I had a really good conversation with someone today about the depreciation in people seeing each other's shows in the state.
When I did my solo show and "Mary Stuart," I was incredibly touched by the amount of support I found within the community. Some of my friends even came multiple times.
Still, there were definitely people whose absence I noticed--mainly because their absences have become commonplace.
Now, I came to the conclusion awhile ago that you have to celebrate the people who do show up, and forget about the people that don't, but what still amazes me are the people who take absolutely no interest in what I do, and then ask to be involved whenever I have a new project on the horizon.
Here's a hint:
The easiest way to get involved is to go see something. Pretty simple, right?
And I've heard every excuse. My favorite is--"I have no money" followed by eight tagged photos of the person drinking at a bar. Last time I checked my shows were cheaper than five gin and tonics.
(Granted, they don't have the same effect, I'll give you that.)
What's really unfortunate is that I feel like even a few years ago, the list of people like that was pretty short.
Now it seems to be growing.
Today, my friend and I were discussing how there used to be this feeling that if you had a friend in a show, you went. No if's, and's, or but's about it.
Somehow, somewhere along the line, that went out the window.
I think it's pretty sad.
For a small state, Rhode Island has a great theater community. In the next few weeks, you can see a Neil Simon comedy, a Tom Stoppard masterpiece, a hilarious Steve Martin adaptation, and an amazing rock musical about a transvestite.
That's not counting the open mic nights, community theater and college productions, or any of the other great events that involve the arts in Rhode Island.
And yet I see so many college theater students (let me repeat: people MAJORING in theater) not actually seeing theater.
Okay, I'll revise that: They see the theater they want to see--meaning if the tour of Xanadu rolls through town they'll shell out forty bucks for it, but if eight of their friends are in a show with a ten dollar price tag, they're suddenly broke.
Am I the only one who thinks that you expand your artistic horizons by sometimes seeing things you may not want to see?
Some of the best theater I've seen in my life were shows that I went into feeling like I was going to be bored, horrified, or both.
Look, what this all boils down to is that times are tough, and the artistic community has to support itself. If we can't count on ourselves, who can we count on?
So go support your friends. Support local theater. If you can afford the twenty dollars they charge you to see Clash of the Titans at the IMAX, then you can certainly afford to experience live art happening right in front of your eyes.
Just a thought.
When I did my solo show and "Mary Stuart," I was incredibly touched by the amount of support I found within the community. Some of my friends even came multiple times.
Still, there were definitely people whose absence I noticed--mainly because their absences have become commonplace.
Now, I came to the conclusion awhile ago that you have to celebrate the people who do show up, and forget about the people that don't, but what still amazes me are the people who take absolutely no interest in what I do, and then ask to be involved whenever I have a new project on the horizon.
Here's a hint:
The easiest way to get involved is to go see something. Pretty simple, right?
And I've heard every excuse. My favorite is--"I have no money" followed by eight tagged photos of the person drinking at a bar. Last time I checked my shows were cheaper than five gin and tonics.
(Granted, they don't have the same effect, I'll give you that.)
What's really unfortunate is that I feel like even a few years ago, the list of people like that was pretty short.
Now it seems to be growing.
Today, my friend and I were discussing how there used to be this feeling that if you had a friend in a show, you went. No if's, and's, or but's about it.
Somehow, somewhere along the line, that went out the window.
I think it's pretty sad.
For a small state, Rhode Island has a great theater community. In the next few weeks, you can see a Neil Simon comedy, a Tom Stoppard masterpiece, a hilarious Steve Martin adaptation, and an amazing rock musical about a transvestite.
That's not counting the open mic nights, community theater and college productions, or any of the other great events that involve the arts in Rhode Island.
And yet I see so many college theater students (let me repeat: people MAJORING in theater) not actually seeing theater.
Okay, I'll revise that: They see the theater they want to see--meaning if the tour of Xanadu rolls through town they'll shell out forty bucks for it, but if eight of their friends are in a show with a ten dollar price tag, they're suddenly broke.
Am I the only one who thinks that you expand your artistic horizons by sometimes seeing things you may not want to see?
Some of the best theater I've seen in my life were shows that I went into feeling like I was going to be bored, horrified, or both.
Look, what this all boils down to is that times are tough, and the artistic community has to support itself. If we can't count on ourselves, who can we count on?
So go support your friends. Support local theater. If you can afford the twenty dollars they charge you to see Clash of the Titans at the IMAX, then you can certainly afford to experience live art happening right in front of your eyes.
Just a thought.
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