Why is the current dialog about theater artists and their work directed and controlled by journalists, academics, producers, and publicists -- who approach the work from their own perspectives -- as opposed to the artists themselves?
Our A-ha! project here at The Wooster Group is to institute an ongoing video series patterned after a talk show in miniature, in which artists across mediums will discuss with other artists, and the public, vital topics including their work, recent news events, current trends in the arts, as well as more expansive cultural and political issues. These discussions will be fully generated and guided by the artists themselves, and the videos will be posted on a new web destination. The platform for this discussion will grow as an extension of The Wooster Group's daily video blog, on which we have been posting a new short video piece every workday since September 2010 about various aspects of our company’s life and work.
Wooster Group member Kate Valk will lead the series, which will borrow elements from talk shows, documentaries, town-hall meetings, and others in an attempt to create a new rubric for the artist interview. By utilizing the immediacy of production the internet allows, we hope to be able to respond quickly to particular cultural events or moments, and we will take advantage of the project’s freedom from editorial oversight to ask potentially controversial questions, such as those about financing, producer-artist relationships, and more (have a suggestion for one? Post a comment below!) Our aim is to not only host an expansive civic dialogue, but also to provide an opportunity for people around the world to have access to some of the artists we interact with. The videos will feature theater artists as well as artists in other mediums to inspire cross-disciplinary dialogues and cross-pollinate fan bases, introducing the work of Mark Morris to fans of Young Jean Lee, for instance, or that of Butch Morris to fans of Joan Jonas.
Don’t touch that dial.
--Jamie Poskin, The Wooster Group
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like the angle of being free from editorial oversight. It Should make things very interesting. I'm interested to see the different dynamics between artist and producer.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great info!
ReplyDeleteI am agreed you Jamie Poskin. Different country, they have their own cultural and political issues. We need to respect them.
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