Random Thoughts on an Icy Night

One of the things that is so interesting in reading Noel Coward’s letters is how much has shifted in the theatre. We look back and mutter, “the show always used to go on; people never called out BACK THEN.”

Then you read Coward’s letters, and see how, when he got tired, he’d just shut down a play two weeks early and be done with it.

That would rarely happen now. The producers would simply stick a sitcom star in the role for the last few weeks, reap even bigger ticket sales, and probably extend . . .

Whether this is good for the theatre or bad, I’m not sure. On the one hand, you want to get butts in the seats, to keep the industry strong. On another hand, it’s the test of a well-written play or musical when the original cast leaves and it continues strongly with replacement casts. On yet another hand (are we running out of hands) no one is ever truly replaceable. Everyone brings something unique to the role, and that is one reason fans of a show come back to see it with several casts.

You don’t want the balance of power to shift too much in either direction — one has to be able to replace performers, but you don’t want them to simply hire ‘em younger and cheaper without training them properly. You hope that they hire the best talent for the roles.

Regarding the WGA strike, suddenly people realize that they’re not getting new episodes of their shows any more. Most of the general public paid little attention before this. But you know what? If you don’t have a good script, you don’t have a project, so pay the writers fairly.

You don’t need bells, whistles, special effects. All you need is a good actor on a bare stage with a good script and you have magic.

In film, a good special effects can’t save a lousy script, but a good script can overcome bad effects.

It’s fun to work on elaborate shows, from a backstage perspective. But, as an audience member, I want the intimacy and the intensity of connecting with an excellent performer working an excellent script.

And both should be fairly compensated.

Of course, the best way to put pressure on producers would be for millions of people all over the country to contact sponsors and tell them the products will be boycotted if the writers aren’t paid properly. However, since I don’t pay much attention to the ads in programs, I couldn’t even start to make a list. I’m more likely to get PO’d by a commercial I hate and switch the channel than actually pay much attention to the sponsor. I mean, come on, a pedophile gets his Viagra covered by insurance, but insurance won’t cover birth control. There’s gender discrimination for you!

Next year, the actors could go out, so you have the other most important part of the equation out of the picture. I’m interested to see how and when the writers’ strike is resolved, and how it affects the actors. I believe both the SAG and Equity contracts are up in the summer, so that could put a stop to theatre and film. I don’t know where the AFTRA contracts stand.

The next year should be interesting in the entertainment industry, and I hope the creatives stand firm against the bean counters. Because there’s nothing to count if the creators don’t create. And creators can create in a barn with a bedsheet, a lantern, and a good script — they need the producers less than the producers need them, especially in this digital age.

It’s all very interesting.