The Paradox of Professionalism (1996)
WRITTEN BY / MICHAEL GORMAN
DIRECTED BY / ANDREW VOLKOFF
1996
First Floor Theater, La MaMa ETC, New York
In this absurd comedy, featuring a tortuous “pant-horn”, the Chairman of The School of Landscape Architecture gives an introductory lecture on how to be a “professional”. Arguing that it’s “appearance” not expertise that makes one a “professional”, the Professors in attendance (dressed in too-tight light blue polyester suits) nod in agreement.
The goal: choose a suit that is so restrictive as to incapacitate the wearer—a suit that states unequivocally that its wearer performs a function so inconceivably important that he or she can’t be bothered with trivialities. Herein again lies the Paradox of Professionalism: it’s not so much what you can do that matters, but what you can’t do.
DIRECTED BY / ANDREW VOLKOFF
1996
First Floor Theater, La MaMa ETC, New York
In this absurd comedy, featuring a tortuous “pant-horn”, the Chairman of The School of Landscape Architecture gives an introductory lecture on how to be a “professional”. Arguing that it’s “appearance” not expertise that makes one a “professional”, the Professors in attendance (dressed in too-tight light blue polyester suits) nod in agreement.
The goal: choose a suit that is so restrictive as to incapacitate the wearer—a suit that states unequivocally that its wearer performs a function so inconceivably important that he or she can’t be bothered with trivialities. Herein again lies the Paradox of Professionalism: it’s not so much what you can do that matters, but what you can’t do.