Saturday, May 30, 2009

Thomas Garvey at The Hub Review has responded to my post some weeks ago.

There are two things that are factually in error in his response. The first:


Mr. Daisey even took it upon himself to thoroughly fisk some comments I made about his arguments on Art Hennessey's blog - as is his wont, without notifying me or allowing the possibility of any response.

Mr. Garvey, this is the INTERNET. You can respond anywhere you like...in fact, I believe that where you posted this bizarre complaint is in fact YOUR RESPONSE ON YOUR SITE.

At the post I was respondeding to (
link) you can actually see my notification in the comments, where I let the world (and Mr. Garvey) know that I have made comments at my site. I never feel that is required, but I generally do it as a courtesy.

There's all sorts of
mystical technology on the internet that keep people informed when they are referenced or their site linked to. It has been my policy for some time that if people can't figure out how to know when they are being publicly commented on, they need to rectify that or take an off ramp from the Information Superhighway.

The second correction is for a humorous subtitle he uses under a picture of me:


You talkin' ta me? 'Cause I'm Mike Daisey, and I'm the only actor here!

I have said this here many times: I AM NOT AN ACTOR. I'm an independent artist working in the American theater. I'm not contained or constrained within the system that actors work within. I negotiate my own contracts, and make my own way in the world. I don't memorize lines, I don't play a role, I am not functioning as an actor within this system. If I lived within that system I would never have been able to give voice to HOW THEATER FAILED AMERICA.

When I work to improve conditions for actors, including pay, stability, and security, that won't change my own negotiations in any way. If I'm able to create artist/staff hybrid positions I don't expect I'll be in line for one, as I have different priorities.

After Mr. Garvey makes clear he believes I am a callow opportunist and an insecure lout, he says:

The fact that his cries for justice simultaneously operate as a means of self-promotion - for a show that, inevitably, takes paying jobs away from other actors - only means that he's a hypocrite, not that he's wrong.

Even when accompanied by insults, it is always a pleasure to hear someone admit that you're right.


After Mr. Garvey teeth-grittingly admits I am right, he writes very clearly and well about the market stressors that bring us to where we are now—there's not much that is new to the conversation, but it is very well put in a small amount of space. He'll be talking about these issues in a follow-up post, which I look forward to.