As a friend of Rob Joki's I am personally offended by the comment made by youngstowng2009. I hope it will be removed so that this discussion board can remain a reasonable, albeit contentious, forum for debating the article at hand and the topic of theatre in Youngstown.
And since it is relevant I would like to address youngstowng2009's consternation that Rob gets so much work doing theatre in the Youngstown area. He does this by working very, very hard (see the comment by tellmethetruth, above). He always has, and I know he will continue to do so. From our time in high school when he revived the long-dead annual musical, through his years at YSU and beyond at the Oakland, Rob has rarely rested in his pursuit to bring the best performances and performance opportunities to those in his community. He should be commended for this. And he is not alone. There are many like him who work, or volunteer, to see that theatre stays alive in Youngstown. That a shrinking city in such economic despair has as many active theatre companies as it does is a blessing, one that should not be taken for granted. Thanks are owed to Rob and others, who spend their time being creative and supportive, even of their competitors.
While youngstowng2009 and YtownTheaterVet may think they have the city's best interests at heart, their destructive words and territorial ambition, if allowed to influence others, would drive people away from the theatre that they seem to care about. I can only take solace in the fact that they are outnumbered by those who crave a variety of good shows, the traditional treats of Easy Street, and thought-provoking Oakland offerings. Let's hope the small-mindedness and character assassination stop now, or everyone will lose in the Youngstown theatre scene. I would rather see everybody win.
Fate of Internet café in Hubbard rides on legal give-and-take
How, exactly, is the architectural style of that building Spanish?
October 4, 2011 at 12:58 p.m. permalink suggest removal
‘Music Man’ will delight fan base
As a friend of Rob Joki's I am personally offended by the comment made by youngstowng2009. I hope it will be removed so that this discussion board can remain a reasonable, albeit contentious, forum for debating the article at hand and the topic of theatre in Youngstown.
And since it is relevant I would like to address youngstowng2009's consternation that Rob gets so much work doing theatre in the Youngstown area. He does this by working very, very hard (see the comment by tellmethetruth, above). He always has, and I know he will continue to do so. From our time in high school when he revived the long-dead annual musical, through his years at YSU and beyond at the Oakland, Rob has rarely rested in his pursuit to bring the best performances and performance opportunities to those in his community. He should be commended for this. And he is not alone. There are many like him who work, or volunteer, to see that theatre stays alive in Youngstown. That a shrinking city in such economic despair has as many active theatre companies as it does is a blessing, one that should not be taken for granted. Thanks are owed to Rob and others, who spend their time being creative and supportive, even of their competitors.
While youngstowng2009 and YtownTheaterVet may think they have the city's best interests at heart, their destructive words and territorial ambition, if allowed to influence others, would drive people away from the theatre that they seem to care about. I can only take solace in the fact that they are outnumbered by those who crave a variety of good shows, the traditional treats of Easy Street, and thought-provoking Oakland offerings. Let's hope the small-mindedness and character assassination stop now, or everyone will lose in the Youngstown theatre scene. I would rather see everybody win.
May 11, 2009 at 2:22 a.m. permalink suggest removal