Other Ideas

Scott Walters over at Theatre Ideas had some thoughts on yesterday’s post and then I responded to his entry and, if I didn’t mess up my submission while running back and forth preparing my dinner, just replied to his response.

With all that thinking and writing, I pretty much figure I have done my blogging contribution of the day. Whew!

Actually, I did want to highlight a project Scott has been working on in conjunction with other arts bloggers, over the course of a number of blog entries called Theatre Tribe. This project is dedicated to finding viable way to do theatre in the changing economic/political/social landscape. Since he has been developing the concept essentially from scratch in entries interspersed over the course of several months, he has set up a central page that organizes his thoughts for easy reference. I have read some of his entries at various points though when I clicked through the headers on the central page, I realized how many I had missed. Scott presents some interesting ideas for revising the way performances are mounted and the nature of the artist-community relationship.

There are times when I find Scott’s writings to be strident and in opposition with my own thoughts. But he is also very thoughtful and reflective. Which is why I keep going back.

About Joe Patti

I have been writing Butts in the Seats (BitS) on topics of arts and cultural administration since 2004 (yikes!). Given the ever evolving concerns facing the sector, I have yet to exhaust the available subject matter. In addition to BitS, I am a founding contributor to the ArtsHacker (artshacker.com) website where I focus on topics related to boards, law, governance, policy and practice.

I am also an evangelist for the effort to Build Public Will For Arts and Culture being helmed by Arts Midwest and the Metropolitan Group. (http://www.creatingconnection.org/about/)

My most recent role was as Executive Director of the Grand Opera House in Macon, GA.

Among the things I am most proud are having produced an opera in the Hawaiian language and a dance drama about Hawaii's snow goddess Poli'ahu while working as a Theater Manager in Hawaii. Though there are many more highlights than there is space here to list.

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2 thoughts on “Other Ideas”

  1. Note I was careful to specify that it was your writing I occasionally find strident. As you point out, I don’t know you as a person. Your picture on the blog actually makes me think teddy bear instead of pussycat, but I would imagine we will both survive that difference of opinion.

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