization" of most artistic disciplines, especially theater. The issue is the DC theatre market strong enough to be a "producer" and developer of new and different and innovative work, or is it merely another city that merely "presents" work, and more popular and accessible work at that, created and produced elsewhere, most likely from NYC.

see my paper "Art, Culture Districts, and Revitalization" which proposes that as a discipline, local theatre needs its own cultural plan, focused on both institutions and artists, and artistic development. (The point of the paper is that all artistic disciplines need to do similar planning, and not rely on uber authorities such as municipal cultural affairs agencies to do it.)

http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2009/07/art-culture-districts-and.html

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