In Dan Rebellatos article on playwriting and globalisation he reviews the

manifestations of prevalent trends as the arts continually becomes a commodity and

the parameters of site-specific performance. He debunks the viewpoints of de
Certeaus The Practice of Everyday Life (ground-level perception) viewing the plane
through the lens of the consumer rather than the producer; and tackles Hines view
on localization but also critiques this as what is readily seen and available and that
the possible opposition to the global is brought about by the limit in perspective
because it is unfamiliar; but unites both thoughts as hostility towards the
homogenization process that takes place in the progression of universalism. He also
puts emphasis on Lyotards idea on the limitations that universals put upon the
particulars.
In my years of study and practice, I believe plays are not necessarily
geographically site-specific. There are processes on adaptation that allow it to be
localized depending on the vision of the artistic team. I have gone to Lebanon and
performed The Little Mermaid (musical) in an arts festival beside the shore, have
done the same production in the Philippines for 50 shows inside a theatre and toured
it provincially as well; though the script and all the costumes are the same, relatively I
can say that the diminish in the value of production is not necessarily a decline in
the creative process but a progression in the experience of the artistic team and the
audience. I dont see a complete wrong in the adjustment to the site to be able to
spread the availability of the art in other places.
There is also a discussion how globalisation is the avenue on which
franchise musicals operate on in the production of commodity theatreMcTheatre
also known as, Mega-musicals that according to the article have hardly any regard
and respect for space, and site-specific performance. In this aspect, I understand
Rebellatos argument on how the show has become so automated that the designs
are the key to the brand 1 but I think he should have not left out of the argument the
truthfulness or even the lack there of truth in the performance of the actor. It may well
be that the performers are limited to completely re-interpreting the role but the
injection of new nuances in a character is inevitable to the creative process of the
actor; because his/her own habits no matter the degree will somehow manifest in the
portrayal of the role. All Val Jeans, may sing the same songs, wear the same clothes
and move to the same blockings but their breathing, objective, tactics and intentions
that the actor playing them personally provides will add variety to the performance

Rebellato, Dan(2006)'Playwriting and globalisation: Towards a site-unspecific theatre',Contemporary Theatre

Review,16:1,100.

present in the particular space; thus making their own personal lives and affectations
a localized contribution to a global production.