Snippitts of Illusions

Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind, As man's ingratitude.

originally posted as a comment on kevins blog. updated and added to here.

i've been meaning to comment on this topic for a while now, but just haven't. now i am. Kevin wrote on his blog, about a month ago on All My Sons, a play that he directed. he wrote on the arts appreciation class at the bottom of his post about All My Sons. and in a word, my opinion: the arts appreciation classes are a joke, a farce, and an out right sham. i can speak from both the artists and the patron of the arts perspective and say i would rather play and be in a house with little audience that is there to enjoy the performance, than a full house of individuals that don't want to be there.

my sophomore and junior years at the university i T.A'ed the music appreciation class. the class is set up differently now (primarily online) but back then there was a listening lab that the students had to attend once a week. part of my job (in addition to correcting the silly little worksheets) was running the lab. it was primarily slide shows, or films with popular music playing in the background. some extrapolated the nature of the orchestra while others were pleasant distractions. about half the students didn't want to be there. they hated it, and they talked or played around with whatever they had in their pockets: gameboys, some cell phones though the tech for cellphones back then was pretty substandard compared to today, and only a tiny amount had games or texting capabilities. mostly i think they slept. which i was fine with, as they did not become a distraction. they also had to attend two or three concerts of a musical nature, most went to stuff on campus, though there was not a specific set of concerts for them to go to. and they could pretty well pass most things off as part of the requirement. most of the kids, as you can gather took the class for an easy A, and it's no different now.

i attended James and the Giant Peach last saturday, and enjoyable show that the kids (and the adults) seemed to really have fun with. there was a couple blithely talking away behind me before the show started (and somewhat during) and part of their conversation turned to the fact one of them was in the creative arts class and they were attending the show for credit for that class.
i was in a particularly a-social mood, but didn't feel up to being the asshole i can be, so did not turn to them and say what i instictedly wanted to say which was: "well if you have to be here, at least behave as well as the seven year olds seated next to you." how i wish i had. they also mentioned how everybody in the class had to attend the Actors of the London stage who are performing this weekend "Hamlet". the girl, who is in the class mentioned how it was a requirement of the class to attend. the guy that was with her made the chiding remark that it was probably the only way they could get people to attend.
curse my held tongue. i tend to avoid many social faux pass, but sometimes i can't help myself. sadly this was once again a time i could, and said nothing.
were i to go back and relive the situation (how many of us have said that), i would have commented how the Actors from the London Stage are actually quite popular with those that have an appreciation of acting, theater and performance in general. i would have told them that the performances are a bonus for the community, a huge bonus for the community, and the funding for them brings them in to do workshops and lectures for the theater students on campus in addition to sharing quality talent and acting with individuals who might not ever see anything like this otherwise. how even if they didn't appreciate the effort these individuals put into the multiple characters they are performing for the audience many more do, and that their lack of appreciation only telegraphs their gross ignorance.

i did not say these things. and in fact it's probably good i did not as i would not have had qualms about finding myself in an altercation with these individuals and i would have missed James (not to mention been in jail and missed work later that night).

the creative arts appreciation classes are a sad way to let individuals get an easy A in a class they have no business being in. most are attracted, not to the idea of learning about an art they have little experience with, but that boost to their GPA they are nearly assurred to recieve for almost no effort. once they understand what it is that is required of them, they complain, zone out, whip out the cell phones, and study through the arduous task of paying attention to a performance.

in spite of the two individuals gross lack of understanding, the Actors of the London Stage are popular. they've come several years and the community recognizes how great of performers they are. sadly, i waited too long to try and get a ticket. i'm almost never on campus, and i didn't think to send the money with the friends i have that are on campus, and they are sold out. i won't be attending, which saddens me. it saddens me more that hundres will be attending that don't want to be there.

posted by F.G. Shaw @ 1:53 PM