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GarySanDiego's avatar

May I suggest going to plays? Not the touring shows--those producers are nearly as concentrated as the Hollywood studios/streaming industry. I mean your local nonprofit theaters. You can find new dramatic literature there, and earnest performances, and the constraints of space and physical matter require playwrights, and dramaturges, and lighting designers, and sound engineers, and directors to be imaginative. It’s a world I’ve had a little experience in, and there is crossover between theater and Hollywood. A more vibrant theater scene could give Tinsel Town a run for its money.

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David Levine's avatar

for a lot of NYC playgoers on small fixed incomes (like me), this is not as feasible as it was when I was a kid and if you didn't mind sitting upstairs, you could see any play for a reasonable amount of money. not now.

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TCinLA's avatar

Good points.

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Denise Bell's avatar

Thanks! We definitely do that, although we're in a small town with limited, but high quality options. Mostly, we watch old reruns, even before the strike. And two weeks ago, we saw a first-run movie on the big screen - the first time since the pandemic started.

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TCinLA's avatar

Let me guess: Barbie? (which really is subversively good)

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David Levine's avatar

one of the best movies I saw last year ("Armageddon Time") was made by a major Hollywood writer/director (James Gray) with a splendid track record and superb writing and acting. it got excellent reviews, and seems to've sunk without making any kind of splash. this happens all the time.

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TCinLA's avatar

surprise surprise...

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Denise Bell's avatar

Actually... Haunted Mansion. Quite bit of fun, and I was pleased with the diversity of the cast. 😀

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