Winners and Losers

I'm up here with mixed feelings, I have been critical of the Academy ... and for reason. I refuse to believe that I beat Jack Lemmon, that I beat Peter Sellers. I refuse to believe that Robert Duvall lost. We are part of an artistic family ... and most actors don't work, they have to practice accents while driving a taxi. And some of us are so lucky to work with writing, to work with directing. And to that artistic family that strives for excellence, none of you have ever lost, and I am proud to share this with you.
                                                                                                           - Dustin Hoffman

Yes, it is Oscar night.  I think I've mentioned before that, when I was young, my sister and I would pore over the nominations and choose who would win all the awards and have a rationale for our choices but now, I don't even watch the show.  I am curious as to who wins, I guess, but I don't really care.  I don't think it actually means anything about being an artist.  I agree with Dustin Hoffman -- there are a lot of great actors driving taxis or working in restaurants (or even teaching Drama!) -- unsung heroes who "bloom unseen", "mute inglorious Miltons".  The work itself is what's important, not a statuette.

I saw the play, "Winners and Losers" yesterday.  It was basically two guys throwing out topics and deciding whether they were winners and losers -- things like Canada, and Pamela Anderson, and wordly wisdom.  It was great and it certainly provoked a lot of interesting reflection after the show was over.  I wonder what they would say about the Oscars themselves -- are the Oscars a winner or a loser?  I guess, in most cases, it provides the movie with some "buzz" which makes people want to see it, maybe gives the actor or screenwriter the clout to negotiate for a higher salary, so in that way it appears to be a winner.  But what does it do to you as an artist?  Does it validate you?  If you win, do you feel like Sally Field -- "you like me!  you really like me!"  Do you feel like Dustin Hoffman, that everyone wins?

In our own little corner of the theatre world, we are doing a few more go-throughs of the tunnel of love on Monday.  I think it's gone pretty well and we've learned a lot in putting it together which makes us winners, right?