6 Questions: Kevin Doyle

1) What is your role in THE AЯTS? 

I conceived of THE AЯTS and the wrote the text. I am co-directing with Mike Carlsen, while also wearing a few other hats.

2) What do you think about "general standards of decency and respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the American public" mentioned in relationship to the NEA? 

I think this sentence actually might be language from the Helms Amendment that was passed to serve as an addendum to the original 1965 NEA/NEH legislation. This language -- at first glance -- seems like a noble sentence, but when you recognize who crafted it, and how it was implemented during the 1990s -- you begin to understand this sentence was wielded as a weapon to not fund artists or works of art that might offend the “beliefs” or “values” of some groups of Americans. This language actually goes against not only the original spirit of the 1965 legislation, but contradicts the law itself and established free speech law. One could argue that our public funding of the arts in America has been living within the confines of this contradiction ever since.

3) What makes an artist or work of art "controversial"? 

Once upon a time, I think just good art had the potential to be controversial -- based upon the rigor or commitment of the artist. Now, I think what makes an artist “controversial” can be attributed to two factors -- 1) The artist’s own PR and marketing team baking the “controversy” into the artist’s profile, persona, and work. -- 2) Right-wing ideologues who continue to attack the arts and culture as a tactic to manufacture controversy in the short-term and distract the public from other policy decisions being made elsewhere in government. I don’t think very highly of either approach these days.

4) Who excites you in the art and performance worlds today? 

What excites me are artists who have departed from MFA Island or PhD Prison and are actually making work that sacrifices this weird pursuit for “aesthetic purity” -- and instead are actually taking a chance to engage in an honest examination of some of the underlying structures of our world. (To paraphrase the late David Wojnarowicz.) We have been living with these underlying structures for a long time -- and they’ve been fucking us over gradually in unseen ways, or manifesting suddenly in sharp and brutal bursts. What excites me are artists who are making work not just for an audience of their peers, but are attempting to reach audiences who do not regularly attend theatre, dance, or exhibitions. I think the Swiss director, Milo Rau, has been leading the way in this. The work of choreographer Amanda Pina comes to mind, as does Quebecois theatre company, Les nuages en pantalon -- who have a show running in Montreal right now --  L’art de la chute -- which I suspect confronts the incestuous nature of the art market and the financial crisis in ways I could only dream of. The Bangladeshi photographer and labor rights activist Taslima Akhter -- she is the real deal. I am stunned by what she is accomplishing via the blending of her photographs and activism. It’s astonishing. She just had a major exhibit in New York at the Magnum Foundation. The Norwegian choreographer, Ingri Fiksdal, always excites me. Every time I see her work -- I can’t take it.

I am genuinely excited by the actors and artists I am working with on THE AЯTS. There are some major people working on this project -- and my god -- it is totally a joy to watch them work. I think these actors are each delivering breakout performances. And to see Mike Carlsen grow as a director, to hear how Jesse’s music rises to the occasion, for example -- this is exciting shit for me. I love it.      

      

5) What have you learned from working on THE AЯTS? 

I learned that many segments of the “Presenter Class” and the “Funder Class” in New York City and across the United States harbor real disdain for the National Endowment for the Arts. For them, I think, that ship has sailed and will never return. The levels of condescension I’ve received on applications during the last several years would make your head spin. There is literally an entire industry devoted to chasing down private philanthropy these days. Every dramaturg I knew in grad school, doesn’t work in theatre anymore -- they work in Development writing grants or soliciting donors. I’ve learned a hard lesson that segments of the arts and theatre establishments are perfectly happy with the way things are.

I’ve learned that we do not know our own arts funding history in the United States. I’ve learned that we are not living within the arts funding system that was intended by the authors of the original 1965 legislation.

6) What does working at La MaMa mean to you? 

I was not raised in an arts family. We never went to the theatre. Even though I grew up in New York. I only learned about theatre by reading plays on my own. Eventually, I figured out that I could actually go see the things I was reading performed live on stage. But I couldn’t find any listings for the playwrights I liked. The only name I recognized was “Kafka” in a listing for a puppet-theatre production of The Metamorphosis that was playing at La MaMa. So I came to see that. I think this was 1994 or 1995. I don’t know. It was literally the first thing I saw downtown and it was at La MaMa. I remember Ellen Stewart making the pre-show speech on that show and saying the words -- “La MaMa!” -- and I was like: “Where am I?” But it was a great feeling. Not knowing where I was. Not knowing what was going to happen next.

So for me -- I actually cannot believe that something I worked on is here. My college professor came the other night to see THE AЯTS -- and I said to her, “Lenora -- I’m at La MaMa?” It’s pretty cool. And I’m grateful for the opportunity.

La MaMa presents

THE AЯTS 

Sponsored By Nobody 
Written & Directed by Kevin Doyle 
Co-Directed by Mike Carlsen

September 13th - September 30th, 2018

$25 Adult Tickets; $20 Students/Seniors; $10 Tickets

Ellen Stewart Theatre

66 E 4th Street; 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10003

For tickets and more information: CLICK HERE