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Banks Needs Eye Test

Sat, 17 Feb 2001, 04:39 pm
Grant Malcolm12 posts in thread
Okay, so perhaps this heading is not news for some people, but if you were after additional proof, you need look no further than Banks' recent review for Barking Gecko's Mice.



A great write up for Gillian Alexy, the young actor beginning to make her way in her chosen profession. Great to see such encouragement! But how unfortunate that Banks could find only one wholly inaccurate word to describe Tracy Woolrych - "newcomer".

Newcomer? Doubtless this was a talented cast, it features Barking Gecko stalwart, Craig Williams, "a veteran performer with Barking Gecko". But to summarise a performer of Tracy's experience as "newcomer" portrays a profound lack of any idea of what is going on around this town. Tracy possibly has more breadth of experience than any other actor in the company - including Craig Williams!

But then if you will only attend funded theatre productions and turn a blind eye to the existence of the other unfunded 90% of the industry, i guess we can only expect to see further displays of ignorance.

Time you got that one eye tested, Ron, before it goes bad too.

Cheers
Grant Malcolm

PS. In case George Dent happens to be reading...



i've written to Banks on a number of occasions over the past year, have never received a response and never appeared in print. A letter to the editor similarly disappeared without trace.

If you print trash here, someone will post and tell you and everone else so. At The West it clearly aint so easy to be heard.

RE: Myth of the Great Divide

Tue, 20 Feb 2001, 05:41 pm
Walter Plinge

Grant wrote:

From my personal experiences audiences DO give a damn. I have had memorable nights of theatre at places as diverse as Acorn, Old Mill, Stirling, and Garrick etc which had they been presented at the Subiaco Theatre Centre or the Playhouse would have appalled me.

There IS such a thing as audience expectation. Satisfaction or dis-satisfaction is often more determined by this than any objective reference to 'quality'. I have sat in many community theatre foyers and listened to 'in-house' audiences marvel at the display of acting talent in shows that reminded me of a year 9 drama class I once took...

Can I posit the opposing idea that the non-existance of the amateur/professional divide is a construct perpetuated by non-professionals.

I think this presents an equally potent myth. A myth that is equally as pointless.

Malcolm

Malcolm

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