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1100 Playwright Interviews

1100 Playwright Interviews A Sean Abley Rob Ackerman E.E. Adams Johnna Adams Liz Duffy Adams Tony Adams David Adjmi Keith Josef Adkins Nicc...

Stageplays.com

Dec 12, 2005

Jason Grote has some smart things to say about the state of the NY Times and Isherwood’s bizarre role. It's apparent that he perceives himself to be a sort of guardian of the canon, elevating playwrights like Ruhl and Will Eno to star status while otherwise behaving like Groff, Moses, and Haidle are the bridge-and-tunnel crowd and he's a no-necked bouncer with a velvet rope. But first of all, he's clueless; that Broadway has been irrelevant for years is so widely accepted that it has become a sort of truism. The truly interesting new theater has been taking place regionally and Off and Off-Off Broadway for going on four decades now. Second of all, the kid gloves with which he treats famous actors, directors, and playwrights completely negates any criticism he might have of otherwise clout-less new artists. The rest of the NY Times has demonstrated its fealty to power, contempt for the public interest, and total willingness to lay down, so why not the theater section? --------- Upcoming: my short play, Snow at the DR2 Cabaret space in early Feb. as part of Bluebox’s Big Sticky show. Bluebox did this play last year as you may or may not remember first at Little Theatre and then in their own space at Belly. I’m looking forward to the remount.

4 comments:

Jason Grote said...

Hey, thanks man! Who is Floyd Britchcraft, and what did he do?

Adam Szymkowicz said...

What did he do to me? He's just so annoying sometime. He's that friend of mine that wrote that version of Death of a Saleman--also the Crucible.

Adam Szymkowicz said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

this is a comment to jason grote's post on isherwood etc - but he doesn't allow anonymous comments.

jason,

i liked ruby sunrise. (ok, maybe not the first third, which didn't sound true to anything). i didn't think it felt like painting by numbers - more like someone who tends to work in more organic structures attempting something more formal - and it was sometimes awkward - but more formal structures can be necessary to focus the energy of plays as ambitious and wide-reaching as this is -

and neil labute. why the fuck does everyone produce neil labute? why the fuck does anyone produce neil labute? his writing is flat. his characters are one-dimensional at best (and sometimes make no sense at all). his plays are all provocation and no substance. i suggest a labute moratorium, starting now. he's been produced enough. he's bored me enough. make space, people. find some good plays. they're out there, you just have to take the time to look.