Thursday, September 30, 2010

Critics love "Low Pay? Don't Pay!" and Piccolo loves it's critics

Well, we love them most of the time. And to be fair, they've probably only loved us most of the time. Theatres and critics have always had an uneasy relationship, and Piccolo is no different from other theatres in that respect. We've had rotten reviews and we've had amazing reviews, often for the same show.

But no matter a theatre's relationship with the critics, we have to admit it's been a tough year for arts critics in Chicago.

Those who are not closely tied to the arts may not have even noticed the changes. But to those of us in the field, it's very clear that we are entering a new era. Because of shrinking budgets, the newspapers, magazines and journals you read every day have had to cut back on feature articles, trim the amount of staff covering the arts, or just plain limit the number of performances they review. While this news may not seem like a big deal, you'll find that arts organization and performers rely heavily on these reviews and feature articles.

Picture this: you see a listing for a show and can't find anything good that anyone has said about it. Your eyes skim past it to........a listing accompanied by a photo and article about the famous Italian Director-in-Residence, or even simply the words "Highly Recommended!". Chances are that you are much more likely to spend your money and time to see that show. Aside from personal word-of-mouth, those feature articles and reviews are the next best thing artists have to reach out to you, our patron. Artists depend on the critics to truthfully convince you to pay for tickets and patrons depend on the critics for thoughtful reviews when choosing what to spend their money on. Granted, there is no possible way to guarantee that all critics are ingenuous and discerning, just as there is no way to assure that every theatre out there is putting on life-changing, wonderful work. That's an entire separate blog entry!

So, back to the topic at hand. How do we all accept and embrace the change as the media moves away from old (paper) traditions and into the digital realm? I can only tell you from Piccolo's perspective. This is why you won't see Piccolo taking out traditional ads. It's why Piccolo is developing a strong presence on Facebook, in your email, and here on this blog. It's why we love to hear your thoughts on blogs and hear your reviews on Yelp!. This is why we are spending some of our hard-earned dough on updating our website to accommodate iPads and mobile devices. It's all because we want to make a connection with YOU! And that's why we have been welcoming reviewers and critics from sources in addition to the stalwart, old standbys. Have you seen the reviews for our current production of Low Pay? Don't Pay! ? You may not recognize all of the publications, but we urge you to become familiar with them. Check them out!

“Enthusiastically Recommended!”
Patricia Simms, LaSplash.com

Piccolo takes this farce and runs with it…[an] inspired production…"
– Brian Murphy, Evanston Roundtable

Director John Szostek and [the] cast rock it till it pops…goofy, good-natured fun.”
Paige Listerud, Chicago Theatre Blog


“…
a goldmine of physical humor and sight gags…Piccolo’s savvy cast shines.”
Tom Wittom, Pioneer Local


“[
Playwright Dario] Fo will be proud”
Charlie Trimarco, EvanstonPatch.com


Notice the new publications? We at Piccolo Theatre are so thankful to the local papers and established blogs who still send critics to see our work. And we welcome the newcomers, hoping the addition of their voices and thoughtful opinions you can trust will convince you to walk through our doors and have a good laugh with us.

By the way, there is still time to catch Low Pay? Don't Pay! Laughs and biting political/economic commentary will be running through October 23.

Want to know more about the the changes taking place in the media or the current state of arts critics? The following readings might be of interest to you.


"What is it About 20 Somethings?" New York Times Magazine
(This article lays out why the media and the rest of the world is being forced to change, thanks mostly to Gen Y!)

"Critics: Who needs 'em? Why They Still Matter." Chicago Tribune
(make sure you read pg 2 of this one.)



Saturday, September 18, 2010

Refried Fleas and Freeze-Dried Fleas. Yum!

Now that Low Pay? Don't Pay! has opened and our audiences are laughing, we have time for some other related fun.

For those of you who have seen the show, you already know that the characters are dealing with food prices that are rising so sharply, one family is left to create dinner out of dog food, canary millet, and other less appetizing "gourmet" ingredients. Well, this got us to thinking. And goofing around. Ensemble member Ken Raabe wrote a little ditty about Refried Fleas and Freeze-Dried Flies and we couldn't resist sharing it with you.


Thanks to the awesome Rachel Bykowski for this video!

Here's a live performance of the song by Ken Raabe and Ensemble member Amy Gorelow outside our home at the Evanston Arts Depot.



So we want to know, what the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

Monday, September 6, 2010

What you don't see...

From Low Pay? Don't Pay! lighting designer, Rich Bryant:

Have you ever taken the time to wonder how something comes into existence? How someone came up with an idea or an improvement of something already in existence? Do you find yourself watching HGTV, TLC, the History Channel or America's Test Kitchen on PBS? Then maybe you're just like me and have a bit of curiosity that pushes you to learn more.

Theatre is a process like anything else and one that has a certain amount of well worn methods to achieve it. Most folks, like yourselves, get to enjoy the end result and walk away from your experience with not only something to talk about, but hopefully also a reason to keep coming back. If you only knew.

In the many years of theater experience I have had I have learned that each show is unique in what it has to say and how it goes about saying it. The playwright has made distinct choices and selected a point of view that he or she wants an audience to hear and see. It is then up to the director, the actors and the designers, who all bring different experiences, thoughts and reasons, to try and address the questions within the play. We don't always agree nor should we. Theater to me is always one part collaboration and one part confrontation (not in a physical sense though sometimes it happens). It is a way for us to relate, to address, to challenge one another. To test our metal against the text. To forge new ideas and grow as people and performers. What I am hoping is that for all the hours, days and weeks I spend sweating, laboring, losing sleep and often times forgetting to eat, you come to the show and take away something you didn't have before. That what you take away continues to raise your curiosity and wonder. That what you didn't see makes you question what you just did.

I'll leave you with this thought and hopefully it makes you laugh and wonder what in the world these theatre artists are doing.

SELF PORTRAIT
anyone who says the square peg
does not fit in the circular hole
has never seen a crazy bitch with a hammer
-From Tricia Warden‘s Attack God Inside

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Tech week- it's ON!

It's been tough finding time to post the past few days, because we've been in the thick of TECH WEEK! We have our first preview on Friday (this week!) and have been busy finishing the set, adding sound cues, lights. This is when the magic really starts to literally take shape around the artists.

Have you gotten your tickets yet? They are on sale now online or call 847-424-0089.
For those of you who are super duper budget conscious, check our Cheap! Cheap! Cheap! preview performances. This weekend, Sept 3-5!


Andrew and Amy put up some wallpaper on the set, while our stage manager, Cate, organizes props and Richard programs in some lighting cues.



And rehearsal doesn't stop for the actors, either. Oh, no! They are working through all of this, polishing up the funny bits and throwing in a few more, just because they can. The more laughs the better, right? Coming up next, a sneak peak at our final dress rehearsals!

And don't forget to check out our Facebook profile to see even more pictures.