Theatre Australia

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For Shame, Perth People!

Sun, 29 June 2008, 02:36 pm
JustSuse34 posts in thread
The other night I went to do an adjudication of Blak Yak's latest play 'Deus ex Quanta' at the Subiaco Arts Centre. About half an hour later I came home again. Why? Because seeing that I WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO TURNED UP TO SEE THE PLAY, they (quite reasonably) cancelled the performance!! This website has lately been full of people whingeing about clubs doing the same old shows again and again - Blak Yak offer you a new and different show - and nobody goes. You complain about having to travel too far to see shows - Blak Yak put on a show at Subiaco, couldn't get much more central - and nobody goes. You worry and fret about the future of Community Theatre, you want the Government to do something about it - but you don't support it! I have been involved with Community Theatre for 30 years; we have gone through good years and bad, and will do so again. The only thing that will bring about the demise of the community is apathy. No, I'm not affiliated with Blak Yak, its one of the few clubs I have not yet worked with. As Nick, the director, told me, when they do stage adaptations of crappy TV shows they have to turn people away. When they do a 'real' play they get no audience. Why? Does the title being in Latin scare you? They are trying to establish a reputation for doing new, different, edgey stuff - which is what many of you claim to want - but you won't support them. The play runs for one more week. They have to pay for the hire of the venue, help them to at least do that. Go and see it.

Shooting themselves in foot

Wed, 2 July 2008, 12:25 pm
It has been my view that a few cliques esist in our communitiy groups. I have been recently involved in two independent productions recently and, as far as i am aware, they did not receive any support from people in community theatre whom you might expect to come and support them. As one has been actively involved in getting people to go to community theatre shows (bringing them with me as paying guests to many clubs over a number of years) I have been dismayed by an attitude of one of the oldest clubs in our community in relation to publicity. I know that no amount of publicity (TV or print media) will get people to go to see shows. They will only be got there by word of mouth from friends who act with goodwill towards them.

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