Uncooked Meat Prior to State Vector Collapse

Well, Philucifer wrote in his Confounded ‘Blog that he believes he’s lost his mind. All I can say is, “Well, duh.” Just kidding.

No I’m not.

But whatever. Like I’m one to talk.

I’m slowly and surely getting settled into my new home in the Garden of Kew, and am counting down the SECONDS before I go to Maine for the week. Stupidly though, I’m returning to the Rotten Apple just in time for the RNC.

Yeah, I know. Perfect timing.

Of course, that will also be the start of The UnConvention (http://www.theunconvention.org), which is taking place right across the street from the RNC. The UnConvention, for those of you who don’t know, is a theatre festival featuring six pieces of political theatre from six Dish theatre companies (The Kiva Company, The Management Co., One Year Lease, Stages 5150, Stone Soup Theatre Arts and The Subjective Theatre Company). I’m very curious to see the results.

I say “curious” and neither “excited” nor “apprehensive” for a few reasons. First of all, as anyone who knows me, I’m not particularly one for “political” theatre (as in, agit-prop). It’s not the type of theatre I write, and it’s not necessarily the theatre I go see. If I read a blurb in the Village Voice about a show “depicting the brutal struggle an Iraqi family undergoes to adapt to contemporary America,” I move on. Hell, despite my happiness that people are responding in a positive way to Michael Moore’s film “Fahrenheit 9/11” I was a bit schmeh on it.

Overtly political theatre (or art) is just not my thing. I kind of know what it’s going to tell me before the first line is spoken. I also believe that it’s very much in the “Preaching to the Choir” Department. And it can alienate potential audiences with opposing political viewpoints

On the other hand, I do very much agree with the politics of the UnConvention. I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone now (with the exception of willfully ignorant rednecks*) that this is a very important election in November. This election will determine if this is the new way we run our government, or if this administration was just a weird fluke. I’m really hoping it’s the latter.

Also, these companies participating in the UnConvention are my (and Nosedive’s) peers. I wish them the best, and in many ways, I’m very excited to see (for example) Stages 5150’s play “KTP,” amongst others.

My curiosity about the UnConvention is similar to my apprehension and excitement about “Fahrenheit 9/11:” it doesn’t particularly interest me, since the film just reiterates what I already believe (and I often prefer artworks that challenge what I believe), but I was happy to hear a huge auditorium of moviegoers applaud at the end.

Will the UnConvention do anything to have an effect on the upcoming election? I don’t know. To be honest, I hope so, but I don’t think so. New York is pretty much a blue state, and I don’t think we’re going to reverse that this time ‘round. Plus, I don’t know how many die-hard Republicans will a.) be attending and b.) become converted. I could be wrong.

But…

Maybe this will be a good time for us theatre (and real) people to get together and bond, to commiserate how shitty it is that the Republican National Convention is being held in our backyard.

Okay, fuck it. You got me. I’m coming back from Maine to the UnConvention so I can hook up with liberal theatre chicks.

After Marsha from Stone Soup,

James “Please Don’t Hit Me, Marsha” Comtois

August 17, 2004

*Yeah, it’s my site, and it’s safe to assume that willfully ignorant rednecks aren’t part of my readership, so I don’t care about being PC about this.