Andy Horwitz, a producer at Performance Space 122 and creator of the alternative performance blog culturebot.org, said that while the network of theater blogs remained "very insiderish," eventually someone was going to perfect "that irreverent insider tone that still appeals to the general audience".
Curated by the national coalition of ensemble-based theaters, (The Network of Ensemble Theaters), the festival will travel around the United States focusing on 'place-based art making' -- how art contributes to healthy, vibrant communities.
In England, the network of regional theaters and the large national theaters in London allow opportunities for development and production.
The festival in the medieval Provencal city of Avignon, which includes converted churches and a network of small theaters and is scheduled for 20 days, may not open at all, organizers said.
"The technology has gotten good enough at this point so what we put on the screen is a really satisfying experience for the audience, without it costing a ridiculous amount of money," said Ira Deutchman, the managing director of Emerging Pictures, which has a network of 140 theaters.
Sensing opportunity, Potanin's holding company, Interros, has recently invested in an outfit that plans to build a large network of movie theaters around the country.
We caught up with Mark Valdez the executive director of the Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET) about the aims of this incredible project.
"Although Detroit's community is fraught with limited resources and its socio-economic narrative is dominated by devastation, the city has become a model for artist/activist-led, collaborative, guerilla-style, grassroots action and community-driven revitalization," the Network of Ensemble Theaters notes on their website.
Even more striking, Sony Pictures rereleased "The Social Network" in hundreds of theaters on Jan . 10 just days before the film was scheduled to appear on DVD.
