The Playgoer: Eduardo Machado speech

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Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Eduardo Machado speech

"How they all must have turned in their graves at the thought of it. Asking the audience... How do you feel? Are you ready to be challenged? Oh you're not? Then we won't insult you. Please let's breed silence and passivity here at home so there's nothing to compare with your fascist wars all over the world. Let's all be happy. Buy those tickets make those donations. And we will please you.

It is 2006. We are the theater in New York. And we are asking for permission. Where does that leave us?

What kind of theatre is it that asks whether or not it should censor itself. Is that even a question? And I am not just blaming New York Theatre Workshop, "Rachel Corrie" is just the most recent example. I am blaming all of us. Myself included. Even if I wanted to say everything all at once. I feel the wall. I know the words I dare not utter. Even in this speech.
What's happened to us?"

-playwright Eduardo Machado in speech on the limits imposed on the theatre today, printed by Isaac Butler today. Read it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a narcissistic man. If he really feels that way about Columbia and his students, he should resign. There are other ways to make money. It sounds like, however, he needs to feel the narcissistic gratification of running a program. Like so many pathological narcissists, he glories in his self-image as well as denigrates it. This speech is something Ibsen would truly have marveled at: the master builder with his grand plans and his self-destructive hatred of those very same plans.

It is easy to speak out, to get an audience to rise to their feet. It is harder to live a life where you integrate your thoughts and feelings with your actions. Resign, Eduardo Machado. Make your money some other way.

Anonymous said...

It is not at all easy to speak out. Machado had the courage to stand up in front of a tough crowd and say what he really believes. In all it's complexity, whether people accepted it or not.
But you can't even leave your name on the playgoer blog.

Once more. Standing up? Speaking out? Or signing ANONYMOUS????