A Word About Jesse Green!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              Make no mistake about it, dears, the Fiasco Theatre Company's heads are still potentially on the chopping block, until I see how they have handled 'Merrily.'  What I want to write about now is Jesse Green, The New York Times critic, because I don't want to give the impression, having disagreed with his assessment of "Call Me Madam," that his head is on my chopping block.  It isn't. There actually is something I read about him saying that demonstrates we are both on the same page--at least about one thing.

                                               To paraphrase Mr. Green, he said something to the effect that many who write theater criticism have no idea of what it is like to create theater, and when I read that, I cheered!!!!!!!!!!!!    Mr. Green, I take off my hat to you.  Over the years I have performed, auditioned, stage managed--everything but hanging lights.  The height scares me.  And without a net--no way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                I am glad this notion is shared by someone else, because this cuts very close to the bone with me. At my former workplace, which was an arts center, things were becoming much more corporate than I could tolerate.  I am not placing the blame solely on them; many arts places seem to be going in this direction.  But it was something I could not, and would not, tolerate.  I also could not work with people who ostensibly thought they knew about theater, but did not.  At least two in particular, whom I could name, but will not.  They know who they are.

                                                 When I was hired there, in 1981, back when 'Merrily' was getting on its feet, (See?  There will be more than one connection to 'Merrily.') one had to have some kind of background in the performing arts to work there.  These days, any tramp off the street would be hired.  Like when the Castevets, in "Rosemary's Baby," plucked Theresa Gionoffrio off the street to potentially bear Satan's child.  This, to me is unconscionable.

                                                    Now, here comes another 'Merrily' connection, because, when the show finally did open, and people whom I knew saw and talked about it, so many would come up to me, and say "You ARE Charley Kringas."  Which I was proud of.  Because, from my first viewing I got Charley, because he and I were on that same idealized wave of integrity.  And never seemed to have lost it.

                                                       Did I leave/retire having done my own version of "Franklin Shepard, Inc.?"  No, but I certainly wanted to.  In fact, maybe this post is it.

                                                         So, to Jesse Green, thank you for making this head-on-his-shoulders idealist/purist force me to write this.  I always considered the criticism of others informative, up to a point.  When it comes to viewing, the only critic I listen to, is I. Because if you have no experience of any kind in the art you are writing about, what the hell gives you the right to judge it?

                                                           Meaning, Jesse, if you felt you were on the hook, you were not, and thereby off.  The Fiasco Company, till March 2, is still on it, with their 'Merrily.'

                                                            Oh, God, how I would love to be proved wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!