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June 19, 2007
Forum Theatre
I was surprised to find a mention of Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre on Clientcopia, a site for venting about difficult clients:
I'm a writer/director, specialising in Augusto Boal's interactive theatre technique called 'Forum Theatre'.A big industrial theatre company owner calls me. 'You do Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre, don't you?'
I tell her I do.
We have a meeting. She asks me to do a proposal. I do it. She sells it to her client. We have meetings. We start work on the job.
About two weeks before we have to perform, she calls an urgent meeting.
She arrives for the meeting late. She's flustered, red, panicky.
'What's happening, Sue?' I ask.
'Well... I'm very worried about this piece,' she says.
'What's the problem?' I ask.
'I really don't see why you're insisting that it has to be Forum Theatre.'
Baffled silence from me. Followed by me digging my nails into my palm to stop myself from shouting. Followed by, 'YOU called ME and asked ME to do Forum Theatre for YOU. I'm not insisting on Forum Theatre at ALL. YOU ARE!'
Silence from her.
'But why are you insisting on Forum Theatre?' she asks.
I give her the name and number of a buddy of mine and say, 'I'm sure he can give you something that's not Forum Theatre.'
And that's the end of a long and frustrating relationship with that particular production house. Until they want Forum Theatre again, I suppose.
Posted by Fuzzy at June 19, 2007 2:56 PM