Silver Jade's Letter to the Editor:
Over the past two weekends, as a representative of my Internet Magazine focused on ethnic diversity in the performing arts, I have ventured out into the New Lebanon area with the intention of reviewing two of Theatre Barn’s musicals. Not only was I utterly appalled by the horrid manner in which I was treated, but also I was completely befuddled by the fact that this particular community theatre proved itself to be harder to get into than a maximum security prison.
In representing my renowned Internet magazine, I have been able to both review many performances and concerts as well as interview many high-profile television and music personalities. Yet, when I called the Theatre Barn over a week in advance requesting two press tickets to review "Can Can," I found that each and every one of my five calls remained unreciprocated. On the night of the show, when I arrived at the theatre to acquire my assumingly reserved tickets, I received an extremely stomach-churning welcoming. After having to listen to both the producer and the artistic director of the show repeatedly "enlighten" me on several by laws not allowing me to see the show, I was asked to leave. How nice it was that they hadn’t found it pertinent to call me back and tell me I couldn’t see the show that weekend. (Although I was seemingly allowed to reserve two press seats for "A funny Thing Happened…" for the following weekend.")
So, I drove myself home, feeling completely bewildered and perplexed on why they found it SO difficult to comp me a ticket for a show where only a mere third of the audience was full. Thenceforth, conclusion number one was formed: Never assume that the Theatre Barn will ever make any effort to accommodate highly respected teenage members of the press!
As weekend number two arrived, I got the opportunity (through a significant amount of self-effort) to interview ALL the celebrities at Aetna’s Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day. Since, I was returning to the area from New York City much later at night, I had my mother pick me up from the train at Wassaic and from there accompany me to Theatre Barn’s Saturday night performance. I once again entered the theatre complex with the illusion that two press tickets would be waiting at the box office for me.
For some reason though, I didn’t find it much of a surprise that only one comp ticket was waiting due to some more of those "all-empowering" outlandish by laws. Why did the producer not tell me the weekend before that press members were only allowed 1 ticket? I will never know. Once again, after a moderately bellicose battle with the show’s producer (who also works box office mind you), and with the show’s artistic director (who was heading up the 50-50 raffle), I found myself heading back home.
Each time I entered that theatre, I found myself being treated like a brainless peon, exclusively based on the fact that I was "simply a teenager." At least the wonderful people heading up media relations at the US Open treated me with complete reverence because I was a member of the press; the detail that I was a teenager wasn’t even a factor.
So, as my mother and I were driving home through the hypnotic torrents of rain, I reached conclusion number two: The Theatre Barn is unquestionably not Kid or Teenager friendly. My advice to parents is: Save your money and go see a movie!
MTV's Treatment of Teens:
I AM talented! Or at least I have always thought of myself that way. But lately I feel as though being talented is not enough for making it in the world of Pop and Rock. If only I were a few years older!
Earlier in the year, I read an audition notice in a performing arts magazine for MTV. "Becoming: Presents Wannabes" was a brand new show that was to take ordinary teenagers and turn them into their pop idols, whether it be Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears or one of many others. I discovered that I could make it to the Britney Spears audition. I thought: "hey, nobody could make a better Britney Spears than I."
Over four hours later, and having spent about 30 dollars on a train ride, I arrived at City Stage studios. A line had already began to form at 9 in the morning and girls continued to arrive long past 11 o’ clock. I was one of many nameless faces. It was already a very sorry sight!
Since that very first Britney Spears audition, I have been to two others including one for Gwen Stefani and one for Kylie Minogue. At each and every audition, MTV selfishly felt welcomed to treat me and all the other teens like utter rubbish.
When I was present for Gwen Stefani, we were forced to stay in a line outside the studios for 4 hours in a torrential downpour. The following week I felt so under par that I could hardly get out of bed or force myself to eat anything. I thought that was atrocious enough, but at the Kylie audition, we were outside in 102 degree weather for about 5 hours.
Whether rain or shine, we were required to wait outside while the cameramen tried to obtain all the shots they needed. That way, they could make it seem like we were actually having fun when those same shots were later shown on television.
Because we are simply teenagers, television networks such as MTV feel as though they can keep us locked away in a tiny room from early morning to the late evening with nothing to eat but candy. When will people learn that teenagers are the wave of the future, and deserve to be treated with respect like normal human beings?
Never again will I put myself through the torture of a cattle-call audition like these. I deserve better than that! All teenagers do!
