Slog - Comments on Re: ISO Conservative Playwrights http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights I don't understand the recent obsession with wondering why there aren't any conservative playwrights: Alison Carey at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival, Nicholas Hytner at the London National Theater, and now Terry Teachout at the Wall Street Journal. Have there ever been conservative playwrights (other than the newly converted Mamet, who I suspect of a publicity stunt)? What would a conservative play look like? Hooray for the rule of law, minimize foreign entanglements, and strive for fiscal austerity? I guess maybe The Imaginary Invalid, if abused as a political metaphor, could barely meet those criteria. But really, who cares? Conservative agitprop... Copyright 2008 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:01:16 -0800 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:20:41 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by MonkeyNose There are a lot of sideways comments about Mamet's supposed new-found conservatism, but all I read in that infamous article was his claiming that he was no longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal.' That is, he challenged his thinking, and realized that somethings he took for granted he didn't really believe anymore.

It's not like he's started blowing the ghost of Leo Strauss. He's just saying that he's not going to define himself by party lines.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

]]> MonkeyNose http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202242 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202242 Theater Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:17:09 -0800 Comment by el Has there been much in the way of conservative artists of any medium since the Italian Futurists? Kinkade doesn't count.

]]> el http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202255 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202255 Theater Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:25:12 -0800 Comment by flamingbanjo Playwrights are usually A.) College graduates and B.) Not Wealthy.

]]> flamingbanjo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202256 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202256 Theater Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:25:55 -0800 Comment by Dougsf Conservatives in creative fields are relatively rare across the board. The creative process tends to require a certain intrinsic degree of empathy.

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202259 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202259 Theater Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:26:49 -0800 Comment by Vince Perhaps Sarah Palin could write a play. An intelligent foray into why we need a conservative President who can't use his/her brains for anything but mouthing nonsense and who shows no inherent need to learn about anything but religious nonsense.

]]> Vince http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202262 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202262 Theater Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:28:56 -0800 Comment by Robin Sparkles Ayn Rand was a playwright before The Fountainhead was published.

You could also put her on the list of Asshole Playwrights.

]]> Robin Sparkles http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202282 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202282 Theater Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:39:15 -0800 Comment by Greg A conservative playwright's scripts would be such a chore to read.

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202429 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202429 Theater Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:07:56 -0800 Comment by michael strangeways uh, because you need to have an artistic soul in order to make art?

]]> michael strangeways http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202449 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/re_iso_conservative_playwrights#c1202449 Theater Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:20:41 -0800