Minister Foss Bails Out Another
Fri, 10 Sept 1999, 09:45 pmWalter Plinge3 posts in thread
Minister Foss Bails Out Another
Fri, 10 Sept 1999, 09:45 pmThis is just me playing Devil's Advocate...Steven Shaw's Press release included this paragraph:"The irony for the Theatre profession is that Concert Enterprises is nota fully professional company. It employs and pays a small number ofperformers in major roles as well as the musicians and crew it hires. Everyone else is a volunteer. Mr Foss's actions suggest he has a preference in offeringsurvival support to a company using unpaid volunteers rather than to acompany employing waged, highly skilled professionals."Now, as far as I was aware, Effie Crump only ever employed a small numberof performers, whereas Concert Enterprises, as well as employing a 'smallnumber of performers as well as the musicians and crew...', gave somepossibly valuable experience to its 'unpaid volunteers'.I'm also a little affronted by Steven Shaw's assumption that becausesomeone is paid, they are immediately more worthy than someone who is notpaid. As a person who does a small amount of volunteer work (and I'm nottalking about my acting) I find this attitude insulting.Now for the silver lining...If, as Mr Shaw says, Mr Foss has "a preference in offering survival supportto a company using unpaid volunteers", maybe this is an avenue that Acorncould possibly look at? Personally, if I had to choose between Effie, MTCand Acorn surviving, I know which one has shown they deserve it most, bytheir tenacity and dedication to their cause if nothing else. Sue, if youread this, count me in as a strong supporter for the Acorn cause.Paul Treasure[Keeping my fire extinguisher close to hand, because I know I'm going toget flamed badly over this one! ;)]
Re: Minister Foss Bails Out Another
Sat, 11 Sept 1999, 10:14 amFire extinguisher at the ready I hope Paul!Aren't we all getting terribly terribly over sensitive. Everytime someone mentions the word'amateur' it's taken as being in a derogatory manner.I always thought that broad shoulders and an ability to shrug off insults, both real and perceived were a necessary part of theatrical (as well as 'ordinary')life.> This is just me playing Devil's Advocate...> Steven Shaw's Press release included this paragraph:> "The irony for the Theatre profession is that Concert Enterprises> is not> a fully professional company. It employs and pays a small number> of> performers in major roles as well as the musicians and crew it> hires. Everyone else is a volunteer. Mr Foss's actions suggest he> has a preference in offering> survival support to a company using unpaid volunteers rather> than to a> company employing waged, highly skilled professionals.">> Now, as far as I was aware, Effie Crump only ever employed a> small number> of performers, whereas Concert Enterprises, as well as employing> a 'small> number of performers as well as the musicians and crew...', gave> some> possibly valuable experience to its 'unpaid volunteers'.> I'm also a little affronted by Steven Shaw's assumption that> because> someone is paid, they are immediately more worthy than someone> who is not> paid. As a person who does a small amount of volunteer work (and> I'm not> talking about my acting) I find this attitude insulting.> Now for the silver lining...> If, as Mr Shaw says, Mr Foss has "a preference in offering> survival support> to a company using unpaid volunteers", maybe this is an> avenue that Acorn> could possibly look at? Personally, if I had to choose between> Effie, MTC> and Acorn surviving, I know which one has shown they deserve> it most, by> their tenacity and dedication to their cause if nothing else.> Sue, if you> read this, count me in as a strong supporter for the Acorn cause.>> Paul Treasure> [Keeping my fire extinguisher close to hand, because I know I'm> going to> get flamed badly over this one! ;)]>