johnny

Thanks for the info on Handke and mission statement. I'm actually going to be discussing some of these things at the next get-together I have with my commrades. I think it's wonderful that you have found such success doing the kind of theatre you are passionate about. Right now we are putting a lot of trust in fate, and that's kind of scary. I would like to think that we have done our homework, however. I don't know if you've been to Chicago and observed the scene here, but we've tried to analyze what works and what doesn't, and what makes a company successful and what factors push them under. Personally, I believe it is a matter of juggling WHAT one wants to do with the variables that may or may not get it seen. Because we don't have the money to take on this company alone, we need it to be seen, and we would like to create a buzz. The more support we can get from others observing our potential, the better.

Currently, we are still reading hundreds of plays and revisiting the ones we have loved in the past. We are looking for the "perfect" show (I realize that this may be an impossible task). We are very interested in workshoping shows in the future, but for now, we are looking for something that jumps out at us and we can say "Yes. This is the show, and it needs to be done this way. WE want to do it, and it is important that OTHERS see it and they will WANT to see it." That is our current objective. So... Finding the play is becoming rather difficult. I'm going to look into your suggestions this week and try to bring them to the table. I just read an AMAZING piece of work, however. I've read Fernando Arrabal before, but I had never read "And Thy Put Handcuffs on the Flowers." WOW. This is a timely piece considering Guatanamo Bay, and the Iraqi prison situation, and just prison situations all over the world in general. I don't know if you've read it, but WOW.

Hey man. Haven't heard from you in a while. I hope you're busy with more important things! I wish I was. I'm going to drop you a line about what I'm up to, because to be honest, I'm looking for all the advice I can get! We really like the Handke plays, and the Arabal play, much to my frustration, is being held onto until we honestly have the resources to do it right. That's probably a good call, but one can dream...

In any case, we are still looking for that one show to stamp this comapany name on that will both be memorable and important to us. Right now, I'm considering "The Empire Builders" by Boris Vian. It's one of those shows that has been recomended to me for a long time, and I've never gotten around to reading it. Any thoughts on the play? Or something I should read that I haven't yet? We begin our serious search for spaces next week, and we need to decide on about three show posibilities. We are trying to be smart in finding a space that would suit the shows we are considering. Any thoughts?

I hope all is well!