Theatre people hate being American. They will emphasize any heritage that they can to dimish their own American-ness. Even more, they hate corporate America because it’s built on a system that does not automatically reward anyone who doesn’t want to get a real job and decides to just do plays for the rest of their life. Now at this statement, tons of theatre people will pipe up and vehemently scream “hey [acting, designing, stage managing, etc] is a real job.” To which I say not a chance. Any job where you can call in because you have a hangover and your boss says just get here when you can, is not a real job. That is exactly what happens in theatre because most of the time, bosses and subordinates end up drinking or doing drugs together so the consequences of those actions are universally known.
Theatre people don’t hate ALL things American, just anything that’s too American. If you want to discuss something American with a theatre person, stick with topics they like.
Here are some acceptable American things:
playwrights (Tennessee Williams, Oscar Wilde- Irish but somehow still American)
clothes — all clothes must be American made
New York — the American metropolis that is mostly influenced by other countries
Topics to avoid:
Wal-Mart — good lord, don’t mention Wal-Mart around a theatre person unless you’ve got time for a lecture
American cars
American cheeses
Brand Name Sneakers (Nike, Addidas, though not created in America, they’ve become mainstream)
Expensive Clothes
When trying to have a conversation with theatre people, it’s best to just stick to things from other countries.
