NATHAN STUBER

fletch-

pass along if you wish...

i'll weigh in on the 'non acting' segment of an awards system...

as a designer who still works in milwaukee but has taken up residence elsewhere i would like to point out that while there is certainly a talented pool of theatre artists in milwaukee i can count the number of full time theatrical scenic designers who call milwaukee home on one hand... (i can almost do the same with lighting designers...)

while an awards system (properly instituted... and i am doubtful that it can be...) would showcase the depth of acting talent in milwaukee, it would draw focus to the scale of our community... awards 'work' in chicago and new york because there are tons more fish in the pond.... a ballot of the same three or four designers in each category each year (assuming only milwaukee residents are eligible to be nominated) would feel like the animated features category at the oscars... pixar...and....hmmmm....right...

personally i find publicly claiming one artistic endeavor as being superior to all others distasteful... i know who can act, direct, stage manage, build and design in this town and i'm pretty sure that an awards system would do nothing to confirm or dissuade my personal beliefs or aesthetic....

as for an award as a marketing tool? if Actor X won best actor for a low budget show that no one in the greater community saw, but was awarded upon merit, would anyone seek out said actor the following season? how would you market that? would you as a producer alter your casting to get an 'award winner'? do you go see shows because of one piece of the puzzle? sure, i try and support certain people. but i work in the industry...

anyway... final reason i find awards laughable... julia roberts... best actress? ha...

-nate