Two minutes with Danny Katz: Is it okay to skip a mate’s amateur play for the footy?

My friend, an amateur theatre performer, sent me an invitation to watch him in a play to raise money for a charitable cause. However, the night in question coincides with my National Rugby League team’s big game. Would my purchase of a ticket be deemed support enough?
B.K., Vincentia, NSW

A: Because you’re prepared to financially support this charitable cause whether you go to see the play or not, the question you need to ask yourself is one that scholars have debated throughout the millennia. Which is more vital for the enrichment of the human soul: art – or an Australian professional rugby league competition which, for some reason, includes a team from New Zealand?

And I can see why art could be the loser here. A night of amateur theatre can be an iffy outing. I once saw a friend perform in a Harold Pinter play at a local community hall and the production really nailed those long, trademark Pinter-esque silences, particularly at the end of the show, during the bit when the audience was supposed to applaud.

So if rugby league is your choice of enrichment, you should ask yourself another question scholars have pondered since the dawn of time. Which is more important for human contentment: supporting a footy team – or supporting a friend, even if that friend breaks into over-emotional renditions of Seasons of Love from the musical Rent at every social gathering?

If this person isn’t a close friend, choose NRL. But if this person is dear to you, tape the game and see the play. Don’t worry, you’ll still be entertained: amateur theatre and the NRL have lots in common. Both have unpredictable outcomes. Both push the limits of tragedy and comedy. And both can involve concussions when two participants collide while reaching for a prop.

guru@goodweekend.com.au

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