Pride Week?

A friend told me he overheard this as we started our shows: "ohhh this must be something for Pride Week". Apparently the onlooker sounded very proud of himself for making this perceptive observation. Interesting that someone can get "celebrating differences" in their head and immediately start to associate everything that falls under that category. Perhaps a compliment to the campus Pride efforts?

I heard a lot of feedback about not being able to see the shows too. Contrary to DJPJ, I have no problem with this. There is validity in art that reaches as large an audience as possible and there is equal validity in art that only benefits the pro-active viewer. I think it's interesting that the recent Interim Theatre Department production of As You Like It was conceptualized under wanting audience members to engage and follow the story about the stage, and did not succeed in doing so while this experience did just exactly that - but perhaps not purposefully. Not a critique of AYLI but interesting how an intention can simply not work for one piece but can unintentionally occur in another.

As to the "stupid football players" - can we not be the bigger person and instead of making assumptions about their intelligence - ask ourselves why they respond so negatively? Art seems to have an elitest problem in this country - it is perhaps why so many organizations struggle to appeal to the middle class. There is this idea that one must "get it" and if you don't, you're not cultured, and ultimately not worth of the artistic world. Perhaps those who so strongly voiced their discontent were uncomfortable because they felt that they did not know how to interact with the experience. Slightly hypocritically, I, too, am making a general assumption that perhaps these boys have less exposure to the arts than some other Oles. I don't know that I verbalized that thought very well but the question I am trying to get at is this: how can we as creators not judge or dismiss our audiences, especially the critics?

I also love the idea that turning off the lights and playing the sound was a spectacle in itself. I'd be interested to do some projects that were more focused on a spectacle of that sort - of that common experience for everyone in the vicinity rather than something so specific and "artistic". Both are completely valid and exciting - but it would be a fun different way to approach it.

As we continue onwards, I would enjoy discussing more our intent with each spectacle, in terms of the audience or space we are "deriving". As Irve brought up, did people's discontent speak to St. Olaf's hyperactive, single-track minded student body? Are we all so stressed out that the minute our routine or plan is interrupted or we feel that we are not 100% in control of what is happening, we begin to yell profanities? Sounds like a somewhat sick world to me and it's one that I, myself, fully engage in and perpetuate on a daily basis.