tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88594906174037926152024-02-07T00:31:40.434-05:00Theatre EastTheatre East is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company whose mission is to put community back in theatre one play at a time.Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-71260570925475946052015-02-16T03:29:00.000-05:002015-02-16T03:29:13.259-05:00Expectations <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHK2ZvqdaZrxG9W03beaVozWU8g9rAMT8_mPCnOic6i9gANCkm6rrCJpA_be3RNDMvp8kTqEefy33jRsX8T0cdlK6pt_VXx_6oZ-0gg5QMjfO3LLXNSoo6ckwltPO8ygcbkSHucUF_8FY/s1600/Mariana-Vily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHK2ZvqdaZrxG9W03beaVozWU8g9rAMT8_mPCnOic6i9gANCkm6rrCJpA_be3RNDMvp8kTqEefy33jRsX8T0cdlK6pt_VXx_6oZ-0gg5QMjfO3LLXNSoo6ckwltPO8ygcbkSHucUF_8FY/s1600/Mariana-Vily.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,trebuchet,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS <span style="color: #6c267f;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Company.html#anchor_244" style="color: #6c267f;" target="_blank">MARIANA VILY</a></span></span><br /><br />Let's
take a trip down the memory lane. Rewind to four years ago, during my
first semester at Stella Adler, when I was assigned my first scene. I
remember feeling both that it was a brilliant casting choice for me, and
that I was ill-equipped to take it on. (In hindsight, this is probably
why I was in school in the first place.) I don't know what I expected
from my first scene, but certainly not what I got. It was emotional, and
it included a monologue that back then felt endless. At any rate, I had
no idea how to approach it. Further, considering this was just one of
many assignments I had at the time, and that I was also adjusting to New
York, I was a little overwhelmed.<br /><br />Maybe because I am an optimist
at heart, as I tackled my monumental task, I had a moment of
revelation: someone thought I could do it. I mean, they wouldn't have
assigned me the scene in the first place if I couldn't do it to some
extent, right? I was aware that what was being asked of me required a
stretch, but I implicitly trusted that I wasn't being set up for
failure.<br /><br />I don't remember the outcome of this particular scene.
My guess is that I achieved some things and failed at others. I was
aware of my shortcomings, but fired up to bring my best game and keep on
learning. And as I continued to juggle increasingly complex
assignments, I also became more grateful for the faculty, because I knew
the alternative: feeling that nothing was expected of me, or getting
infinitesimal tasks that wouldn't allow me to grow.<br /><br />There have
been many times in my life when I felt the weight of the expectations of
others. I haven't always gotten along well with that feeling. I now
know that I owe many of my achievements to those who dared to imagine
better things for me. Self-fulfilling prophecies can work for better,
too.<br /><br />We are all very good at self-preservation. We shy away from
risks, lest we should disappoint others or, even worse, ourselves. Often
we are encouraged to settle, and we do so because it is safe. So here
is a challenge of sorts: what would happen if we chose to expect more
instead? If we raised the bar for others and for ourselves? I am sure we
would know how to deal with imperfect results. What we couldn't do
anything about, though, are the risks we never took.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/">TheatreEast.org</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></span></div>
Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-25301815563255348662015-01-18T14:34:00.001-05:002015-01-19T01:13:20.960-05:00The Elephant in Our Pockets<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-KKFwnolmNR2oT2f76VdD79XWSCS0PE12Jma2AC_8Q4dOrOkr02uiYmDrkkrNDve4vdzcf5dfCeFshyphenhyphenfJ_fCMN-a1rjxTIvRtVyKwyX4ipDU9wFPVSAeJMP4n9fZesx_jVjWCWKNrAU/s1600/Julia-Rae-Maldonado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-KKFwnolmNR2oT2f76VdD79XWSCS0PE12Jma2AC_8Q4dOrOkr02uiYmDrkkrNDve4vdzcf5dfCeFshyphenhyphenfJ_fCMN-a1rjxTIvRtVyKwyX4ipDU9wFPVSAeJMP4n9fZesx_jVjWCWKNrAU/s1600/Julia-Rae-Maldonado.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 14.9333333969116px;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST COMPANY MEMBER <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Company.html#anchor_234" target="_blank">JULIA RAE MALDONADO</a></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; text-decoration: none;">
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</span>Be it Puritans or the Plague, the theatre always seems to be under threat. I’ve been thinking a lot about one of Today’s dangers - a highly insidious foe which attacks the artist’s very ability to Dream. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(You may even have one in your hand right now.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Certainly, it’s important to keep abreast of current events, sure. It’s probably important to answer that e-mail. Immediately. That cat is doing </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">what? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I better just click on that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whenever I have ten minutes, I start gobbling up little niblets of information. Stories reduced to bullet points, “25 Things That…”, 140 Characters! Don’t get me started on all that candy that needs crushing. I tell you, when I have time to kill, I kill it. I </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">really</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> kill it. My forty minute commute? Every minute of it is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">dead</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This little machine means not a second has to go by without my mind being occupied! This is great. I hardly know myself anymore. I mean, what am I supposed to do? Just sit there and do nothing?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remember about a year ago, I went through a horrible experience. It was this sort of artistic “cleanse” I read about in an </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Artists-Way-Julia-Cameron/dp/1585421464" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">actual book</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It’s called “Reading Deprivation”.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pretty scary stuff. I hear Julia Cameron has now expanded the exercise and rechristened it </span><a href="http://juliacameronlive.com/2012/11/12/have-you-tried-media-deprivation/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Media Deprivation</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The idea is you don’t read anything, watch anything, or click anything. For an entire week!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Because apparently, to dip into the unconscious, that spring of unbridled creativity, an artist needs downtime. Like, real downtime.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And drama is a medium fueled by </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">conflict</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">connection</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Well! At least we’ve got plenty of conflict. As a society, we seem to feel isolated and crave attention. If you don’t believe me, glance at your Facebook feed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But before you get </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">too</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> depressed, consider that this barren cultural landscape </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">may</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> be the perfect environment for the theatre to flourish. The success of immersive shows like </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here Lies Love, Then She Fell</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sleep No More </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">prove that theatre-going audiences are starved for direct connection like never before.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> As long as we can keep that device in our pockets, sit still, and Dream.</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/">TheatreEast.org</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></span></div>
Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-86487648837705208552014-12-14T15:21:00.003-05:002015-01-18T14:38:31.958-05:00Let’s Go With this “Season of Giving” Thing...<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AJMWQ-nFou14UgHa9ePL372FZhnyaIHhkDJYi1YsAocTgnvaGVRouODMV7B6K_Ad2SPPrPsGvLe7YGqORT8pR_njNGzWx2damXtV9zbBV85jJqsETJeXP_sOnRdYBFtgi5DIU-HT-uk/s1600/RachelCaplan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AJMWQ-nFou14UgHa9ePL372FZhnyaIHhkDJYi1YsAocTgnvaGVRouODMV7B6K_Ad2SPPrPsGvLe7YGqORT8pR_njNGzWx2damXtV9zbBV85jJqsETJeXP_sOnRdYBFtgi5DIU-HT-uk/s1600/RachelCaplan.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 14.9333333969116px;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST EVENT COORDINATOR </span><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Associate-Company-Members.html#anchor_85" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14.9333333969116px;">R</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">ACHEL CAPLAN</span></span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Outside of acting, I've been bartending for about a year now. Sure, I've learned to make a killer margarita, but I don’t think that’s why all of my regulars continue to visit during my shifts. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I genuinely like hanging out with them, listening to their stories and dreams and concerns, and </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">throwing in my two cents over a pint. Our goodbyes have grown from smiles and waves to high </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">fives and hugs. It’s just like my own personal “Cheers.” I love it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Connecting with people, especially during this time of year, is so important. New York City </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">looks glamorous and so damn sparkly, but all of those Gap ads with warm families in giant </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">houses, greeting one another in perfectly “normal” sweaters can make our lives seem a bit </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">lonely. That’s why we need so strongly to find our own versions of extended family. More than </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">any other city, I think that New York is a place where your friends quickly become your family, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and this was so apparent at last week’s reading of <i>A Christmas Carol</i> at O’Lunney’s with </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Theatre East. I looked around the room and saw glowing faces, both new and familiar, young </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and young-at-heart, all dressed up and participating in telling a beautiful story together. Some </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">lending their talents, others lending their ears. All giving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A while back, a young man began coming to the bar during my shifts. I learned he is a director, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a rather up-and-coming one at that, and we began talking shop every time he came to grab a </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">beer. He has taught me so much over these lager-filled hours, lessons I couldn't learn in acting </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">school, and I’m not sure he knows what an impact he’s had on me, but his simple gifts of time </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and attention have benefited me so tremendously, I feel I should leave him a tip instead of the </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">other way around. One issue we've discussed ad nauseum is our fear that theatre is becoming </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a “rich kid’s sport,” something that is so expensive, many young artists cannot afford theatre </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">tickets, not to mention sustain a career in which it is tough to keep one’s head above water. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is why giving is so essential, and so very doable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I don’t have much money to give, but I do have TIME. All of my mentors, those whom I respect </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and turn to for advice, have given me only their time, which is a most precious gift. I recently </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">produced a play (<i>None of the Above</i> with Pegasus 51) for the first time, an experience which </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">was incredible and overwhelming, and was made far more rewarding by the generosity of the </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">playwright, Jenny Lyn Bader. She found me on Twitter and invited me to ask any questions </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I had about the play. On top of that, she came to see the show not once, but three times, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">bringing different guests all along. Because of her openness, we began a dialogue that fostered </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a lovely new relationship. I have so much respect for people like Jenny Lyn and my director </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">friend, established artists who reach down to the next generation and offer their resources.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This, I believe, is the spirit of the holiday season, and of Theatre East. We are a company of </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">artists at different points in our careers, and I’m proud to be part of a group so willing to give of </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">their wellsprings of knowledge and experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I suppose this is something we can all learn and apply in our respective communities. I dare </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">you (and myself) to take a look at your position in your community and find someone seeking </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">advice or a bit of inspiration or even just a high five. Be generous however you are able, </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">whether that means sponsoring someone so that they may see a piece of theatre they wouldn't </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">have been able to afford or simply sitting across a table from them and and listening. I can tell </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">you as someone who is young and hopeful and unsure, a pair of ears is the greatest gift in the </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I will dip into heavier business for just a moment and say that now is an essential point in history </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">to give of your time, not only to individuals, but to greater causes. Be brave, be bold, gather </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">your friends and march for justice. Let your voice be heard and support those whose voices </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">have been silenced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And perhaps it is my youth and hopeful outlook that make me believe this, but I think that if we </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">step up, we can create a remarkable chain of giving and a glorious future for every beautiful, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">valuable person in this world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Happy Holidays!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Channukah Sameach</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Merry Christmas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kwanzaa yenu iwe na heri!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One love.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">TheatreEast.org</span></a>
</div>
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<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></span></div>
Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-27667704556302556802014-11-16T17:21:00.003-05:002014-11-16T17:21:54.301-05:00The Best Pieces of Advice I’ve Been Given<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0v7tgdfZ3p4dcK8VEY04xVQ68UVcyGGnzWCTzPtaCu3GyhNnisicda6Vh75ScQx74hy5kaDHCtM7qGrVhMI6YKVMNLh1320ZDubtBLrpilZkQmWhjJC_oSVk6DSM0FAe_IBBnEKEcvXo/s1600/emily-verla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0v7tgdfZ3p4dcK8VEY04xVQ68UVcyGGnzWCTzPtaCu3GyhNnisicda6Vh75ScQx74hy5kaDHCtM7qGrVhMI6YKVMNLh1320ZDubtBLrpilZkQmWhjJC_oSVk6DSM0FAe_IBBnEKEcvXo/s1600/emily-verla.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST ROUNDTABLE CO-CHAIR <a href="http://theatreeast.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=ALTzKaMAcwAPAAAArAAIbsM" style="color: #6c267f;" target="_blank">EMILY VERLA</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /><br />I want to be clear from the beginning that I did not take the majority of these pearls to heart the first time they were uttered to me. Usually I had to bash into them (to an almost concussive level) before admitting that these wise words were the best course of action.<br /><br />Starting with something my Dad began saying to me in the 6th grade: “<strong>Lean into what you’re good at, and find someone else to deal with the rest.</strong>” This felt idiotic in primary school; no one else could answer questions I didn’t know on tests. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve accepted that if it takes me 4 hours to edit a piece of writing and 15 minutes for my friend to do it I should ask them, and spend 15 minutes taking over one of their 4 hour headaches.<br /><br />From Alithea Philips, who oozes kindness : “<strong>Respect your fellow artist’s process (they may be a genius)</strong>.” Not everyone works in the same order. Nothing good comes from judging the people you’re working with, whereas fully committing to whatever choices my comrades make has led me in directions I had never thought of. Often that direction may not stick, but going there as a team helps everyone figure out more quickly that something else should be done, without shutting anyone down in the process.<br /><br />“<strong>Other people’s success is not your failure.</strong>” Full disclosure, this one was not directly delivered to me; it was an answer of Christian Borle’s in a Tony interview. Though this seems like the easiest piece of advice to follow, I have found it to be illogically difficult in practice. I know a lot of people who are more competitive than I am, and seeing others succeed stokes their fire, but I tend to shut down. Developing the habit of being happy for your friends feels so much better.<br /><br />This one is the newest addition to my arsenal: “<strong>Fuck It, someone’s ‘gonna want this!</strong>”, from casting director Kimberly Graham, a much more active way of doing that “letting go” thing everyone’s always telling you to do. Accepting you can only do the best you can do. The war cry version of “you are enough”.<br /><br />“<strong>Find your people</strong>.”, from my mom. Once you find your people all the other stuff gets easier.</span></span></div>
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-16399648976414054872014-10-19T13:43:00.002-04:002014-11-16T17:20:30.759-05:00Your Flickering Flame<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLd6eBaZGgxJlWiFXnXAS_IWlplrtoH-PFXU9crnb-nkw_nPScu6qKrRPV1_HUhmdwvpPBAv8LdzeDRJTP6YjL5LAe5XWUtu_vjIBy5kvClu9fhBZYkT_Z2U3pfsIqQ3kFK-hMlVkzzz4/s1600/Ben-Dawson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLd6eBaZGgxJlWiFXnXAS_IWlplrtoH-PFXU9crnb-nkw_nPScu6qKrRPV1_HUhmdwvpPBAv8LdzeDRJTP6YjL5LAe5XWUtu_vjIBy5kvClu9fhBZYkT_Z2U3pfsIqQ3kFK-hMlVkzzz4/s1600/Ben-Dawson.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-9b66de67-2980-061c-1289-1382b0776d52"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST COMPANY MEMBER <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Associate-Company-Members.html#anchor_62" target="_blank">BEN DAWSON</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s discuss fire, shall we? A furious blaze begins with a simple spark. The spark ignites the fuel, and a small flame bursts into life. As the fledgling flame consumes more fuel, the fire grows, and the heat intensifies to an endless limit. Your passion parallels this dimly lit notion. At one point in your experiential existence, a spark clicked awake in your heart. With more desire, more experience, and more understanding; you fueled that spark and fostered it, allowing it to consume and flourish until it reached its bonfire-worthy beauty. Your flame of passion grew until one day, someone doubted your talent and subdued your fire a bit. You fought back, though, and vehemently pursued your purpose by playing that challenging role, creating that work of art, or speaking those indelible words before a crowd of breathless faces. You recovered. You regained what you once had. The inferno was full ablaze now, but others came with reservations and icy cold breath. The cool air stung as your fire slowly crackled asunder and whittled away to an ember. It hurt. What you sought now was a match—something that could revitalize that flame and bring it back to its greatest grandeur. You were looking for something that made you feel inspired and alive. You were looking for something that could refresh and renew. You were looking, and you found it. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There will be many people, situations, and unexpected circumstances that will try to extinguish your flame of passion. Remember or, if you have none, find the matches in life that fuel your flame. Keep them always close to you and never let them stray too far away. They will become your protective cage that fits perfectly around your heart. Protect your heart from naysayers, and you will, in turn, protect your passion. See a show. Have a drink. Have two. Watch a child play. Take a new street home. Pick a flower. Smell that flower. Try a new recipe. Look up. Breathe. Smile. Take a walk. Look down. Get that kiss. Believe. Write a poem. Draw a picture. Call a friend. Call an enemy. Forgive. Forget. Remember. Become. Be.</span></span></div>
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-55570612499463020912014-09-13T23:22:00.000-04:002014-09-13T23:27:17.416-04:00How I Learned to Deal with Worrying and Avoid the Bomb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFPU7TRC5JS4CDVB51Jx5lB8po5ft9LZEen_u7dKJGiXiw1oe3WGopoTVK3gIcx8tbulM-c5R6QUmDPlY50Vwax0Ukl_3C1BST8zSc9Xxe2_WfInaPaiVucR7B6XCCYSuVIxLj0vE1Sc/s1600/alice-qin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFPU7TRC5JS4CDVB51Jx5lB8po5ft9LZEen_u7dKJGiXiw1oe3WGopoTVK3gIcx8tbulM-c5R6QUmDPlY50Vwax0Ukl_3C1BST8zSc9Xxe2_WfInaPaiVucR7B6XCCYSuVIxLj0vE1Sc/s1600/alice-qin.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; color: #000000;" style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: trebuchet ms,trebuchet,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: trebuchet ms,trebuchet,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 8pt;" style="font-size: xx-small;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA <span data-mce-style="color: #6c267f;" style="color: #6c267f;"><span data-mce-style="color: #6c267f;" style="color: #6c267f;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Company.html#anchor_235" data-mce-style="color: #6c267f;" href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Staff.html#anchor_159" style="color: #6c267f;" target="_blank">ALICE QIN</a></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; color: #000000;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: trebuchet ms,trebuchet,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6c267f;"><br /></span>I
heard something fantastic the other day - “Treat worry like a heckler,
not a mugger.” It’s an interesting distinction that frames all the
things that stop us in our tracks, into a trajectory that allows us to
move forward. It being the end of summer, and the spirit of
Back-To-School is all around us (in forms of office supply sales), and
being based in a city like New York; this mindset feels particularly
pertinent.<br /><br />It’s absolutely useless to pretend that your worries
don’t exist. Ignoring your problems usually create far worse ones down
the line, we know this, but it’s worth reminding ourselves every once in
a while. Making ourselves the victims of our own brain and allowing
fear to rob us of everything is obviously not very useful either. Better
to acknowledge it, assess it for any merit, own up to what is true
which allows room for dismissing whatever it is that we made up
ourselves. No point worrying about a mere remote possibility if it stops
you from doing something that is important.<br /><br />Dealing with
personal failure is a basic job requirement of, well, people in general,
but people in the creative arts, especially. We can try to draw
inspiration from famous stories of how failures made incredible things
possible, from Edison to Steve Jobs and everyone in between. However
it’s one thing to know, intellectually, that failing is a process and
not an ending, it’s a hard to accept platitudes when we’re in the middle
of it. Stopping to evaluate the voices in my head has always been the
best I’ve come up with to coax myself out of the fetal position and get
on with it. When that doesn’t work, there’s always ice cream, and
Netflix, and another morning to try again.</span></span></div>
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-56891952796177596452014-08-17T20:15:00.001-04:002014-08-17T20:16:27.035-04:00Stage Combat Enhances Your Acting<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDJ4GMqBX6qtLn9ZWVPhbPOnW9sQOKjiC4m-mYXJNcSaPxpZGsOxNBikItoPE8GPiTdPZ03BCnMVO1TWYfCtDvwXvV7EOfHUqVI63w3XfjrWKQH54MhhD-z6sILVC2Cds8uX_yCec30o/s1600/Alex-Reed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDJ4GMqBX6qtLn9ZWVPhbPOnW9sQOKjiC4m-mYXJNcSaPxpZGsOxNBikItoPE8GPiTdPZ03BCnMVO1TWYfCtDvwXvV7EOfHUqVI63w3XfjrWKQH54MhhD-z6sILVC2Cds8uX_yCec30o/s1600/Alex-Reed.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST COMPANY MEMBER </span><span style="color: #6c267f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><a href="http://theatreeast.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=fWso0gBzAA8AAADFAAg3QQ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6c267f;">ALEXANDER REED</span></a></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
I’ve spent the last five years learning and teaching Stage Combat alongside one
of the top combat instructors in the country. I was very fortunate to get
involved straight out of acting school and although I have never been crazy
about teaching, only recently I realized how much this experience has enhanced
my acting as well as my whole creative being. Where some people would take this
skill for granted I have grown to believe that it is an essential part of the
training for every actor especially for the one who intends to have a career on
the stage.<br />
<br />
One of the things that really stood out for me as I was observing actors during
combat class was how much this skill informs one’s acting. Although some people
took it more seriously than others, there was a clear point being made over and
over again that the actor who was able to do the combat at ease was also a good
actor overall. In general the attributes that gave people advantage were
previous movement skills such as dance or martial arts but that was not always
the case since I saw students with no such training do just as well as those
who had if not better. Therefore the main factors which I think connect the
combat with one’s acting are listening skills, being grounded in your character
and self control over every action you play.<br />
<br />
The reason I point those factors out is because I found that teaching actors,
who knew how to listen, were also grounded and had full control over their
physical actions made it very easy to create an effective dramatic or comical
scene. This is also why I believe that combat and acting are very connected and
one informs the other. When actors are really listening, their fight
choreography looks flawless and effortless and so does their acting and there
is no fear of safety because they are living the scene moment by moment while
being in full control of their bodies as they remain grounded in the characters
that they are playing.<br />
<br />
So I really hope that this gives a better idea of what stage combat is about
and how it relates to acting in more ways than one. What a great way to keep
the actor’s instrument in shape and at the same time have so much fun while
being creative and inspired by every new move you perform. It keeps me curious,
on my toes and asking for more. It is the reason why I believe that acting at
its best should be described as Fearless!!!</span></div>
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-6243808490050517342014-07-20T02:43:00.005-04:002014-07-20T02:45:08.098-04:00An Artist On Hold <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9r-FUVXr_kMYjiCwjdsUXnFKRMkqFRo_MsjlPYAfRruXXngpgXaCJhOeY3AlAbheZwIX7097NcPXrAwdOD5HMor_XfHxLX_LGIDkjtRe5xOHlBBv7Qv8ziAwBOF_rxekwBauvdhCzoLE/s1600/Kelsey-Sheppard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9r-FUVXr_kMYjiCwjdsUXnFKRMkqFRo_MsjlPYAfRruXXngpgXaCJhOeY3AlAbheZwIX7097NcPXrAwdOD5HMor_XfHxLX_LGIDkjtRe5xOHlBBv7Qv8ziAwBOF_rxekwBauvdhCzoLE/s1600/Kelsey-Sheppard.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e338f92b-5281-fcb2-2ad0-f4fda90acc5f"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WRITTEN BY COMPANY MEMBER <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Company.html#anchor_237" target="_blank">KELSEY SHEPPARD</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I spent the past week fully immersed in the world of tap dance. I was offered a job as an assistant registrar for the New York City Tap Festival several months ago and agreed to take the position out of a unique combination of love and financial necessity. I entered the week expecting to enjoy myself. I also expected not to have time to go through my usual actor motions: submitting for auditions, waiting on line for open calls, etc. This would be a week where I would work in the presence of art to finance my life, but I would place myself as an artist on hold—or so I thought.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The week itself was a roller coaster ride. Some days I found myself buried in administrative problems; on others, I was without much work at all, albeit responsible for making sure things were running smoothly. While I am an avid tap dancer myself, my duties as assistant registrar left me unable to take any classes, leaving most of my days at the dance festival devoid of any dancing! I was, however, able to see each evening’s show, and I was especially struck by one performance.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a part of Thursday’s show, Tap & Song, tapper Kazu Kumagai offered a piece to Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are a-Changin’. I was floored. I had anticipated to be wowed by his technical precision, but I found his piece amazing and inspiring for a totally unexpected reason. Armed with little more than his feet, two musicians and Dylan’s powerful lyrics, Kumagai told a story. He walked onstage and began to speak with his feet, and He seemed to have an incredibly clear idea of what he was saying and I, from the back of the balcony, was able to hear him.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was reminded how very simple storytelling can be. In an age where there is so much pressure to provide spectacle (and production costs seem to be forever on the rise), it is refreshing to see art that strives just to communicate an idea. It seemed as though Kumagai knew the truth of what he was saying and then said it, and with only that, it reached out and touched me as a member of the audience.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the middle of a work-week where I expected to find little that would inspire me as an actor, I saw an element of storytelling illuminated that will change the choices I make in my own artistic career. The experience also reminded me that all art, not just theatre, can influence our lives and our work as actors.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most importantly, I was reminded that, even amidst the freelancing/temping/money-finding aspects of this career, growth as an actor will never cease. An artist on hold is impossible.</span></span></div>
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-669421532313940312014-06-18T01:25:00.001-04:002014-06-18T01:27:57.506-04:00My Team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">WRITTEN BY ASSOCIATE COMPANY MEMBER <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Associate-Company-Members.html#anchor_64" target="_blank">MISCHA IPP</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />Before I begin this exploration of team, I want to acknowledge Maya Angelou. I write this on her day of passing and her poem "Still I Rise" resonates through my mind. I am truly grateful for what she gave this world.<br /><br />I have come to understand the profound importance 'my team' has both personally and professionally in my life. I am primarily an actor and producer and the team of people that I surround myself with is what keeps me afloat, raises my excellence and brings me joy. Sometimes I notice acquaintances of mine have friends, family or partners that are dis-empowered, fearful and negative and I wonder how they handle it. It is hard enough being an artist without having to deal with people bringing you down. I couldn't do it without 'my team'; those who help me Rise.<br /><br />I have surrounded myself with wise, motivated, brave and hilarious people who are my role models and confidants. When I have a day that brings me to tears because I haven't had enough sleep and I feel under-acknowledged, I have multiple people I can reach out to that will listen to me, love me, support me and give me brilliant advice to help me Rise. On a day when I can't see where I will get my next acting role, and I start to doubt my talent and worth, I have people there to remind me who I am, what I'm up to and help me Rise. On a day when I work with artists who have a different style, taste and level of experience to me, and I want to pull my hair out because I feel so unsatisfied by the work being created, 'my team' help me Rise. These same people are my role models when it comes to how they deal with their own challenges. They watch inspiring videos, read motivational articles and books, meditate with Deepak Chopra and participate in personal development courses like Tony Robbins, Landmark Education and The Virtues Project. They share their inspiration with me and those around them. They get knocked down, they take risks, they fail, but they get back up and continue to Rise.<br /><br />On a more professional note, I started 7 Centaur Productions and Little y Theatre Company with friends/fellow artists and these companies have managed to produce over 15 film projects, 8 plays, won multiple awards and been awarded grants equaling to many thousands of dollars. My partners through past and current projects - Stevie Cruz-Martin, Georgia King, Alexis Davis, Heloise Wilson, Conrad Le Bron and Josh Makinda - became my right leg. I can’t take a step forward without their hard work, mental and emotional support and incredible integrity. I will share a particularly difficult time when 'My Team" became everything. After spending a year collaborating with Georgia King and Alexis Davis devising a play called "Scent Tales", finding a brilliant director to join the team and being accepted to perform the production at The Blue Room Theatre which included a small grant, free theatre space, equipment and marketing support we faced a tragedy. Alexis passed away in a car accident. Alexis had become a dear friend, co-producer, co-writer and co-actor in my life and all of a sudden she was no longer with us. What to do? Do we cancel the show? You can imagine how many people I called on to help me through this time. We decided to do the show in Alexis' name, and promised each other that every production we do from that moment forward would honor her further.<br /><br />"Scent Tales" went on to have a sell out season, won Best Production at The Blue Room Theatre Awards amongst other award nominations and wins and was awarded a huge grant to tour the show around Western Australia. If I had a partner who was pressuring me to earn more money - for example; or if my parents were insisting I choose another career path; or if my friends were all in regular day jobs and didn't understand what it was to be an artist, it would have been incredibly difficult to get through that period because I needed all the support I could get. I know that you can't choose your family or (sometimes) who you work with, and I believe that it is important to love and respect the people around you regardless of circumstance or opinion; but you can choose your friends and partners. And it is that choice that could be the very key you needed to Rise to your next level of success.<br /><br /> "My team" rejuvenate me and profoundly shape who I am. I do my best to be there for them as much as they are for me, and to be an inspiration in how I deal with challenges, just as they are for me. And with that kind of give and take commitment, I can only imagine we will create a powerful cyclical tornado, going up, up and UP!</span><br />
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-46021634352311796552014-05-25T00:53:00.002-04:002014-06-18T01:22:06.481-04:00A Challenge<div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST COMPANY MEMBER <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Company.html#anchor_256" target="_blank">DARLENE HOPE</a> </span><br /><br />I would like to challenge each of you to do something. As we increase our exposure to technology, we are losing something incredibly valuable. So much of our contents is shaved down to bite sized morsels that we are losing our ability to sustain quiet, focused attention for significant periods of time. Theatre folk have been sensing this for a while now, as audiences have grown bored of sitting still for 2 hours of storytelling. But I think the problem is much, much worse. We are losing the benefit of public gathering altogether. Think about it. Today, I'm going to see Capt America, but movies are now all about bigger and louder ways to shock you...just to hold your attention. Music is more chaotic. Simple melodies are a thing of the past. And the news, wow! You've got 15 different sources of info on the screen, 3 ticker tapes...and it's not like you are watching it anyway. You've got the sound up, while you multi-task in another room. <br /><br />I sat in church today and was sorely grieved because the pastor kept asking folks to hold still during the sermon. Why are people wandering around during service? Who knows! I doubt even they know! All sorts of beeps and chimes and tones echoed throughout the hall, and the people around me could not stop wiggling and squirming, fidgeting and playing with things. It's very very very sad. We are turning into a populace with the attention span of a toddler. <br /><br />So here is my challenge. Counter your exposure to this blaring stimuli overexposure by choosing to adopt moments of quiet reflection into your day. Meditate. Just sit in quiet solitude. Check out an old edition of some classic novel from your local library and force yourself to read it. Magazines, newspapers, blogs, and even new books won't do. They are too full of visual stimuli. Old editions are best because the typeface will be different. Even if you sit alone in a room and listen (without visual) to classical music from historical composers. And prayer. Prayer is most effective because it causes you to wait on god and engage faith, focusing your attention on things that you cannot see or hear. <br /><br />I hope to do this more in life myself. Because what I saw today was scary. If we embrace a stimuli driven world, without regard to discipline, self-control, maturity, reflection, or solace, we will turn into another Roman Empire...burning people upside down, feeding them to lions, boiling them alive in oil all for the entertainment of cheering spectators. We may already be only a step away.</span></div>
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-72563122415805128012014-04-27T02:20:00.002-04:002014-04-27T02:22:21.542-04:00Issues of Quantity and Quality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST COMPANY MEMBER <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Company.html#anchor_239" target="_blank">KIRE TOSEVSKI</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />New York City actors, especially the young and unestablished in the industry, are incredibly busy people. If we're not prepping, cramming, submitting, sending, spending, responding, and following-up; if we're not listening, attending, promoting, respecting, risking, trusting or diving into; if we're not being seen, seeing, catching up on and marathoning; if we're not sweating and stretching and toning, hoo-ing, and ha-ing - then the fear of not doing becomes overwhelming. And our culture of online sharing doesn't exactly help. A few minutes of scrolling through social media feeds and those other actors you went to school with suddenly become giants of the industry, well on their way to the kind of success you gave up on because you decided to take a moment for yourself.<br /><br />The demands of such a challenging career inside of a highly competitive marketplace can easily be viewed as ample justification for such a stream of constant activity. But is it really effective for the struggling actor who lacks union membership and formal representation? The pressure to constantly do and be involved in, and say "Yes" to can be incredibly high for those actors seeking some form of commercial success but who are operating without regular access to premium auditions. I'm constantly looking to fill my calendar with as much actor activity as I can, but recently I've grown weary of this approach, one that seems to favor quantity over quality. I'm not denying that quantitative "plant a thousand seeds" approach is useful.. That's what I've been doing. Just like every other actor I know.<br /><br />This need to perform a constant barrage of actions with the intention of making meaningful contributions to our craft and careers can lead to qualitative oversight. And quality matters. Especially when it comes to the work itself. I'm not talking about whether the writing was good, or the directing was bad, or the production level was high. I simply mean that it stokes the fires of passion for the craft. It nurtures the artist self. It "replenishes the well" as Julia Cameron puts it in her book The Artist's Way. It's a great thing to receive, especially when you're feeling less like an artist and more like a commodity.<br /><br />So how does one help improve the chances of a quality experience? Simply put, we can't. It's not possible (nor is it advisable) for us to judge what the value of some action or experience will be before deciding to perform it or getting involved. If we did that we would never take a risk, never experience the wonder of witnessing a surprising turn of events. All we can really do is go into things with open hearts and positive attitudes, and with better management of our time lead happier, healthier artistic lives.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></span>Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-34807695939312366642014-03-09T16:41:00.001-04:002014-03-09T16:47:38.363-04:00In Defense of "No"<div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyiQvf-cRMY/UxzR9UN1VSI/AAAAAAAAncs/JHiUpaotIPk/s1600/No!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyiQvf-cRMY/UxzR9UN1VSI/AAAAAAAAncs/JHiUpaotIPk/s1600/No!.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST COMPANY MEMBER </span><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Company.html#anchor_233" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">CASEY HAYES-DEATS</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />There is a reason why all toddlers go through a period when “no” is their favorite word. It is a simple, yet powerful, word that allows us to exercise control over our own experiences for the first time. “No, I don’t want to go to bed.” “No, I don’t want to eat my vegetables.” “No, I will not share my toy.” Ironically, as we get older, and arguably have more sense as to what experiences are in our best interest, we forget the affection we once felt for “no.” We become afraid of the word. We feel guilty for using it. We agree to dates we don’t want to go on. We accept responsibilities we aren't interested in having. <br /><br />As an actor, I think it is especially easy to forget the joy of “no." We face so much rejection on a day-to-day basis that we become desperate for an opportunity to hear and say, “Yes!” This can result in us saying yes to projects that we are not really interested in, or worse, to “opportunities” that take us further away from our goal of being an actor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yes, sometimes it is necessary to accept an offer for a non-acting related day -job because you need to pay your rent. And yes, sometimes there is value in accepting a role you are less than thrilled about in order to work with a director or company you admire. Life is full of complicated, hard decisions. But we should never forget that saying no can be just as exciting as saying yes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“No” is not a negative word. It is a positive word that indicates that we know what we want, and that we have the confidence and dedication to accept nothing less. Every time you say no, you are giving the universe a signal that you want something other than what you have been given. Saying no, is a way of asking for what you really want. So forget the fear and the guilt, embrace your inner toddler, and remember the affection you once felt for “no.”</span></div>
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-33133869424676647792014-02-09T18:09:00.000-05:002014-02-09T18:46:27.830-05:00You've Got Your Degree! Now What?<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST ASSOCIATE COMPANY MEMBER <u><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Associate-Company-Members.html#anchor_88" target="_blank">RYAN TROUT</a></u></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /><br />There is a panic that sets in,
shallow as it may start out, the moment that one graduates from College. Sure,
the celebrations are festive, the meals are delicious, and the words of
encouragement overflow without end in sight, but there is something beneath all
of that, at least in my experience, that can only be labeled as Panic. Not the
acute form, the one that robs you of logic in a flash, but the chronic kind,
that stews beneath all that you do, say, or think. It is ever present, and it
can rob your life if you let it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When
I first graduated from NYU Tisch with a degree in theater this past May, that’s
exactly what happened. I allowed this panic to rob me of my life and to
convince me that I wasn’t a theater artist, that I wasn’t deserving of my
degree, and that I would work in retail for the rest of my life. This may all
sound hyperbolic, but it was real, and it was how I felt.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">My path
to battling this Panic, to loving my craft and my calling to it, has been
fraught with insecurity and fear. In the 9 months (already?!) since I
graduated, I have been presented head on with a challenge that is seemingly
innocuous yet terrifying in its inevitability: life outside the boundaries of
formal education.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">If we’re
going to throw out a disclaimer, let it be that most of the time I’m not so
great at this. I forget things (including, for a while, the deadline of this
post), sleep through my alarm, and miss doctor’s appointments. For a time, it
was InsecureRyan’s prime chance to pounce on SecureRyan’s, well, security. I
would be unnecessarily harsh on myself and no good would come from that. But
wisdom, or at the very least, patience, comes only with time. I may not be very
wise or patient as of now, and I may forget this whole “brushing your teeth”
thing every once in a while, but I’m trying. I go to auditions, I write when I
can, and I cook up a storm. Life is hard postgraduation, there is no denying
that. But it’s not insurmountable, and it’s not fate throwing you an evil side
eye. It’s life, and it’s rewarding when you least expect it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">So I
won’t give up. I won’t back down. And I’ll love myself through it all.</span></div>
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-86011463958705430602014-01-14T01:09:00.000-05:002014-02-09T18:46:34.319-05:00An Actress Goes to Court<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiht7QKniTDGY79cIwgofx9sruH4aitwnICZp4YKVkNPS2QjP4DbT2Spr_wAEXVSpX6c1xQmjlkfm_iJrGn763Fs1y_0uatnfR7vog8Sxm9MBaFHqhDhwPOswIhLsyFF-RvyUeyVF9t2Mg/s1600/ev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiht7QKniTDGY79cIwgofx9sruH4aitwnICZp4YKVkNPS2QjP4DbT2Spr_wAEXVSpX6c1xQmjlkfm_iJrGn763Fs1y_0uatnfR7vog8Sxm9MBaFHqhDhwPOswIhLsyFF-RvyUeyVF9t2Mg/s200/ev.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST COMPANY MEMBER <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Company.html#anchor_238" target="_blank">EVELYN SPAHR</a><u><br /></u></span><u style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When I had
to go to jury duty, I was not feeling so happy. I walked into the courthouse
and was escorted to a holding room. Two hundred chairs filled with people who
visibly did NOT want to be there. The Wi-fi sucked. The vending machine was
broken. They only had Coke, no Pepsi. Basically the worst thing EVER.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
After five
hours and a total binge fest on Checkers fries and a burger, I was summoned to
go to one of the fifth floor court rooms. I was listening to the judge, but my
back kind of hurt, the guy next to me smelled, and a closer view of the
attractive attorney's ring finger told me he was married. With that piece of
information retrieved, I was ready to leave.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
Then, this
really weird thing happened. The judge asked the defendant to stand up and
greet us. He turned and, directly staring at me, smiled and waved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
Now, I have
told this incident to a lot of people. When I tell them that that moment made
me want to drop whatever else was going on in my life and serve as a juror on
that case, the general response is that I was nuts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
So why did
I do it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
First
off, I saw someone scared, embarrassed,
and a bit shy. Do those feelings sound familiar? YEAH, they seem familiar to me
too! I have them allllll time. They made me extremely aware of his humanity and
our interconnectedness. I felt compassion for him and I wanted to help.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
Secondly,
pride and a sense of duty welled up inside of me. Hundreds of years ago, a
group of people believed so deeply in the power of the individual that they
made participation in government not only a right for every citizen but also a
responsibility. Serving as juror is one of the most ultimate ways of embodying
the American Dream.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
I
eventually was picked (yay!) and I served as Juror Number 5. We found him
guilty of the charge. One juror cried. Another needed a beer. Others, including
myself, didn't say a word and just left. I say I left because I was busy. To be
honest, the whole thing left me with a lot to think about in a very private
way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
Before I
left though, I returned to the waiting room. My initial apathy had blinded me
from noticing that a huge sculpture hung
from the ceiling. It depicted a man on a diving board that was being held down
by a semi circle of twelve chairs. I felt bad for the man but I also realized
that he was safe as long as those chairs were filled. From that moment on, I
promised, that whenever I'm called, I would be there to fill one of those
chairs for the sake of a fellow American, and I ask that you consider doing the
same. You'll feel better about yourself, pinky swear.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">TheatreEast.org</span></a>
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-65808801965989407212013-12-08T15:00:00.000-05:002014-02-09T18:46:20.488-05:00Triple Threat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD73SQ7RgWxSfub4h6Ia9NS2SjJnaHxqNXKAlBnEBj6HELcbfRsiHAm0J0dG1eGU-H-F4paMiOBMrnlTJhquzqx-2P7qx0zDQx6NwUNYLUIuSuVMXx87fvHA9SkixQiGDawSBkFpb1NpA/s1600/Normalcy-sketch-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD73SQ7RgWxSfub4h6Ia9NS2SjJnaHxqNXKAlBnEBj6HELcbfRsiHAm0J0dG1eGU-H-F4paMiOBMrnlTJhquzqx-2P7qx0zDQx6NwUNYLUIuSuVMXx87fvHA9SkixQiGDawSBkFpb1NpA/s200/Normalcy-sketch-2.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-5b585855-d3c0-8ac1-e4df-34aa147241a1"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-5b585855-d3c0-8ac1-e4df-34aa147241a1"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; white-space: normal;">WRITTEN BY <br />THEATRE EAST ASSOCIATE COMPANY MEMBER <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Associate-Company-Members.html#anchor_63" target="_blank">JAMIE H. JUNG</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />We’ve all heard this phrase bandied about the entertainment world. It means a performer who is not only a talented actor, but a singer and dancer. Now from my definition I list (1) Actor (2) Singer (3) Dancer in that order because that is how I came to the theatre. I studied Performance at University & acting at Stella Adler. Now that I’m a professional Audition-er, however, I am seeing that there are several overlapping disciplines comprising our commercial industry...and Singing and Dancing are huge. These disciplines are not incidental to theatrical productions either. On any given sweep of Actors Access, Playbill.com, or the AEA website, 80% of auditions require a performer to prepare a song.<br /><br />Now, what does this mean to the average actor? What it boils down to is the commercialization of “the production.” People spend more money and are more likely to make time in their schedule to see a show that is a spectacle. In short, performances with song & dance (and therefore performers who sing & dance) put asses in seats. America’s impact on the history of theatre is indeed the musical. I believe that this “invention” - along with the quite real invention of film & television - have made stories much more accessible to wider audiences. This displaces the role of the live theatre artist into…you guessed it…musical theatre. Included in that 80% statistic are productions that are perhaps interactive or involve a multi-disciplinary showing with performers singing or moving. Nevertheless, I am taking this observation and putting it back into my unfolding training. I’m going back to the classroom.<br /><br />Now that phrase “going back to the classroom” can sound dull or even a step (hah, dance pun) in the wrong direction. Can’t you learn to sing and/or dance within auditions? Can’t you informally work on these skills enough so that you book work which will incrementally bring you to a level of talent (acting/singing/dancing) where you need to be? You can be naturally gifted and you can work informally on various skills you must display at the now routine Equity Chorus Call, but you will spin your wheels. If you happen to get cast in a show where your basic abilities as a singer and/or dancer secured you employment, you will not grow significantly as - apart from observing other performers and working on your specific tasks within said production - no one will have the time to spend on or with you. Nor is this truly the appropriate place. Rather than shoehorn this learning into the rehearsal room, take time & money out of your already busy life and attend the right classes and buy the right equipment. I’m actively seeking out Jazz classes as I’ve identified this form of dance as what will supplement my basic training in Ballet. As for singing, I will soon be seeking out private lessons as I do understand the business side of singing (from book learning, experience, and classes taken during the Stella Adler Conservatory) but need to work on belting and some of the more technical aspects of singing which will help make my sound more desirable.<br /><br />The bottom line is that you are – a performer is – a product. The market and audience have shifted over the years and your ideas about the industry do not necessarily align with the current marketplace. If you are an actor and are not interested in singing or dancing, the theatre is a much smaller place. I feel that those actors tend to be seeking out film & TV work because of this painful truth. I’m quite aware that there have never been enough jobs for the amount of actors out there. But now those “pure acting jobs” are being eaten away by musical theatre. You can still go the route of working in live theatre at a theatre company in large urban areas or small regional houses…but where do you go from there? At some point you have to take the stage at the Guthrie in Into the Woods.<br /><br /> I began this blog by observing disciplines in the commercial theatre. Should one explore Performance Art or Community Theatre (no connotation implied, thank you)...then you have discovered a singular world of community & adventure. Personally I view Theatre East as approaching all fronts which is itself admirable and why many different artists are drawn to this company. I hope to marry my talents & ambitions within this company and there are few companies that would allow an artist such a possibility. Plus (and this is a big plus), the mission of such companies as Theatre East is ideological. If you're in it for more than the money and aren't looking for somewhere to go (you want to perform right here!) then you are all set. Broadway has its place, Hollywood its place. Local Theatre has its place. Maybe you don't want to sing & dance. We all want to make a difference, an impact, a change and if the great tide of commercial theatre is rushing towards open waters...perhaps it is better to dwell on the shore you are you sure you want to make your home.</span></span></div>
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Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16878716897522434099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-20494792556742673482013-11-16T23:51:00.000-05:002014-02-09T18:48:49.126-05:00Never Say Die<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC7d3DoHVg-YccMka0D1gS6A14QO6CuwHHVAM1ltwHwr_CBg6FZ6EjDjknktwjLBKN9___tpCFF8vEGWKSva-l7Im0pRNdMFrNqtwJFVTTm4d5iwGQGYakGJ_zcf2_bvrETumtm-9QYM/s1600/goals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC7d3DoHVg-YccMka0D1gS6A14QO6CuwHHVAM1ltwHwr_CBg6FZ6EjDjknktwjLBKN9___tpCFF8vEGWKSva-l7Im0pRNdMFrNqtwJFVTTm4d5iwGQGYakGJ_zcf2_bvrETumtm-9QYM/s1600/goals.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">WRITTEN BY THEATRE EAST COMPANY MEMBER <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Company.html#anchor_244">MARIANA VILY</a></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Talent is the ability to accomplish what you started." ~ Pyotr Fomenko</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I came into this quote by chance, and liked it immediately. It may seem lackluster compared to many of the other definitions of talent out there, at least at first sight. But the words would stay with me, for two reasons: for one, I'm a perfectionist, meaning I sometimes ask too much of myself. So I was grateful to be relieved of the pressure to do something great, and instead just have to finish what I set out to do.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Which, as we all know, can be no small feat. And this is, perhaps, the main reason the words stood out for me. This year, though very satisfying artistically, did prove a big challenge to me in terms of things outside acting that I absolutely had to deal with. These things (getting an artist visa first, finding a new home later) were, of course, stressful and very time consuming. There were moments when I felt like they were taking over my life. And while quitting didn't occur to me as a possibility, I could see how easily I could allow those things to divert me from what I wanted to be doing. How I could simply stop just by not having the time, or worse, the frame of mind.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In due time, my difficulties took care of themselves, as they always do. But what allowed me to stay on track had more to do with finding inspiration than with eliminating obstacles. It had more to do with accepting my friends' encouragement, with sitting through a lot of screenings and talks with great artists at the New York Film Festival, and with then following through by coming up with a plan, running it by my mentor, getting back into class and finding new artistic projects and collaborators. Which is where I am now.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Being done with the bureaucratic and logistical stuff is allowing me to enjoy all the aspects of acting much more. But I also better appreciate the value of perseverance. It takes a lot to finish anything, including the talent the quote refers to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">TheatreEast.org</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-81579337972767496162012-05-13T13:05:00.000-04:002012-05-13T13:05:14.203-04:00Mother TheatreJust a few thoughts on Mother's Day on how theatre can be like your mother...<br />
<br />
Theatre welcomes you even when no one else does.<br />
Theatre can make you laugh.<br />
Theatre can make you cry.<br />
Theatre will tell you the truth...even when it isn't easy for you to hear.<br />
Theatre wants what's best for you.<br />
<br />
How else do upon think theatre is like a mother? Let us know in the comments!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">TheatreEast.org</span></a> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:85%;" ><br />
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></span></div>Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-73223243459864404332012-04-30T19:22:00.000-04:002012-04-30T19:22:08.956-04:00TEam Work<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQwy3c70JNZCwBrBpQPYdpllyMBZ6fvNndLHXwQAEfvEUei6xvmFXdbG_-nXa7Q2yUzond4uzg695yTDyoPnNwu-o6_KeL6emrv0sTLlxJe8Ri-bYzFsDfAkkHN33doaGEkMFmuADcn4/s400/Normalcy+&+Jungle+Book+productin+meeting+EDIT.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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</style><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">We have begun the creative discussions. Last week we held
our first production meeting for our fall shows NORMALCY and THE JUNGLE BOOK. What’s most
exciting about this season is the challenge of discussing two productions at
once that need to work together.<span> </span>It is a
lot to take on in a short, 3-hour meeting, but because of <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/ProductionStaff.html">the team</a> that we
have, we all left inspired and ready for the next steps.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">First production meetings are so much about coming to the
table with initial ideas and problem solving. Everyone has been doing work on
their own and the time has come to begin to put it together—to collaborate, to
really work as a team. I’m always amazed to see what the various departments
have been working on. In many ways it’s the same excitement we, as school
children, felt on Show-and-Tell days. It’s a lot of <i>ooh</i>s and <i>ahh</i>s. <span></span>Set, lighting, costumes, sound and music—all
these incredible folks gathered in a room presenting their ideas, supporting the
director’s vision...and the production manager making sure it all stays within
budget.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It was a great beginning, resulting in very workable and
exciting ideas. We all left inspired and ready for more! Go TEam!</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">You can also be a part of the TEam and help make these
productions happen.<span> </span><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html">DONATE TODAY </a><span> </span>to Theatre East! </span>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">TheatreEast.org</span></a>
<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></span></div>Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-71543865590762029392012-04-15T08:45:00.000-04:002012-04-15T08:45:04.346-04:00A Moment of Truth<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoI3-qIfrrFmHg60EagkEdr64i4lLYZ2hq5_qxmmUL7flxa_f8bRWz9tWIifdIUiweezOhxkxF-s0gF8K_ob0n65Uep7NZbV42Zhjs_ALVluwXpjGqLDjPOl2ck4ylR8vovo2Uuz9tTY/s1600/curtain-call-Todd+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoI3-qIfrrFmHg60EagkEdr64i4lLYZ2hq5_qxmmUL7flxa_f8bRWz9tWIifdIUiweezOhxkxF-s0gF8K_ob0n65Uep7NZbV42Zhjs_ALVluwXpjGqLDjPOl2ck4ylR8vovo2Uuz9tTY/s320/curtain-call-Todd+blog.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">from <span class="size12 TrebuchetMS12" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Staff.html#anchor_120">Todd Eric Hawkins</a>, Managing Director</span></i> </span><br /><span style="color: #993399; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">This past week I attended a preview of one of the new musicals opening on Broadway this season. It was a Monday night, I wasn’t particularly excited by the star, nor was I really in the mood to sit in the theater. But...I had a ticket so off to the theatre I went.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #993399; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of the disadvantages of being “in the business” is that there is a tendency to<br />be hyper-critical of theatre, especially when you are not in the mood to lose yourself in the story. Admittedly, this was one of those nights. I will not mention the show, because I am sure that my impression of it is completely based on my own psychological state, not on the quality of the show, or the performances. However, even in my disgruntled mood, a single line, in the hands of an incredible actress, pierced through all of the crap that I was carrying around. With just a few words, she was able to deliver that elusive, magical moment of truth: an emotional connection so strong that the audience has no choice but to connect.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #993399; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">At that moment, everything in my otherwise unremarkable, slightly annoying day fell away. For the first time that evening I stopped looking at the lights and the set and wondering how much they cost. I stopped nit-picking every performance and every song. I stopped being an ass.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #993399; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Of all of the shows I have seen, I can only think of two occasions when a member of the<br />ensemble delivered, in my opinion, the best performance of the night. I have always heard the adage, “There are no small parts, only small actors.” Both of these performers have proven that statement.<br /><br />It is rare for actors—especially those in the ensemble—to hear how much their performance affects audience members. I think good work deserves praise, no matter how small the role. So, while I will not mention the show, I would like to thank that actress—in spirit here, and in a letter delivered to the stage door—for reminding me why I am in the theatre.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">TheatreEast.org</span></a>
<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></span></div>Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-9751936124896828122012-04-08T14:35:00.000-04:002012-04-11T23:28:24.242-04:00The Power of Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHZRiRQ2l6Nk9Hi7Ka8NEuiJDoNyDVINgOWk6pzcTbeXB9bNz5va_Rgud3Onlu9j3t5gJJw4RtQbdwNKhzwrqdiPUgM1CYeUvoYhbSmHA8Kwdql9ZTUmUwDLHJnf-xgpYyTzmFaDUJxY/s1600/dsc_7774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHZRiRQ2l6Nk9Hi7Ka8NEuiJDoNyDVINgOWk6pzcTbeXB9bNz5va_Rgud3Onlu9j3t5gJJw4RtQbdwNKhzwrqdiPUgM1CYeUvoYhbSmHA8Kwdql9ZTUmUwDLHJnf-xgpYyTzmFaDUJxY/s1600/dsc_7774.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;">from <span class="size9 TrebuchetMS9" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Staff.html" style="color: purple;">Judson Jones</a>, Artistic Director</span></i></div>
<br />
One of the things I love about New York is the subway system. So many walks of life. So many histories. So many geographical, religious, and political backgrounds. So many different clothing options! So many different faces. I love the shared glances you have with someone when you realize that you’re both eavesdropping on the same conversation and a bit a juicy news just came out. And for the most part, I love the myriad of musical performers (some good…and some not so good) that hop on the subway to play and then pass the hat. And all of this is crammed together in a hole in the ground.<br />
<br />
The other day, it was an unusually early morning commute. I was on my way to a set and, as TV shows tend to start shooting at the break of dawn, I was not in the mood to do anything but go over my lines in silence. So of course there’s going to be a baby that’s having a complete and utter breakdown on the train. This child had some lungs and wanted everyone to know that he was not happy! Put on my headphones, but instead of hearing <a href="http://www.jeffbuckley.com/">Jeff Buckley</a>, I heard Jeff Buckley being backed up by the crying baby chorus. Ditched the headphones and tried to focus on my script. Then the doors open and I see two guitars and an accordion walk on. I looked up to the ceiling and thought, “Well, my morning just got better.” I was just not in the mood. Then they started playing one of the most beautiful and sad pieces of music I have ever heard. I’m not an expert of Spanish music but it sounded like it was perhaps a traditional folk song. The first thing I noticed was that the child stopped crying almost immediately. He just stared at the musicians, his cheeks still covered in tears. And then I looked across from me and there was an elderly woman mouthing the words, with tears in her eyes. There was such passion and pain in her eyes. I’m not sure what the history of the song is, but to her, it was very personal and it was very deep. I just sat there and watched her, and the child, and the band. And I smiled. Oh, the power of performance.<br />
<br />
Today, throughout the world, two holidays are being celebrated by millions. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover">Passover</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter">Easter</a>. Passover celebrates the great exodus of the Children of Israel from the bonds of slavery in Egypt. And Easter celebrates the resurrection of a messiah. Both of these holidays celebrate the miracle of great change, journeys, and hope. Today people will gather in homes and perform the ritual of the Seder and others will gather in churches and take communion. And at the heart of both of these rituals are the stories that will be told as they have been for many, many generations.<br />
<br />
Theatre, at its core, is just that. Storytelling. Take away the lights, the score, the costumes, the scenery and what are you left with? The story. But the paramount aspect of the storytelling is the communion we share with each other. It is during time when we come together and we don’t just observe, but we partake. And when we leave, we should all be full.<br />
<br />
Have a truly wonderful holiday.<br />
<br />
JudTheatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-45259001540400791942012-03-24T23:43:00.000-04:002012-03-24T23:43:09.682-04:00Lies & Truth in the Theatre<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVy0z2st3TJPmEyqRaBdP7297_JUD3AYtx8NddOB8e48u5SoymISJZXePigUgymVbfWefbVdQr3ef1v8tpULloPYh3VOZR4U7llvy5pEmfPgFueO57DrjXhEoCn4vuUpxkNo4Vzna0Rs/s320/liedetector.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-style: italic;">from <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Staff.html#anchor_74">William Franke</a>, Director of Development</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> & Communications</i></div>
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<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></i></div>
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<a href="http://gawker.com/5894216" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Much has been made</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> in the past few weeks of Mike Daisey’s
one-man show </span><a href="http://www.publictheater.org/component/option,com_shows/task,view/Itemid,141/id,1043" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank"><i>The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs</i></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, particularly the
truthfulness of it. Perhaps none of this
would have come up had it stayed in the theater and not been presented as truth
on </span><a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/454/mr-daisey-and-the-apple-factory" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">This American Life</a>,<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> where it transitioned from theatre to journalism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(Full disclosure: I have not seen the live performance at
the Public Theater. But like many people*, I was enthralled with the half hour excerpt
of Daisey’s performance presented on This American Life. I was equally
captivated by the episode that they ran last week, “</span><a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/460/retraction" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Retraction</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">.”)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I know some people who find it ridiculous that Daisey is
being lambasted for being less than truthful. They repeat Daisey’s defense that
he is an artist of the theatre and that his monologue—a piece of theatre—does
not need to meet the same rigors that a piece of pure journalism does.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The reason this sticks in my craw is that it reminds me of a
refrain I’ve heard over and over again: that actors = liars. (A few examples: A
friend of mine was told by her in-laws “We can never be sure if you’re telling
the truth, because you’re an actor.” I was once approached by a former coworker
to pose on the phone as her grown daughter’s boss to give a glowing
recommendation to a potential employer. When I refused, she said “C’mon, you
can do it. You’re an actor.”)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My understanding is that, while Daisey created a theatrical
piece, he did so as a storyteller, purportedly relating stories of his actual
experiences without caveat, without footnote. Instead, what was brought to light was that he made much of it up
to manipulate the emotions of the audience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yes, actors in any play are up there on stage saying things
they don’t mean, things they may not personally believe, pretending to be
people they aren’t. But when actor and audience enter the theater, there is a contract,
an understanding between both parties about what is going on. Even with plays
based on historical events, audiences understand that liberties are taken:
historical personages and events are merged for the sake of dramatic
expediency. The irony of this situation is that in a room full of people
sharing an evening of these agreed-upon lies, something transcendent often
occurs. Greater truths are discovered. That is the power of theatre when
everyone is in it together.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></o:p></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*This American Life reported that the 1/6/12 Episode “Mr.
Daisey and the Apple Factory” was the most-downloaded episode since they began
offering them as podcasts.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">TheatreEast.org</span></a>
<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Support Theatre East</span></a></span></div>Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-13222209734968382022012-03-19T13:48:00.000-04:002012-03-19T13:48:08.390-04:00Meltdown on the Mountain<div style="text-align: left;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkH0oBcer74Pp3nlnJLVxulFlkv8O8v4XA-krZP6SNuri76-6KUt-zdzgsGQyEDgXaCoAxTM-9fKfXDGG1I1uaDu36ZFgXAfAfiXz6x9Z8Vd5sQ8rmgHOFb384eHvMGIIEAvf0K-I0IdI/s1600/Christa_skiing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkH0oBcer74Pp3nlnJLVxulFlkv8O8v4XA-krZP6SNuri76-6KUt-zdzgsGQyEDgXaCoAxTM-9fKfXDGG1I1uaDu36ZFgXAfAfiXz6x9Z8Vd5sQ8rmgHOFb384eHvMGIIEAvf0K-I0IdI/s400/Christa_skiing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Meltdown on the Mountain—It’s the getting back up that counts (with a little help from our friends).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 12px;"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">from </span></span><span class="size12 TrebuchetMS12" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 12px;"><b><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Staff.html#anchor_45" style="color: #674ea7; text-decoration: none;">Christa Kimlicko Jones</a>, </b></span><span class="size9 TrebuchetMS9" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 12px;">Associate Artistic Director, </span><span class="size9 TrebuchetMS9" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Director of Programming:</span> </span></div>
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<span class="size9 TrebuchetMS9" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Building a theatre company isn’t easy. There are many long roads, hurdles, and often
mountains to climb. There are fears and doubts. There are big leaps. There are
setbacks. Sometimes it even seems that it would make more sense to just not do
it. It would be easier, safer, simpler. But, then, miraculously we get back up.
We leap. We dive. We push through. Somehow we find strength in each other, in
our dreams</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and in you, our supporters. Not really sure how exactly it happens,
but it does</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and we thank you for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This past week, I went skiing for the first time EVER. And,
needless to say, it proved to be more than just a skiing trip. I think I
discovered myself and perhaps even conquered myself up on that stupid not-so-easy "Easy Street" course—with a little help from my friends. The leading up to
it was fine, I guess. I would mention what I was doing for Spring Break, look around with saucer eyes for any sort of insight (people didn't realize that I
was really looking for magical ANSWERS!) and mostly it was the same: people
giving me advice, saying "you’ll be fine!" and telling me "just keep your skis in 'pizza.'" Telling me what boots or pants or jacket I needed. And of course I
just said, "Okay!" because really, I had no idea about any of it. I had no
context (except what I've seen on TV, and those people aren't doing 'pizza,' I
don’t think. These "bits of advice," however, could IN NO WAY prepare me for
what I was about to do. I suppose "keep it in pizza" was something I used the
most! But, seriously, folks</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">almost 40 and first time skiing?? This brain and
body are a bit different than my 5-year-old nephew who literally got to the top
of the mountain and just went. No pausing. No questions. He just went. And
survived. And went back for more. There is a lesson in that, I’m sure!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But, my journey was a bit more…um… </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">involved</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, first things first, I got my outfit—I looked like I knew
what I was doing (that’s half the battle, right?!). The next morning, we started
our road trip to Vermont. We got to the lodge after our gorgeous drive and met
up with family. We were staying in the <a href="http://www.trappfamily.com/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=PPC2p&DCSext.ppc_kw=trapp+family+lodge&ppc_ac=Brand&ppc_ag=Brand+Broad&ppc_mt=Broad" target="_blank">Trapp Family Lodges</a> in Stowe, VT. Over
dinner, there was discussion about the snow and the slopes and "Stay on the
bunny..." "Okay," I said. Next morning—got dressed, good breakfast, and off we
went! Another gorgeous, peaceful drive to the slopes. After getting all set up
and looking around I thought, "I can do this!" Then off to lessons. We started
slowly. Scooting along, learning about weight, etc. We learned how to get on
the lift (much appreciated!), and then got to the top of the bunny slope. I
honestly don’t remember my first time down. I was just following. Just trying
to stay up. And I was doing great! We did this several more times until the
class was over. Success!! I was able to do this! I only fell a couple of times
(trying not to run into children—a very smart objective, I thought!). But I was
good! We then had lunch, and back to the 1pm lesson: Intro to Turning. We
graduated to "Easy Street." However, Easy Street wasn’t so easy. Anyway, it
was fine, really</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">—</span>a<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">t first. With my class, I was able to follow my teacher and
my other classmates. I fell mostly every time going down, but I learned how to
get up. In fact, I got really good at that. (Maybe that’s the moral to the
story, really?!) Up and down. Falling, yes, but getting back up! Had a great
afternoon, evening of rest</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">muscles very sore. Jud said that I’d probably wake
up tomorrow and think, "I don’t want to go, I’m too sore" (he was right), but, "getting up and going is key!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next morning, VERY sore. Could hardly walk. But, was
determined to push through. Stretched out. Got dressed. Good breakfast. Nice
drive there, but this day…this day was different. I had a feeling in my
stomach. Of dread. The day before, I knew nothing. But today, today I knew what
was about to happen. And I, in no way, trusted myself. But, on we went. ‘Easy
Street’, here we come! Lift was good. I was a pro at this! Got to the top--the
top of the mountain that I had skied many times the day before. Turned the
corner, looked down. And FROZE. My legs had no idea of what to do. People
zooming past but I froze. And then I started crying. The meltdown on the
mountain had begun. I tried to move, scooted a bit. But just couldn't go. Or </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">let</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> go. Isn't interesting how just a
little bit of knowledge will keep you stuck in one place? Anyway, I tried to
follow Jud, but just couldn’t go. I cried, I yelled at him for bringing me up
there, I started scooting down on my bottom—but that wasn't really working. The
people on the lifts got a lift and a show! And I didn't care. I was going to
die on that mountain (it was a very dramatic moment). I had to keep taking my
goggles off because they were fogging up from crying. I tried getting up and
kept falling over and then no energy to get back up because I was crying</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I
mean, sobbing. It was quite a sight, I'm sure. Jud standing there, all the
while, trying to give me pointers. I certainly didn't want to listen. But he
stayed. And then, after probably 20 minutes or so of this, I'm not sure what
happened—something in me?</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Something in
the fact that he was still there?</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Something in the knowledge that I had to get down? Something in the
knowledge that I did it just the day before? I don't know. But I stood up, had
a moment with myself, looked straight ahead, and went forward a bit. I stopped.
Then turned a bit, went the other way. The next thing I knew I was traversing
down the mountain—slowly, but I was going. Bit by bit, and then somehow, I was
down the mountain. It wasn't like I just said "Okay…GO…" and I was down, which
may be the way for some. For me, it was slowly, bit by bit. And the most
bizarre thing—when I got down, I had the thought of, "I want to go again." Why
in the world would I do that to myself?</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bizarre. So, I went down again. I fell every time—but less and less.
Most importantly, I kept going. Learning something about it each time down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On that day, I realized that looking straight down the
mountain didn't work, but focusing on just the task at hand—</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">that </i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I could handle. I learned that if I
keep going, eventually I will get through.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And, at some point, I might even enjoy myself! I learned that it’s okay
to be cautious, smart in fact. It's okay to be a bit afraid. It's most
important that you take that breath and you try. And if you fall, learn how to
get up. And surround yourself with those that love you, care for you, believe
in you, will stick up for you when others try to push you down, and you will
actually enjoy the scenery as it goes by. You might even be able to improve
your technique each time you go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just like building a
theatre. Just like anything in life, really. Those things that are most worth
it will be hard, but they are possible. I’m certainly not ready to do blue
slopes yet, but I am willing to go back again and get more bruises in the
process. Thank you for being those supporters on the mountain of building a
theatre company. We literally could not do it without you. It's scary at times
for sure, but it's definitely possible. And the bumps and bruises are worth it.
We will keep diving. Taking leaps. Taking chances—with you. Looking forward to
seeing you up there on that mountain again and again. Together we can do this!</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">TheatreEast.org</span></a>
<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Support Theatre East</span></a></span></div>Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-64754808082904853112012-03-11T08:57:00.001-04:002012-03-11T08:57:50.582-04:00We Are Family<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZArdf-QicK8C2k3ZRq-4JE0fa8qdAPV7AHehJO57tWmN8iUZayICMOyIRuf3Fbq5NhsQeI5R4tK82elWl4PyGOWt-ZG7CLylaXq_PaI4ogpo7rCW-w5f4-vRKAuNfqozNPUfuhj20B2s/s320/Theatre+Family+collage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">from <span class="size12 TrebuchetMS12" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Staff.html#anchor_120">Todd Eric Hawkins</a>, Managing Director</span></i> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span> <style>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In school, I was constantly bullied; I was ganged up on,
beaten, and terrorized on a regular basis. Or at least that is how it felt at
the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">On my first day of sixth grade, I transitioned to a middle
school in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman,_Oklahoma" target="_blank">Norman, Oklahoma</a>. It was the first time I wasn’t able to walk to
school; I had to ride the bus.<span> </span>This
concept to me was terrifying. At 11 years old, I was already almost 6 feet tall
and I was painfully shy—a combination that would prove to be a liability.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I sat on the bus that first morning, scared of the new
experience. To soothe myself, I held my books to my chest, trying to make
myself as small as humanly possible. I can only assume that I thought that if I
stayed still, none of the other kids would notice me and, therefore, wouldn’t
pick on me. My height made this impossible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">One of the boys on the bus asked if I was a boy or a girl.
I, of course, told him that I was a boy. At the time I didn’t realize it, but the
next move would be the beginning of my many encounters with bullies. He told me
that he thought I was a girl, because I carried my books like one. Everyone
laughed and that was all it took, I was called a fag for the first time in my
life.<span> </span>At the time I didn’t even know
what the word meant, let alone whether I was one or not.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I consider myself one of the lucky ones. When I look back on
that time and the events that followed over the course of the next six years, I
am oddly thankful. Without that teasing I wouldn’t be the person I am today,
nor would I have found a home in the theatre. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In the Drama Club, I found my allies, a merry band of
misfits who were all looking for some kind of escape from the cruel, unjust
world that we were forced to inhabit. In the auditorium after school, during
countless hours of rehearsal, I felt like a valued member of the team. That
feeling gave me the strength to ignore the name-calling and fight back when
pushed.<span> </span>I discovered who I was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The theatre has always provided me with a sense of family.
Whether it was high school, college, or Theatre East, the people who surround
me when I am actively engaged in the art of making theatre are the best people
I know.<span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I think much of it has to do with the collaborative nature
of the theatre. Nothing can get done without everyone involved doing his or her
job. Success depends upon it. <span> </span>Even when
things don’t seem to be going well, the show, as they say, must go on, and the
players must pull together and do whatever it takes to make it happen. That
lesson may be the most valuable thing I have learned from the theatre.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I am honored to be a part of the Theatre East family, and as
part of that family, I am committed to doing whatever it takes to make it a
success. Thank you for welcoming me and above all for your continued support.</span></div>
<span style="color: #993399; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 100%;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">TheatreEast.org</span></a>
<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></span></div>Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-59635409636260376242012-03-04T11:12:00.000-05:002012-03-04T11:12:20.670-05:00When Life Gives You Lemons<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-omzJNjuXNngZhK2wCMsNkO8CuV42vIfdnXvqT2yrzGLd2KFYf-CUP8jSJMeTgz0DafbAfdgBHTiWrhcRu0W9glpRooVjVapiz_WB1zihuUNtlTQ0F-286ab47ih7q7jztB3ZoIaMIm4/s320/George.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>from <span class="size9 TrebuchetMS9" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Staff.html">Judson Jones</a>, Artistic Director</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span class="size9 TrebuchetMS9" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></i></span><br />
<style>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>When life
gives you lemons, make saturated calcium hydroxide<sup>1</sup><sub><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;"></span></sub> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>We’ve all heard the old adage before.
And while we know it to be true, that doesn’t mean it’s easy.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>The year is 1990. I’m a junior at
<a href="http://www.whit.sprnet.org/" target="_blank">Whitehouse High School</a>. And for some reason, in the infinite wisdom of a 17-year-old,
I opted to sign up for Physics class. Why? I still don’t know. I could say
that I truly wanted to ponder the mysteries of the universe. Most likely there
was a cute girl in the class; at 17 you tend to follow certain parts of the
body more than others. So there I was. I had already plastered my textbook
cover with my favorite bands, I had my new <a href="http://www.converse.com/#/products/Shoes/ChuckTaylor/122094" target="_blank">Chuck Taylors</a> on (which I think the
cute girl noticed), I was ready for some Physics. Then Mr. Tom Young walked in.
You know that look on your face when you smell something but you can’t figure
out exactly what it is, and you kind of turn your head one direction and then
another to see if you find the source? That was my face for the next 50
minutes. Who cares about <a href="http://www.bonjovi.com/" target="_blank">Bon Jovi</a>? Who cares about red canvas Hi-Tops with
black laces? Who cares about the cute girl?! I’m going to fail Physics!!! After
school that day I went and drowned my sorrows in a tall </span></span><style>
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</style><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">suicide<sup>2</sup></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><span> Slush
from Sonic.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>As I lay in bed that night two
thoughts kept creeping into my mind. Over and over. Incessantly. No matter how
hard I tried, my mind was plagued with fear and grief. One: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098772/" target="_blank"><i>Cop Rock</i></a>. Really?! From the same mind
that created <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081873/" target="_blank"><i>Hill Street Blues</i></a>?! It made
no sense! That was the problem with the ’90s! Things were too good! We left the
depressing, gritty, cocaine-filled, recession-induced dramas with the ’80s! We
didn’t want to see a brooding cop with a dark past who nurses a bottle of Scotch
each night just to blot out the nightmares of the streets arresting some
arrogant drug lord that had the cop’s partner taken out in an undercover sting
that went bad two weeks ago! We didn’t want to see that! Instead we wanted to
see the same brooding cop and the same arrogant drug lord SINGING AND DANCING
TOGETHER! Ugh! It was such a rough time. Oh, and the other thought that kept
penetrating my mind was sitting in Mr. Young’s Physics class for the remainder
of the school year.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>But much to my surprise Physics class
got better. There was something incredibly special that Mr. Young brought to
class every single day: Passion. And it was contagious. He loved teaching. He
loved his students. He didn’t try to make science cool, instead he simply
showed us how cool it was. Listening to him talk about <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">quantum behavior or how a </span></span><a href="http://www.scientificsonline.com/famous-drinking-bird.html?gclid=CL_Q8IbbzK4CFYOo4AodjlwBBg"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Dunking Duck</span></a><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;"> works was like
listening to a master painter talking about a piece of art. He was the myth buster
before </span><a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/mythbusters/"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">MythBusters </span></a><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">came along! Plus</span><span> he always
had assignments you could do for extra credit. This was the secret to me
passing. (Oh, and after the 11<sup>th</sup> episode—“<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(249, 249, 249); color: black;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0545845/" target="_blank">Bang the Potts Slowly</a>”—<i>Cop
Rock</i> was canceled.)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(249, 249, 249); color: black;">We were
getting close to midterms and we were each directed to conduct an experiment
and document the process FULLY. This would count for half our grade. The stakes
were high. So I chose the old lemon-powers-the-digital clock experiment. I
already had a head start: we’d bought my dad one of those setups years ago for Father’s
Day and my dad keeps everything! I had my digital clock, my piece of copper, my
galvanized nail, my wiring, and most importantly my lemon. It went off without
a hitch! Then I had to write about it. What was the chemical process t</span><span>hat made
it work. Mind you, this was before one could just Google it or go to Wikipedia to
find out that it’s just an electrochemical reaction caused when oxidation and
reduction occur. (I’m still not certain what that means.) Anyway, I pored
over texts and labored over my predicament for days. And the night before it
was due I found myself staring at the blinking colon on my
lemon-powered-digital clock. Then an idea struck me. Partially because I’m
stubborn and partially because it’s rumored that I’m a smart ass…I would write
a play. <i>Which Way Did He Go George</i>
could be called an homage to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Of_Mice_and_Men"><i><span>Of
Mice and Men</span></i></a><span> with a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein"><i><span>Frankenstein</span></i><span> </span></a><span>twist. It
centered around an ill-fated lemon named Lenny and the painful choice that
George would have to make. I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but yes,
George kills Lenny! Sorry. But then George decides to resurrect Lenny in
spectacular fashion and thus documenting my experiment began. I finished my
masterpiece, went to class the next day, and handed in my death sentence with a
smile. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>When we came back from the break Mr.
Young promptly started handing out our graded term papers. All but mine. He
simply asked me to stay after class. Great. I was going to get an F and a
lecture. I could hear it already: “You don’t apply yourself.” “Was this
supposed to be funny?” “You’ve learned nothing in my class.” After everyone
left the class I slowly made my way to his desk and was prepared to lay
prostrate and receive my lashings. Mr. Young handed me my paper. B<b>–</b>. “I would
have given it a higher grade but I felt like the plot sort of fell apart
towards the end. And it seemed a bit contrived at times.” I just stared at him.
Oh my God, I’ve fallen asleep again. That’s what’s happening. I’m asleep at my
desk and at any moment something is going to wake me up and I’m going to spring
back and let out something like, “Uhwoodowha?” That didn’t happen. I was indeed
awake. Mr. Young broke the silence, “You probably think I'm teaching you
Physics don't you? I’m not. I'm teaching you that when you're faced with
something and you don't know what to do or how to move forward…you don't close
the book. You don't give up. You DO something.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>...</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>In this business of theatre, we are
told “No” so many times. Whether it’s seeking a role, funding for a production,
a home for a play, presenting a design or a score, we will hear “No” many times
before we will hear “Yes.” And all too often it makes us want to throw up our
hands and simply close the book. Over the past couple of weeks Mr. Young has
come to mind often. Every time I think I can’t send another email, I can’t
reach out to another possible funder, I can’t chew another TUMS…I take a
moment. Breathe. And think, “Don’t close the book.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Thank you, Mr. Young for that gift. It
has made all the difference. What you put in motion…has stayed in motion.</span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span>Mr. Young is still teaching at
<a href="http://www.whit.sprnet.org/" target="_blank">Whitehouse High School</a> and you can look him up and even ask him questions about
the universe at </span><a href="http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae_tom_young.cfm"><span>PhysLink.com</span></a><span>. </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup><span>1 </span></sup><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">Ca(OH)<sub>2</sub></span><sup><span> <br />2 </span></sup><span>combining all the slushy flavors
together</span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">TheatreEast.org</span></a>
<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></span></div>Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859490617403792615.post-54604565423211743392012-02-26T12:28:00.002-05:002012-02-26T12:28:18.963-05:00Are You Not Entertained?<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcBEY80-FE5jGPxO409M1vv6nxl6Nv-yaSykdWp7-5X9K0seA5xXPVPAexxUYTJZhtXgRXbd2TDBnHw3Ao3Wsi0ovFTDHvzxG_58rO2ackN8H6CX6pdiZfk1rjof9fWELqlNMvQKRxQ8/s400/gladiator.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">from <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/Staff.html#anchor_74">William Franke</a>, Director of Development</span><i> & Communications</i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">While I realize that quoting the catchphrase from an <a href="http://oscar.go.com/" target="_blank">Oscar</a>-winning <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/" target="_blank">film</a> from <a href="http://oscar.go.com/oscar-history?year=2001" target="_blank">11 years ago </a>may not seem the most timely of ideas, I couldn't help but think of Maximus bellowing to the crowds at the Colosseum after reading the latest post at <i><a href="http://anuncommonmind.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">An Uncommon Mind</a>. </i></span></span>Subtitled <i><span style="font-size: small;">An Autodidact's Guide to Public Education</span></i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>, </i>i</span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">t is the blog of Joanne O'Brien, who is </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">a high school teacher </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">as well as a longtime friend of Theatre East*.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">In her <a href="http://anuncommonmind.blogspot.com/2012/02/engagement-vs-entertainment.html#comment-form" target="_blank">post from last Sunday</a>, Joanne addresses the challenges of Engagement vs. Entertainment in education, asking "</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">How did we come to confuse engagement
with entertainment, and to insist that teachers perform like
marionettes, bouncing around the classroom, mouthing scripts prepared by
others?" She goes on to argue that truly engaging educational instructio<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">n "</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">challenges
the student to seek out the answers to questions of 'how' and 'why' in
addition to the 'what' and 'who' of a topic. This search goes
hand-in-hand with challenging activities, and rewards students for
delving deeply into subject matter."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I read this, it occurred to me that what Joanne strives for in the classroom is what Theatre East strives for in the theater. In the classroom, the "why" makes learning so much more interesting than the simple rote memorization of names, dates & places. And of course in the theater it is enjoyable to see complex characters in interesting situations and it's rewarding to be able to parse out the "why"—the motivation— behind each character's words & actions. But that would stop at being merely <i>entertaining</i>. At Theatre East, as we lay out in our <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/About_Us.html" target="_blank">core beliefs</a>, we believe that theatre</span></span><span class="size10 TrebuchetMS10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> enables a greater connection to the world and to each other & that it is </span><span class="size10 TrebuchetMS10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">a catalyst for critical thinking.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <br />We </span></span><span class="size10 TrebuchetMS10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">seek to advance the dialogue of the shared human experience</span><span class="size10 TrebuchetMS10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> through works that utilize simple storytelling,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">providing
our community with a platform</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> to <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">deepen its understanding</span></span>
<span class="size10 TrebuchetMS10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> of themselves, each other and the world we share...works </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that provoke you to see the "what" up on stage, think about how the "who" is you, and challenge you to debate what your "how" & "why" would be under those circumstances. And not to have the solution laid out up on stage, but rather allow it to be something you discover & unlock inside of you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I feel we've done a pretty good job wrestling with some meaty issues in our past couple of seasons with <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/PastShows.html#anchor_201" target="_blank">EYE OF GOD</a> (what are the limits of faith, especially where they intersect with a woman's right to choose?) and <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/PastShows.html#anchor_200" target="_blank">THE SOLDIER DREAMS</a> (who has the right to make end-of-life decisions for a loved one? and how can we connect with them before it's too late?) and I look forward to the discussions that will follow NORMALCY in August-September. What will those post-show conversations be like? Well, you'll have to come to the show and see for yourself!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">TheatreEast.org</span></a><span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/support.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Support Theatre East</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">*(and wife to Theatre East's Resident Composer & Sound Designer, <a href="http://www.theatreeast.org/ProductionStaff.html#anchor_35" target="_blank">Scott O'Brien</a>.)</span></span></span><span style="color: #993399; font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
</div>Theatre Easthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16330304791510074596noreply@blogger.com0