Take off that gloomy mask of tragedy, it's not your style

My Russian Theatre and Politics class went downtown last night to the Hyatt hotel near the World Trade Center, where the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, spoke briefly about Russian-American relations. It didn't remotely have to do with theatre, but it gave us some perspective into foreign policy, and how current economic and political conditions in Russia can affect the types of artwork produced there and consequently those we may see here in the near future.

I won't bore you with gritty details, but essentially he indicated that Russia is a young nation that is still learning how to embrace its independence and govern itself. He himself does not agree with certain ways the United States has handled certain instances in the past, or with the ways in which the American media has portrayed Russian political action, namely recent conflicts with Georgia, which struck a particular chord in me as a Mass Communication major. But he does acknowledge that Russia has also had considerable failures. He also says relations are improving and he is optimistic that we will come to terms on several issues such as gas prices and our relations within NATO.

(Update: Today (March 5th), NATO resumes ties with Russia! Thanks, Twitter!)

Overall I'd say he's quite optimistic about the future of Russian-American relations, and when it comes down to it, even the fact that we were permitted to have this class to examine new Russian drama (which is still not universally accepted in Russia) and function as intellectuals in this fascinating new element of their culture is still mind-blowing to me. Hopefully these improving relations will allow for improved support of the evolving arts in Russia so that we may enjoy them here.

Here's the class with the Ambassador, courtesy of Dr. Robyn Quick.


And here's Dr. McCartney approaching him, also courtesy of Robyn.


As always, I am your Drama Queen.

Ya got trouble, my friends, right here in New York City.

As most of you are aware, the United States economy is in a time of crisis. No matter where we are in the country or what our professions or interests involve, in some way this recession is affecting all of us.

Thus, it saddens me to the core to admit that even Broadway is experiencing economic hardship.

While it's true that there have been a significant lack of new shows appearing on the Great White Way for quite some time, Broadway has elegantly survived over recent years through revivals of popular musicals like Grease and Gypsy and by bringing in larger audiences by casting superstars from the film industry in new shows it DOES manage to import, such as Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame, who plays a young man with a sexual fascination to horses in Peter Shaffer's Equus.

Even so, the reality of the economy's current devastation hit the New York theatre scene heavily this past January, when 13 shows closed, including the new Tony Award-winning sensation The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein and the classic French farce Boeing-Boeing. Other popular favorites like Spamalot, Hairspray, and Spring Awakening also watched the final curtain fall.

The Curator and I agree that audiences are dying for new subject matter in the theatrical realm, which isn't exactly easily accomplished when one considers that the cost of putting up a production, especially one as high-scale as a Broadway show, goes much beyond what you see on the stage in performance. The production staff demands a hefty salary, as does the cost of equipment needed for the set and lighting. There are numerous other fees that must be accounted for, and consideration must first and foremost go to the performers whose talents you employ to make your show a success.

It's a cruel contradiction to that old stage adage, "the show must go on," but if you can't pay your actors, you don't have a show.

Through the good and bad, I remain your Drama Queen.