Feedback to a Proposal re. what's playing locally

[Kathy Kit Yi Chung]

Greetings CanDrama--
 
I'm back with a report on the feedback to my proposal about
sharing news of present and up-coming theatrical productions
and seasons where you live.  Those of you who didn't get the
initial message can, I assume, find it in the archives of
the mailing list.  A revised proposal is contained here as
item (4/5).
 
 
(1/5) RESPONSE RATE:
-------------------
 
Since my request for feedback first mailed out on 11 July, I have
received 10 replies out of a current subscription list of about 95.
This means a reply rate of 10.5 percent.
 
Is this good or bad?
 
 
(2/5) AN OBSERVATION RE. WHERE THE RESPONSES WERE SENT:
------------------------------------------------------
 
I had optimistically expected a deluge of messages, hence my request
that you mail directly to me your replies, which I would then summarize
and post to the mailing list.  In hindsight, given the number
of responses and the sedate nature of the list (perhaps things will
pick up when September comes around?), I now feel I should simply
have asked people to reply to the CanDrama List itself.
 
Anyway, herewith . . .
 
 
(3/5) A SUMMARY OF YOUR FEEDBACKS:
---------------------------------
 
 1) "I think it is a wonderful idea to post what is showing
     in everyone's community."
 
                       -- Lise Charlebois, U of Ottawa.
 
 
 2) "Have you any idea what a mammoth job you are proposing?
     Toronto Theatre Alliance, for example, publishes a monthly
     listing of professional theatre productions in the Toronto
     area which runs to about 50-100 entries.  If you could
     persuade different organizations such as TTA across the
     country to participate, giving you the listings on e-mail
     form, it might be possible, but otherwise it's more than
     a full-time job, as I see it.
 
     Cautions aside, yes, I'd love to have e-mail access to what's
     playing across Canada, and if you can figure out a way to
     make it possible, good luck to you!"
 
                         -- Lisbie Rae, U of Guelph.
 
 
  3) "Great Idea!  I'll be sure to contribute."
 
                        -- Chris Fonnesbeck, UBC.
 
 
  4) "Post what's happening in theatres across the country?
      This is such a good idea, I can't believe no one has
      thought of it before. . . .  On the down side, there
      may be some negative response to it.  If we can't use
      the CANDRAM list for it, let's find some other way.
      I would really like to keep up with things across
      Canada."
                         -- Jeffrey Goffin, U of Calgary.
 
 
  5)  Richard Sutherland in Vancouver, sent in detailed info about
      what's "being planned for the fall by some of the smaller
      companies" in Vancouver, B.C.  (e.g. Tamahnous, Magic Owl,
      Fend Players, Pink Ink, Dark Horse Theatre, Carousel.)  I
      will fwd this info to the list ASAP.
 
 
  6) "I think your proposal is an excellent one . . . .  With
      the rise of E-mail technology, we have the chance to
      alter the insular nature of Canadian academic and cultural
      pursuits for good.  The question being, will academics who
      live in the culturally busier Ontario-Quebec nexus, many
      of whom obviously feel no lack by being 'isolated' from
      Western (or Maritime) culture, feel they have any stake in
      casting their net (no pun intended) farther afield?  Of
      course, I think many of them will, especially those with
      family or educational roots out west; but I am curious to
      see how enthusiastically your idea is taken up.  I
      *certainly* agree that the CANDRAMA circle needs to be
      livened up, since I've been subscribed for a week and yours
      is the first message to come through to me."
 
                         -- Paul Malone, UBC.
 
 
  7)  "I'd be happy to try to do my best on the British front--say,
       a run down of what's gonna be at the Edinburgh Festival and
       Edinburgh Festival Fringe for a start?"
 
                         -- Jennifer Harvie, Glasgow, UK.
 
 
  8) "Your idea for a calendar of theatre events is excellent.  I'd
      like to help by supplying information, although living in
      Sudbury I can only give you notices of the (now) annual
      festival here in August called Fringe Nord.  The information
      from other subscribers across Canada would be invaluably
      useful to me as I gather research during my sabbatical next
      year (1995-96)."
 
                         -- Shannon Hengen, Laurentian U.
 
 
  9) "I have often thought that we need a comprehensive listing
      of theatre seasons.  And I've thought that we also need a
      publication which provides reviews of the seasons across the
      country.  Several years ago there was an attempt to make Scene
      Changes (Theatre Ontario magazine) into such a publication,
      but it was abandoned when Th Ont decided Ontario was its
      boundary mandate . . .
 
      The problem seems to me to be how comprehensive a Candrama
      listing could be.  Entering all the shows (there are
      probably twenty on in Toronto area at any given time during
      the busy season, and more outside) takes oodles of time.
      But even some notes submitted by our colleagues about
      various shows would be helpful -- if eclectic and spotty in
      coverage."
 
                         -- Richard Plant, U of Toronto.
 
 
  10) "This is a good idea.
 
       I saw two shows at the Toronto Fringe which are worth
       mentioning: _Stop Slowing Down_, a set of short plays by
       Jason Sherman, including the very disturbing _Merchant
       of Showboat_.  I don't know whether this will tour to
       other festivals.
 
       _SourDough_, three short plays by Chris Ralph.  Inventive,
       macabre, very funny.  It is touring to several fringe
       festivals across Canada."
 
                         -- Robert Nunn, Brock U.
 
 
(4/5) REVISED PROPOSAL:
----------------------
 
Due to the present low volume of traffic on the Candrama mailing
list, and observing the examples of David McClelland and Gordon
Jones in sharing news about Live Bait Theatre in Sackville and
Shakespeare productions in St. John's respectively:
 
 a) I humbly suggest that we simply post to CANDRAMA such local
    production info as each of us feels like sharing.  You can
    tell us about a complete season or a single play, a future
    production or one you've just seen, or what naugth.
 
    This procedure will simplify matters, save me from unnecessary
    work, and can be modified should that deluge I envisioned
    become a reality one day.
 
 b) In a way, the Net collapses distances and one community can seem
    just as close or as distant as another so I would encourage people
    from all geographical sites to contribute to the list.  After all,
    that's the beauty of the Net!  It would be great to hear equally
    about Fringe Nord in Sudbury, Kelowna's Sunshine Theatre, the
    Edinburgh Fringe, the Toronto Fringe, and Fend Players in Vancouver.
 
 
(5/5) BYE FOR NOW!
------------------
 
Well, I've plumb run out of things to say, except . . .
 
*Thanks* for all your responses and for putting up with all
my yackity-yack.
 
Cheers!  Kathy.
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Kathy Chung
kychung at unixg.ubc.ca
Vancouver, B.C.