| [ | mood |
| |  contemplative | ] |
As some people, I'm sure, have the wrong impression as to why I turned down the role offered to me for the AOA's 2008 Chess Board, I thought I would clarify my position.
For those of you who think I wsa pissy for not getting cast in the role I auditioned for: Wrong answer Steve
In all the years I have been doing this, there were only 2 times that I really cared about getting a specific role. This was not one of them.
I auditioned only because there would be an opportunity to have a fight with my long time friend and brother, Evil Bob. Being that he one of the few people who have done this longer than I have, he would bring a wealth of talent, knowledge and ability to offer the Order. He had his heart set on getting a certain role, and short of that would have stuck around as long as we had a fight together. I to would have been happy in any role on the board if had involved a fight with him. I made these wishes known and I thought that after 20 or so years of service it was completely reasonable. They were ignored. Oh well, no biggy, its an opportunity lost.
But still, this was only a mild annoience, and I would have still stayed and done my assigned role.
What up set me to no end was the erosion of necessary authority invested in the fight director for the chess board. People are under the misunderstanding that the Chessboard is the perview of the drama guild. Fot those of you with this misconception, let me clarify.
On any given day of faire, past the first, second or maybe, if there has been a lot of work on projection, the third row, no one in the audience can here the dialogue. More to the point 90% of the audience doesn't even care about it. Not to belittle the hard work put in by everyone on making every chessboard a gripping story, but the simple fact of the matter is that most of the audience doesn't care. 90% of them are there to see the fights. If you don't beleive this, wait around a few years and see what random audience people remember about chessboards of the past. Is it the story line, how they were moved by the drama or humor or moral lesson. Nope. Its whichever fight was the most spectacular. I have seen all kinds of chessboards all across the country and there is one thing I know; the concept of the chessboard is just a convenient way to have a bunch of fights without it being a Pokeman battle. "Sir Lancelot! I choose you!!!"
The Dramatic aspect is very important. It is a key component, and gives all of our members something to strive for and be a part of. It allows people with acting experience the chance to stretch themselves, and those with none to experience it for the first time. That kind of teaching and performance is vital to the Dream that is the AOA.
However, with all this considered, it is still the fights which leave a lasting impression and determine whether or not a particular years, chessboard is a success or failure. For this to work, the fight director is empowered with the authority to make decision about key fighting roles, so that pivotal fights can be as good as possible. Whether or not, this works with the Directors vision is a secondary consideration. Just as whether or not a person is in exactly the right age range, or might be the best actor for the part. As I understand it, and I could be wrong as I was not at the top secret meeting, and only have the word of two attendees to go on, the Master of Arms made his needs known and he was ignored and / or run over, and did not receive the support from the King to bring the Drama guild back to reality.
It is this lose of checks and balances that upset me so much. To see my brother Tim put in a position where is authority is ignored and not to receive the support of the King was ludicris, and a sure fire way to make this and future chessboards sub-par. If this is a presedent being set for how thing will be run in the future, I won't ever audition for a chessboard again, and as it stands, I won't be part of this one either.
Oh well, it leaves me with more time to make a joust show that is safe.
ps: Spell Check not used, because I don't really care. |
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