Buy Local, Eat Local, Cast Local

The anti-globalization movement has made inroads into making many of us change the way we shop and feed ourselves. People -- at least those that can afford it -- are trying to buy groceries that are locally grown or even growing the food they eat themselves and eschewing big chain stores for small, neighborhood businesses. Restaurants pride themselves on letting customers know that their beef came from the ranch 20 miles away and their asparagus was brought in fresh this morning from the farmer's market across the street.

Theatre has always been an intensely local medium. It's perhaps the most indigenous of all art forms, happening as it does in real-time and space and demanding that people actually get off their butts to experience the work.

In most cases, shoe string budgets necessitate the casting of local actors and production team members. Local casting isn't just about keeping budgets down though. Because of the close, collaborative nature of theatre, productions and companies spring up as a result of intimate relationships that grow organically between groups of people who share their world views and creative ideas frequently over pints in the pub down the road. They're not only cut from the same cloth but they also physically occupy the same civic space.

The two biggest companies in the Bay Area -- American Conservatory Theater and Berkeley Repertory Theatre -- usually buck this trend by casting at least a few of the actors in most of their shows from out of town. This policy (and I think the word "policy" is appropriate here even if it's an unofficial strategy on the part of these companies' leaders) doesn't make much sense to me, even if it does look good on a press release and promotes "diversity."

Even in hard fiscal times such as the ones we're in now, Berkeley Rep and ACT regularly look to New York and other big cities for talent. This can't be a good idea financially. But money isn't the biggest issue.

The crux of the matter as far as I'm concerned is this: If there are great actors in town -- and the Bay Area is stuffed with great actors -- why bother looking further afield?

In shows I've experienced at ACT and Berkeley Rep over the years, the locals frequently outshine the imports. Take Berkeley Rep's current fantastic production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore, for instance. The cast is good all-round, but the most memorable performance of the evening goes to Bay Area actor James Carpenter's turn as the decrepit old drunkard Donny (pictured above with fellow cast member Adam Farabee). Surely local actors could have been found to play all of the roles?

There's certainly a case to be made for exposing Bay Area audiences to new faces. But with so many wonderful performers living and working right under our noses, we should make the most of our region's talent both on stage and as part of the production team.