“I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works.”- Oscar Wilde

I use others' quotes as the titles for my blog entries because they can really distill the message. This quote by Oscar Wilde is such a great example.

A few months ago I went to an event sponsored by the Dramatists Guild Women's Initiative. It was a Q&A with Elliot Fox, Tessa LaNeve and Michelle Bossy of Primary Stages. Now, let me get a note in here real quick: Primary Stages is perhaps the best example I have ever seen of a company that encourages new work and unknown or little known artists. I'm a student and TA at ESPA, the performing arts school housed in Primary Stages, and have received an unprecedented number of artistic opportunities from them.

During the Q&A, the subject of "networking" came up of course. A woman stood up and, with all the righteous indignation of a sufferagette, chastised the panel. She told them that she was an artist and it is not her job to sell herself or spend time rubbing elbows with people that could get her produced. Her place was in front of the keyboard or typewriter or pencil and paper. She told them that the system had to change!

In my first blog entry, I spoke about networking and how it is so necessary in this competitive business. I totally agree that it is unfortunate that as artists we can't just create and let someone else handle the legwork. But instead of growling about an unfair system that literally cannot change due to the sheer volume of plays being submitted to these theaters, producers and directors year-round, why not learn to play ball?

Here's the pitch:
1. It is not "sleazy" to talk to people that can help you about your work. You want your play produced and they want to produce a successful play. Win-win.
2. It is not "selling out" to use your connections to get your work seen. If someone is supporting you it is because they appreciate your work.
3. This is an interdependent business. We all need each other in theater. Playwrights need producers who need directors who need actors who need costume designers who need set designers, etc. etc. etc. Why wouldn't you want to tap into those resources??? The absolute best thing you can do is find a group of artists in different disciplines of theater that are psyched about your work. That's how legends like The Living Theatre and powerhouses like MTC get started. And the way that they stay afloat.

"I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my work." I don't know if Oscar meant it this way but the way I see it is: I expend a great deal of energy finding people that support me and my work and then I sit in a quiet room and make the work worthy of that support.

And also, my soapboxing friend, Primary Stages is one of the few places that accepts unsolicited scripts and actually reads them. So next time, direct your bluster at someone who deserves it.