First, congrats to Eli Clark. We’re so excited to be working with her this year. It’s going to be an amazing year.
Second, much Internet-noise on an article in the Times today about Todd London’s book Outrageous Fortune. We haven’t read it it — the article will certainly increase sales (I hope, for Todd’s sake). The article links to a review of the book by the theater critic Chris Jones; the most interesting part of the review is the online commentary that it has solicited. On the whole, Jones’s review doesn’t seem very thoughtful or helpful (we can’t really judge, though, since we haven’t read Outrageous Fortune yet). There’s much to say — and much that has been said — about making a living as a playwright. Sadly, it’s virtually impossible — any playwright (established and emerging) can tell you that. The truth, though, is that this reality applies pretty much across the board in the non-profit theater world. Actors, directors and administrators, for the most part, have a tough time making ends meet financially. The theater business model (from a non-profit perspective — we can’t really speak to about the one in respect of commercial theater) is one that makes little sense today (at least when you’re working in this sector in NYC). Or has it ever made sense? We’re non-profit. I have friends who work for other non-profit (non-theater related) organizations and they face similar financial conundrums; they can’t work in their field *and* live in New York without taking on freelance jobs. So maybe this issue (the one re: making a livable wage) applies to non-profit industries, as a whole. That’s not to diminish the argument that one can’t make a living from playwriting and that the system needs to be reformed to support these writers and to prevent these writers from running off to L.A. or law school or business school, etc.
David Adjmi posted a link to the Times article today and Jason Grote provided a very funny/sad response. It reads:
“…Staffs usually aren’t paid very well, but artistic directors at the bigger institutions often have ridiculously huge salaries commensurate to those organizations’ budgets. Just like most other corporations, nonprofits, and universities in this goddamn country.
And in terms of audience appeal: does Eustis really think that anyone wants to see anything Suzan-Lori Parks has written in the past decade? What no one is acknowledging is that “bad plays” are often the result of tacking on a big name to sell tickets and ignoring artistic merit. Risky, “unknown” playwrights often do the best work because they still actually care about what they’re doing.
But I agree that we playwrights should stop whining. I think we should quit. Or, more precisely, I think I should quit — I wouldn’t presume to tell anyone else what to do. But I’m definitely ready to join 99% of the rest of the country in not giving a shit about theater.”
