Jumping out of an airplane is less risky than putting up great theatre.

Great theatre implies great risk.  Dealing with an issue which has never really been dealt with in the theatre.  Staging a Masterwork in a new and exciting context. Getting your actors to really connect with the material and make it so so so frigging real.  Daring to be totally original, different, not knowing what the hell anyone will think!  Daring to show up and be there intimately and truthfully with an audience of people.

All the great theatre that I have seen involved some of the above.  All the great theatre that I have been involved in - ditto.

Risk is fun, and scary, and not safe, and so frigging delicious (in retrospect - after the fact.)  John Malkovich in BURN THIS many moons ago brought this insane sense of risk to his performance.  Eric Bogosian in Banging Nails into the Floor with my Head brought this delicious wild sense of abandon and specificity to the creation of this characters which rocked the house.  And Spalding Gray in all of his monologue tales was so unbelievably scathingly truthful and sadly ironic.  All great theatre, great moments in time for me.

Now I am not talking about shocking.  Shocking theatre is just silly.  If your intention is to shock your audience, who the hell cares?  I would rather be watching Nightmare on Elm Street #18.  Being truthful, telling a risky tale, recounting an unknown story or perspective of an event, that’s great theatre.

Great comic theatre derives from comedy so truthful it almost hurts, so it’s funny.  Characters so specific that you know exactly who they are and you can feel and laugh with them.  Situations based in reality, turned upside down.  Now that is great theatre.

I dare you to tell that story.  Or show up with total truth in that play you are performing in.  Dare to really deal with the material if you are acting or the issue if you are writing.  But look it square in the face and dare to make it real.

Risk putting up some great theatre.  I dare you.

With best regards,

Ken Wolf 

Artistic Director

Manhattan Repertory Theatre