For Shame, Perth People!
Sun, 29 June 2008, 02:36 pmJustSuse34 posts in thread
For Shame, Perth People!
Sun, 29 June 2008, 02:36 pmThe 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.
To look at things through a
Fri, 4 July 2008, 02:51 pmTo look at things through a positive lens, perhaps such a lack of attendance to this show is less indicative of a lax theatre culture in Perth, but more of a thriving theatre culture that sees so many shows performing at the one time that audiences are unfortunately divided between the lot of them.
Although it was this thread that alerted me to Deus Ex Quanta, after reading about it I placed it firmly on my list of shows to see. However, with the wealth of theatre currently being performed locally, community theatre as well as professional, my time and budget has simply not allowed for me to go and see it. While this translates negatively for Blak Yak's production, it can also be seen as a wonderful thing that the theatre-going people of Perth have such a variety of choice when it comes to what they want to see.
On the topic of CABARET; Kwinana Theatre Workshop not only have a strong local support base who have bought tickets for the show, but it is a production that is quite different from the Company's most recent ventures. That, coupled with the size of the venue, is a large reason for the sellout. It does not necessarily represent an attitude of disinterest in Perth theatregoers when it comes to new or lesser-known works.
That said also, CABARET is not as much of a known quantity as some people may first assume. It has a famous film attached to it, to be sure, but the film differs greatly from the stage production which is an intelligent and well-written piece of musical theatre, that has not only stood the test of time but is constantly undergoing new interpretation. I believe the production at KTW may destroy some people's pre-conceived notions of the show and how it should be presented.
All that being said, I sincerely urge people to support local theatre if they can and go see this production of Blak Yak's at the Subiaco Arts Centre. The biggest shame here would be for a great work of theatre to go unappreciated :-)
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