I was asked by two of the producers to blog about this Clown Theatre Festival again this year. About anything that is happening at this festival that I feel is important or interested besides writing about the shows. I never dreamed I would be blogging about this issue but I feel this is an important issue for the performers in the festival. It is the second blog that is not about a show and the first blog that does not please me to write, but as a festival blogger it is part of what I agreed to do. Also another blogger also mentioned this issue in one of his blogs.
Producers of the NY Clown Theatre Festival receive a grade of F for programs. Maybe there is not a budget for printing up programs inserts for each show, or maybe there is no staff for this. We know two of the main producers of the festival are performing for a few weeks on the other side of the Atlantic at the moment. But I see no real programs for the performers and companies as a loss for this festival.
Lets say you have a major or minor theatre reviewer, producer or someone that could be vital for the performers or companies come to see a show and they are handed the current program. The reviewer will have no idea who is in what show if it is a show with three or four different companies. One blogger guessed at who was in what company for one evening with four different companies and got two names put in the wrong company. I left all the names out that I did not know and put “???” Thank you to the performer who blogged who she was and I was able to edit my blog and add her name. If I was a professional reviewer … I don’t know what I would have done. For performers not be credited in a write up or be placed in the wrong company would really piss me off. That error is not on the writer but the producers.
What are the profits for performer at this festival? Publicity, interacting with other performers, possible review, having people that see you or your company perform, know what you have done, where you have studied and anything else you want to them to know in a short bio. These little bio’s are very important for performers. One never knows who is in an audience and what important bit of information will help that person contact you so you can get your next gig or lead to a gig or new working relationship. Performers have come from the other side of the earth, across the country or ocean to perform in this festival and their name on the current program is in something like the smallest 4 point type on the back and it is not even circled or underlined for the show. Personally I would love to have seen a bio for The Birdmann … I feel like I was robbed of that small joy to get a little information as to whom The Birdmann is and what he has done.
Performers – I would strongly suggest you kindly ask the producers of this festival to print up inserts for the programs for your shows. If they do not, I recommend you print up your own inserts having them inserted or have a friend pass them out to the audience.
Do you think I am making too much of a deal about this or is this little program thing important? I would like to hear your comments.
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This post is from Hilary Chaplain who had problems posting this so I am posting it for her.
All performers recieved a participants package by email stating that each company/performer was to make up their own insert. If there was not insert in the program, it was because the company didn't make one. I know this, because I made the insert of stuffed the programs for El Magnifico and big and Little as we shared our evening. It would be great if the festival had the budget to do it, but in their defense, they DID tell the performers that they would need to do their own program. I got in touch with Big and Little and they sent me their info so I could do one for both of us. Sorry you missed our show - you would have seen that program, too.
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