Attended a discussion last night to promote "The Alchemy of Theatre," a new book by Playbill On Line's Robert Viagas, which uses a few dozen essays to dissect the art of collaboration in the theater and the various challenges that occur typically while attempting to create a successful collaboration, whether in theater writing, production or craft.
The panelists, all of whom are explored in the book, included Edward Albee, Harold Prince, Terrence McNally, Kathleen Chalfant, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Though I have not yet read the tome, the discussions at the event seemed promising. Here were some of my favorite quotes, as scribbled onto my program at whim:
McNally - A play is just a bunch of stuff on a two-dimensional piece of paper.
Albee - I completely disagree with you! Anyone who goes around messing with Beckett will end up with something less than Beckett intended.
Kathleen Chalfant - The theater is an extraordinarily democratic undertaking. You all want to move the work forward and illuminate it.”
Lynn Ahrens - I never thought of the critic as a collaborator. That thought paralyzes me. I don’t know who these people are.