Follow Friday: 12 March 2010
Friday. You know what that means. Stories, trends, ideas that we’ve been following.
And a follow Friday recommendation. If you’re on Twitter, most of us are, too. Search the #2amt hashtag to find us, follow us and get in the conversation. (They’re not at 2am in the morning, trust me.) (Well, not often at 2am…)
Nancy Kenny on the proverbial free lunch.
Robert Heinlein used to love throwing the acronym TANSTAAFL into books right and left. That’s short for “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” But too often, those of us working in the arts are expected not only to work for lunch but to make the lunch, serve it and bus the table after. (Actors make great waiters, if you hadn’t noticed.) Nancy Kenny writes about the importance of finding your value and naming it. And if that weren’t enough to warm my heart, she even includes a video of Harlan Ellison on the importance of paying the writer. Harlan Ellison, people!
Dan Granata on the awesomeness of Amanda Palmer, among other things.
Again, it all comes down to how you connect with your fans, your audience. How do you find those people, and how do you interact with them? Dan Granata tunes in to the splintering of the music business and looks at the pieces. He also includes some kick-ass quotes from Amanda Palmer (@amandapalmer on Twitter) where you could simply replace “musician” with “theatre artist” for example.
Philippe Ravanas on lovin’ it.
Quick. Name the most successful fast-food brand in the world. Right. Now, what can we learn from them? Yes, I said “learn from them.” Walking into a McDonald’s is just as much theatre–from design to staging to lighting to the script–as walking into, well, a theatre. Read about the five points of the “immersive experience model” they use. (One of those five points? Tell a story. Sound familiar?)
Chad Bauman on the reality of drawing younger audiences.
Why aren’t we drawing more X’ers and Millenials? (Do you even know who they are?) Is it a question of marketing and media or product and price points? Chad Bauman of Arena Stage digs in and takes a look at the 4 P’s you might want to consider before trying another doomed marketing blitz.
Amiel Gladstone says down-dooby-do-down-down.
The cuts to arts funding in British Columbia have been drastic of late. The situation there is extreme, but it is by no means an isolated case. Playwright and theatre artist Amiel Gladstone writes about his breakup with the BC government via Simon Ogden’s blog (among others). As you read, see if his story–and his concern–sounds familiar…
Larry Blumenthal on how to be social.
If you have time to tweet and blog and surf and buzz and wave, you have time to read about how these social media tools might work for philanthropy, whether you’re a donor or a recipient. These tools have made it easier to make connections not just with your audiences but your patrons, your benefactors.
Chris Wilkinson on the great experiment.
Does so-called “experimental” theatre turn off patrons? Do audiences have the right to tell playwrights and theatres what to write, what to produce? Do we have an obligation to keep them in that loop? Good questions all. Wilkinson highlights a conversation across several blogs familiar to the 2amt crowd. Where do you fall in the spectrum?
Kevin Mullaney on making it all up.
Okay, so you can do improv. Good. Now what? Kevin Mullaney of the Improv Resource Center highlights ten things you really should do besides improvising. All of these things will help focus your talent, sharpen your improv skills. If you’re transforming your life and experiences onto the stage through improv, shouldn’t you go have a life and get more experiences?
