Vote for Comment of the Week

Here are this week's contenders:

Student #1 has left a new comment on your post "The Pros and Cons For Actors Moving With a Show":

So, lovely. You created a pretty little show off Broadway and the man with the money wants to move you uptown for a lot more money. Great, huh? I'm surprised this article didn't mention anything about the actors who, building a show in a Steppenwolf or OB venue, have to change their mindset to work in an exponentially bigger house. Mannerisms must get bigger, not to mention strengthening the voice to support a larger sound. Add to it the fact that some of these productions were extremely limited runs (even as little as 3 weeks or so) and now you're going to a permanent 8-shows-a-week gig. That takes some warming up. Sometimes you live in Chicago and don't want to move to New York; or maybe starting a long-term occupancy in New York represents a significant need for assistance in transportation and moving costs. There are serious considerations for both the actor and the producer, mentally/spiritually/physically and financially, that go beyond what the increase from LORT to Broadway salary scale is. 

Student #2 has left a new comment on your post "What Molly Did Next":

I loved reading this article and following Louise Brealey's path to overcoming her fear and growing as a woman and actress. Nudity on stage is always a very sensitive topic, and should be handled as so. Brealey's realization that she was able to turn her fear of being naked in public into a strength, placing her in a position of power, is an interesting exploration of what nudity means to oneself and in society. Brealey declares she wants to appear natural, not like some kind of unreal goddess; yet eventually, because she plays Helen of Troy who has to be the most beautiful woman there ever was, she somewhat fits her appearance to what a woman should ideally be according to today's societal standards. Now, is this simply part of her role, and therefore her duty as a performer, or does this show another facet of the issue? Beyond the idea of the taboo and the embarrassment of nudity, I think this article also makes a strong statement about society's expectation of women's beauty, a controversial topic that has often been examined, discussed and re-examined. All in all, I am simply glad I got to read such an personal and insightful article on one of the most sensitive issues in theater. 

Student #3 has left a new comment on your post "Texas Lawmaker Wants Strippers To Wear Licenses Di...":

I think this idea has potential, but it seems to have been taken too far. While requiring strippers to take courses about how to remain safe is a good idea, I think pushing the cost onto the employees is questionable. If the employers are the ones making a lot of money off of their businesses, they should be the ones who offer safety training and incur the expense. Most other companies that have employees that are required to have safety training sessions are required to supply that training at their own cost. Why should this be any different?

I also question why these employees should be required to keep their license on their person at all times while working. There are not many industries that require this, so why would strippers need to? It would make sense that their employers must have a copy of the license on record and would need to provide proof of licensing in order to put an employee on payroll, but it seems extreme to require the employee to display that license at all times.

I am also curious as to what rmarkowi meant by "forcing people from legitimate jobs and opening them to harassment." How is requiring someone to obtain a license forcing someone from a legitimate job? Isn't that making their job more legitimate? 

Student #4 has left a new comment on your post "Table Saw Safety: Why the British Think We're Craz...":

Yeah, sure they get some things right, just don't ask them to plan an invasion of occupied France. Dunkirk aside, both British and American commentators posting below this article hit on the truth about the table saw: there is no substitute for common sense and no safe-guard against carelessness. The table saw is a dangerous tool, yes, but so is a sharp chisel. The closest I've ever come to losing a finger was using the latter. Why? Inattentiveness and lack of experience. The immitigable fact is the cost of acquiring experience with the table saw, or any tool, can be high. Government doucuments and regulations are what they are, and hearing different approaches to and set ups for a tool use is helpful and instructive, as long as we remember that the buck, or maybe in this case it would be more appropriate to say the kickback, stops with you. 

Student #5 has left a new comment on your post "'Adventure Hour' Is A New Take On Old-Time Radio":

This article reminds me why I love theatre so much. There are always people finding new ways of making theatre that incorporate other art and story telling forms. Old-Time radio shows have been a favorite story telling style of mine since I was about 10. I am very inspired by the work that the two Ben's are doing. I would love to see one of these shows or even better be part of putting on a "fake radio" show myself. To me one of the most important elements of radio shows is that everyone needs to be listening in at the same time. This connects the audience even though they are in different homes or cars. This sort of connection between the audience members is lost today because of the "any time" qualities of the internet and recorded shows. The one place that live still remains strong is in theatre. So this connection speaks strongly to me. This weekend I'm going to listen to the podcast online.