tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post4165357161314573647..comments2024-02-27T16:59:54.089-05:00Comments on (The New) Theatre Ideas: Tony Kushner: Can't Support Himself as a PlaywrightUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-4953421291152724112012-02-14T10:30:47.041-05:002012-02-14T10:30:47.041-05:00I don't think most actors I know make a living...I don't think most actors I know make a living solely doing theatre either (particularly non-union. or even solely doing theatre and film/tv/commercials. I think this is largely a reflection of the business model of most not-for-profit theatres around. It's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. I think the present system needs work.Rachael Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-43449787094900848362011-06-08T11:12:27.894-04:002011-06-08T11:12:27.894-04:00Yes, it is impossible to support one's self th...Yes, it is impossible to support one's self through playwriting alone. However, if your "day job" is screenwriting (Kushner, Mamet) or acting (Shepard, Wally Shawn) that's not really anything to complain about. For most of us, those fall-back jobs seem as impossible a goal to attain as getting our plays produced regularly. Therefore, we work at the real-world jobs that one can get with a playwriting degree, jobs usually completely unrelated to the arts, jobs which drain us of time and energy that we would much rather put to our writing. I would love to have my days filled with the "drudgery" of writing screenplays or acting in films.Kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06062987385482820410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-61398344991544152852011-06-04T09:41:38.090-04:002011-06-04T09:41:38.090-04:00Well, since no one else has tossed this quote into...Well, since no one else has tossed this quote into the discussion:<br /><br />"A playwright can't make a living but he might make a killing."<br /><br />Arthur MillerAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13156600039221295474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-53867267893973513562011-06-03T14:46:41.239-04:002011-06-03T14:46:41.239-04:00The URl for Jayne's essay is: http://www.howlr...The URl for Jayne's essay is: <a href="http://www.howlround.com/2011/03/30/playwrights-collaborators-or-contractors-by-janye-benjulian/" rel="nofollow">http://www.howlround.com/2011/03/30/playwrights-collaborators-or-contractors-by-janye-benjulian/</a>Ian Thalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15348768867561450314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-23811806876164846622011-06-03T12:21:38.029-04:002011-06-03T12:21:38.029-04:00Yes, and yes. Please see my March 30 essay in Howl...Yes, and yes. Please see my March 30 essay in Howlround on the monarchy of the artistic director and the question: is the playwright a collaborator or contractor? www.howlround.com<br /><br />Jayne BenjulianJaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10910947860013619992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-62617829210348369372011-06-02T16:31:17.168-04:002011-06-02T16:31:17.168-04:00This is an old lament. Chekhov said that medicine...This is an old lament. Chekhov said that medicine was his wife, and writing was his mistress. I think it's pretty much always gonna be like that.Andrew Utterhttp://actbetter@utteracting.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-368364298721914252011-05-26T16:33:57.335-04:002011-05-26T16:33:57.335-04:00Mamet does even more screenwriting than Kushner do...Mamet does even more screenwriting than Kushner does, not to mention producing. Sam Shepard supports himself by acting. I don't think there's anyone at that level, or any level, that can possibly support themselves exclusively as a playwright. It's just a matter of economics; there's astronomically more money in tv and film than there is in theater, and pound for pound it's more expensive to produce theater. There's no backend, no overseas distribution rights, no DVD sales. It's not, and never will be, as profitable as the tv and film industries. As such, there's not as much money to go around, so they look elsewhere to suport themselves.<br /><br />That said, I don't think that's such a bad thing, nor should any playwright be looked down upon for taking on such work. Any more than an actor should be looked down on for taking TV or film work. Some of the finest stage actors in the business do film, and we don't seem to look down on them for that. <br /><br />Screenwriting can me a means to an end. And if that end is quality new plays that have the opportunity to be produced, then I don't see that as being a problem.Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06823441828571316740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-34909923879967423242011-05-26T14:44:40.837-04:002011-05-26T14:44:40.837-04:00Hey, Paul! Yes, I saw, and left a comment myself! ...Hey, Paul! Yes, I saw, and left a comment myself! Great to be connected again!<br /><br />ScottScott Waltershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06465161646609405658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-49800832022753278242011-05-26T14:35:04.225-04:002011-05-26T14:35:04.225-04:00Scott,
Thanks to your initial post we're havi...Scott,<br /><br />Thanks to your initial post we're having a great discussion of this very issue over at Just Wrought: http://www.paulmullin.org/just-wrought/2011/05/tony-kusher-cannot-support-himself-as-a-playwright.html<br /><br />Cheers and thanks as always for the great work!<br /><br />Paul MullinPaul Mullinhttp://www.paulmullin.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-80270836706569218892011-05-26T14:25:24.283-04:002011-05-26T14:25:24.283-04:00Nicely said, Dustin.Nicely said, Dustin.Scott Waltershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06465161646609405658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-41609323222222019102011-05-26T13:41:52.119-04:002011-05-26T13:41:52.119-04:00Was there ever an era of specialization? Playwriti...Was there ever an era of specialization? Playwriting is a tool and should be used as such. You cannot be just a playwright just like you can not use just a hammer. To build a play one must use other materials and grab from their own experiences. The only experience that being a playwright, or anyone within the scope of art, is to know what it's like to be a broke artist. <br /><br />All artists have a responsibility to become experts at everything. Then you will have all your materials. Then you will have something to build.Dustinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03331920606862102898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-14230512505773064612011-05-26T09:55:17.646-04:002011-05-26T09:55:17.646-04:00just to throw this out there: Kushner's plays ...just to throw this out there: Kushner's plays are very challenging in scope and content which might scare a lot of companies from producing them, so while he is arguably one of the best, how often do his works actually get produced, compared to his cohort of established playwrights of the baby-boom generation?<br /><br />Because in my neck of the woods, I see Mamet getting produced far more often than Kushner (as much as I would like it to be the other way around.)Ian Thalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15348768867561450314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-79543519754109151582011-05-26T09:41:07.716-04:002011-05-26T09:41:07.716-04:00No earthquake here. Normal weather. Only the naiv...No earthquake here. Normal weather. Only the naive would consider playwriting a profession where you could make living wage. Playwriting professors suggesting otherwise are perpetrating a pyramid scheme.nickhttp://ratconference.com/ratsassnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-10996042181424626672011-05-25T19:46:51.590-04:002011-05-25T19:46:51.590-04:00I would suggest that we, as theatre people, need t...I would suggest that we, as theatre people, need to reconsider whether the current business model is sustainable. Look back at history -- how many playwrights were there that only wrote plays? Many of them also ran their own companies or theatres, e.g., Shakespeare, Moliere. Perhaps the days of specialization have passed.Scott Waltershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06465161646609405658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16876687.post-9128124388224373542011-05-25T19:08:45.843-04:002011-05-25T19:08:45.843-04:00Being a double major in English and Musical Theate...Being a double major in English and Musical Theater with aspirations of becoming a successful playwright, this is very disturbing news. What will it take for America to finally appreciate the level of hard work and talent that goes into live theater? Will playwriting teachers now have to teach screenwriting because just being a playwright isn't enough to pay the bills? Very frustrating.Tj Weaverhttp://reelmovienation.comnoreply@blogger.com