When I started this here blog I had some vague hope that it would be a place that theater-lovers of all stripes could visit and chime in with their thoughts, that it would truly grow into “A forum for the discussion of theater…” Generally, I think things have gone pretty well and I have been very pleasantly surprised when something I’ve thrown out there has gotten a response, favorable or not.
But it has still been mostly a one-way conversation, and sometimes I feel a little like a poser. I only see a fraction of the plays that get produced in town and, while I have my few theater pals, I don’t have anything resembling a network of sources or anything like that. Mostly, what I have is an abiding interest in and appreciation of theater and I find it fun to interact with others with similar interests, even if it is mostly in the virtual world.
Which is all a long introduction to this very happy announcement: I have asked Mary Burruss if she would like to contribute to the conversation and she has agreed to do so. Sometime in the next few days or weeks or so, you’ll start to see posts from her show up here in addition to mine. You probably have seen Mary’s byline in Style and some of you may know her from her producing role this past summer with “Austin’s Bridge” at the Firehouse. Mary clearly also has an abiding interest in theater and I think she has proven herself to be a fair-minded critic and an entertaining writer.
I am very excited that we’ll have Mary’s voice added to the conversation. I am also hoping that, once she starts contributing, she’ll tell two or three friends about this blog thereby doubling or tripling its readership!
Welcome aboard, Mary!
3 comments:
Yay, Mary!
Congrats to both of you for creating such a fantastic forum of discussion and having (for the most part) such a welcoming interest in discerning voices!
Hey Dave - I'm guessing your readership is a lot bigger than you think, but I welcome Mary's input. To that effect, I'd like to comment about her review of "Thoreau". I'm naturally pleased that she commented favorably overall, and her article was well thought out and well written, and she pointed out nicely some of Thoreau's main themes as illustrated by the script.
However, I'm mostly delighted at the full paragraph afforded the set design by my late, beloved friend, Gary Wade. First, production staff often don't get the credit they deserve in a review, and second, aside from Gary's tragic death, he honestly designed a very innovative set for an extremely difficult space. He showed a model to us in the cast, along with examples of the construction materials, during our first rehearsal. We were all very impressed with his design and his commitment to the production, and along with Alia Radabaugh's illustrations of the costumes it set the pace for our production to start off strongly. Mary's comments about Gary's set will be the last critical theatrical writing for his lifetime, and it's a fitting tribute to a man who loved theatre the same way he loved life: With passion and full commitment.
Thank you Mary. Gary would have been very proud to read your comments.
Thanks for the forum! Just want to make sure you all were aware that African American Repertory Theatre (AART) will have its 2008 Fundraising Event featuring "Confessions of the Heart and Soul" on Sun 10/19 at 5pm at Pine Camp Cultural Arts Center. There is no cost for admission, but we would like for you to consider making a donation after the performance. Actually, we want you to consider... AND give generously! Please RSVP to events@africanamericantheatre.org. See you there!
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