Love makes art better

Downstage Marketing Manager and former actor Aaron Alexander blogs about what makes our artists unique! 

Me, playing dead with Geraldine Brophy,
Romeo & Juliet, Downstage 2004

In years past I worked for Downstage as an actor, part of a team of ‘hired guns’ brought together for the one project. Usually we were hired to interpret a script, written by someone I'd never met, in another place at another time. I have a lot of affection for that system. I’m proud of the work I did as part of it. But when I look at the artists we work with now – companies like SEEyD, The PlayGround Collective and HACKMAN – I see a distinct difference between then and now:

These guys own their projects.

I don’t just mean in terms of intellectual property – though that is true, and important. These companies are each built around a nucleus of artists who believe that together they can create something new; something unique – a theatre experience you will never forget.

 SEEyD,
The December Brother 2010 

The productions we present in partnership with these companies are the results of wholehearted collaboration and personal investment. In fact, they don’t just own their projects…

  

They love them. 

Over the years I’ve been involved in making theatre that was a labour of love, and theatre that was a job. Both arrangements can yield great results, but there’s no question in my mind that the potential of a work of art driven by shared passion is many times greater than a mercenary project.

For me, that’s the great joy of working at Downstage in 2012.

Artists enter this building buzzing. I can see on their faces the anticipation, the readiness, the desire to share this thing into which they’ve poured their hearts, to put it on stage, where it truly belongs.

a slightly isolated dog
Death & the Dreamlife of Elephants 2011

And we make it clear to our artists that their work belongs at Downstage. Productions dreamt up in bedrooms, studios and cafes of Wellington stand as of right alongside the legendary productions of Downstage’s long history. We don’t just let anyone produce work in the building – we choose the projects, artists and companies that are leaders in their field.

We tell them this, and to back it up, we invest cash and resources into their project. It's a partnership. 

When you come to a Downstage production in 2012 you’ll find artists whose soul is in the work you’ll witness. And as they return as Resident Companies, or with new projects, you'll be able to develop a relationship with the artists that hit the mark for you. As they grow and develop, exploring the ideas and styles they love, you can join in that journey. All of us do this with musicians all our lives. At Downstage we want people to understand that this is possible with our theatre companies. 

HACKMAN
Apollo XII: Mission Control 2010

Our artists are working from a place of authenticity and love. There’s not a doubt in my mind this makes a profound difference to the quality of your experience.

Just consider your own industry - whatever that may be. A well-organised, well-managed team of talented professionals employed to take on a project will surely produce a strong result. But a start-up - a company of professionals who share a vision and a common goal, who truly believe in the project and want it to be a success with all their heart because it belongs to them...

They can make magic.

They can do Art. 

See you at the theatre.

Share your thoughts: 

Does love make a difference to all forms of work?  Would it make you a better surgeon?

Has a lack of love influenced a theatre production in your experience?

What turns liking a song into loving a band - or liking a show into loving a theatre company?