Cultural Cringe, Keeping Identities Small

Hi Punks! 

I am back from New-Zealand and chasing projects in all directions like a rabbit-octopus hybrid. Flying out to the UK next week, and trying to lock some solid things down. Anyway, as happens when you have too many things to do, my brain's been busy cross-pollinating. Here are a few ideas.  

Eddie Perfect was talking about the other day our habit of importing cast for Musical Theatre in Australian Productions (mainly of American and UK pieces). He said this on Facebook about 24 hours ago:

"I've been following the growing anger and frustration directed at several commercial musicals importing leads from the US in place of finding an Australian performer for the gig. I agree with the outpouring of strong feelings, predicated on the fact that the imported stars are are not "marquee names" utilised to prop up box office. It's a disturbing trend, and sets a dangerous precedent... and the observation that we're heading back to the dark ol' JC Williamson days are not far off the mark at all. I'm no stranger to weighing on the state of Music Theatre in this country, so this will come as no surprise to most... and heaven forbid I appear to be victim blaming here (absolutely, we should be stopping the practice of cast imports vigorously, through every channel available)... BUT... it strikes me that our music theatre industry is particularly vulnerable to this practice... not just because we're talking large-scale commercial enterprises, but because culturally, we have COMPLETELY relied on the importation of CONTENT to the EXCLUSION of Australian content. I'm not saying we deserve this for our industry, but Jesus, the culture is VULNERABLE as all get out. If you've ever had to cast a musical, or write one, or develop one, you'd be well aware of the fact that our own content is regarded with such immense cringe, and is passed over so quickly for foreign content (try casting against Wicked or Jersey Boys), it takes a certain masochism not to be derailed. We value our performers, and so we should, we want them to have every opportunity to show AUSTRALIAN audiences that they are every bit as skilled as US performers. But when we relentlessly suck on the Broadway/West End teat, when we do next to NOTHING to development our own content and represent our own culture (I need to single out Hayes Theatre who are doing excellent things to address the imbalance, along with many other small-scale companies and entities, as well as Global Creatures, who work large-scale), then we leave ourselves vulnerable. 

Even in 2016, we writers still have to leave this country to work on large scale musicals. That's a shitty fact. Once again, I'm not victim blaming, but I believe Music Theatre in this country needs to take a long, serious, grown-up look at itself. Why aren't we writing the musicals that head to Broadway and exporting our own bloody performers with them? Who's sticking up for the writers? Who's cultivating the writers? When are we going to value not only our PERFORMERS, but our STORIES? Our CONTENT? Huh? Who has that VISION?

Once the fight to restore our performers in roles where they speak and sing in American accents is won, let's perhaps fight for our performers to try out their Australian accents.

That's it. I'm starting a theatre composer's club. Who wants in?"

I never really know how to feel about this stuff. I'm all for the international stage, but part of what I wrote my Mphil on was this way Australians have always looked to the empire (First England then America) for identity frameworks. I think there's something wrong there - or if not wrong, silly? Weak? Could be better?

That said, about identity, and just to complicate matters (BECAUSE I LOVE TO DO THAT) I also read this fantastic piece by Y-Combinator guru Paul Graham called "Keep Your Identity Small" which struck a chord with me. Anyway, I wrote a new poem about importing voices and that sort of thing.

James Nokise also made this point in his satirical show about NZ politics, so it might not just be an Australian thing. Nonetheless. 

http://lucidandalight.tumblr.com/post/144679059432/cultural-cringe-australia

If you're looking for more pure comedy stuff that I wrote this week, I turned out two articles for the good old SBS Comedy, one on apologies and murder, and one on women licking cars. (sort of). 

Have a read of any of the links in this, and let me know what you think. 

alicerfraser@gmail.com is the place to go. 

Chiz Chiz.