The Playgoer: Quote of the Day

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Sunday, December 25, 2005

Quote of the Day

"True theatrical collectives - companies of actors and artists who repeatedly work together to hone their craft, establishing a cohesive aesthetic - remain a vital part of the European theatrical landscape. By contrast, the phenomenon is virtually nonexistent in the upper realms of New York theater, where the demands of the marketplace reign supreme and even the finest casts are assembled for a single production.
What we lose out on is what I found so transfixing in the productions mentioned: the singular ability of a unified company of actors to conjure a world that compels us with its truth, whatever the style or tone of the material. This is something different in kind from assembling an array of terrific performers for just one occasion."

- Charles Isherwood, using his Times year-end wrap up to confront the New York theatre on why it cannot match the ensemble work on display here in recent tours from Europe. Here here. But does he beathe word anywhere of funding? Dream on...

Ben Brantley's pseudo "best of" list is here.

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