tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447132700309632102024-03-12T22:24:26.625-04:00Perpetually CuriousMusings on Performing Arts, Arts Ecosystems & Community Enrichment, Parenting, and other Perplexities of LifeDevra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-31345310924437186312023-10-03T09:05:00.000-04:002023-10-03T09:05:34.030-04:00Death & The Theater<span id="docs-internal-guid-8f4f2b33-7fff-06ea-8abe-36b8ae75c1ec"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFto3-sl-wPNFqdRhrqJO8F8jjOcp8oqasuZPmdKrhhXVG04ZCpVVb8HSUFTO5GU443FFNmtWkLzcIeHqlbno0xh0wqJvN3mnGMKzlDoock5jAuKRupGElzwbHvQiNzeGN52eZ162kAifTbBiMOjeWds2_TyQgKOrP_APd8t90Inba9QW0ficJobbvtU/s4032/PXL_20230930_152706073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFto3-sl-wPNFqdRhrqJO8F8jjOcp8oqasuZPmdKrhhXVG04ZCpVVb8HSUFTO5GU443FFNmtWkLzcIeHqlbno0xh0wqJvN3mnGMKzlDoock5jAuKRupGElzwbHvQiNzeGN52eZ162kAifTbBiMOjeWds2_TyQgKOrP_APd8t90Inba9QW0ficJobbvtU/s320/PXL_20230930_152706073.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I was listening to a recent episode of the Tim Ferris podcast and the guest, happiness scholar Arthur C. Brooks, was discussing death meditations. And the little lightbulb in my brain turned on with the thought, "We need to talk more about death in theaters."<br /></span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I know, I know, that seems like an illogical statement because it feels like we're always talking about the death of theater. This whole summer has been filled with articles and op-eds from across the country about how large regional theaters are dying in major cities.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But that's not the kind of death Brooks was talking about, and in reality, it isn't death these articles are complaining about, either: they are trying to stay alive in a “E’s just resting” fashion, to find some kind of life-support for the theaters, to keep them going, receive new money from new audiences or donors, new shows, new gimmicks to draw more or different people in the door. <i>Anything</i> to keep from dying.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We don't talk about death in theaters (or nonprofits) enough. I mean Death: closing up shop. Giving up the ghost. Letting our assets transfer into another registered 501c3 for their use. Putting to rest the mission. Using all our mighty resources of time and energy on a new project to serve our community. "'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!" kind of dead.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Brooks </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/44713270030963210/3134531092443718631#" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">said on the podcast,</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> "The death fear isn’t physical death, and this is a problem. For some people, it’s irrelevance. For some people, it’s being forgotten. For a lot of your listeners, it’s failure, just straight on failure because they’re strivers, they’re achievers. Everybody has a death fear. And what is it? It’s an ego threat. It’s a threat to who you see as yourself." The death meditation, which is found in many pre-Christian religions, usually consists of pondering both the lack of physical existence and, to Brooks’ point, the ramifications of our death to those we are no longer present with and for. Meditating on The End allows the seeker to be more fully alive. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 22pt; margin-right: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; clear: left; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 188px;"><img height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QUHna1JRcHU0YYJZwJhWD8tIkxjmAF_rSkq7mGiKe5lHXIanZZRw32gXYCIGIWPD6rLmRyrxUGnlLXFeA8jZ0dZ4d79gFxvUqgLAhpxTPzdw6QiPFS6Hl0cPSqEaYQ6CwhPe3Q4U1-RDMCsKY0b3j_4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="188" /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I'm reminded of this scene in the brilliant movie</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> "You've Got Mail"* when Birdie asks Kathleen what she's decided to do about the shop. Kathleen says "Close. We're going to close." And Birdie, this second mother, this wise old woman, replies, "Closing the store is the brave thing to do.... You are daring to imagine that you could have a different life." </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Theaters (and nonprofits in general) need to do more of this: imagining a different life, practicing the death meditation in order to realize the truth about their work. We do theater to share stories and connect with our fellow humans. We do not do theater to hold onto four walls or ensure payroll is met. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As an artistorian, someone who studies the history of local arts ecosystems, I see the remnants of groups that have shuffled off the mortal coil. Hell, I've watched things I helped sustain or build run their course and close. Did I grieve when the theaters I worked for closed? Absolutely. Should we grieve when a LORT theater closes? If it meant something to you, definitely. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Even healthy thriving theaters should practice a death mediation every once in a while. Let the board meditate once a year on what closing the doors for good would feel like. Let the Artistic Director acknowledge no longer needing to read plays or sit through auditions. If there is still work to be done, how do you determine when that's no longer true? Does the board have a will-like document for what happens after all the shows end? Is there a plan to let people express their grief and their love at the closing? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In the midst of the current round of LORT hand-wringing, Annalisa Dias </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/44713270030963210/3134531092443718631#" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">published this on Rescripted</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">: [excerpt]</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What if instead of dramaturgies of collapse, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">we looked to the earth and learned from natural processes of decomposition? </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Decomposition is gruesome</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Pieces of an organism get pulled apart.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Decomposition is intimate.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Decomposers digest the dead.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Decomposition creates new worlds. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Nutrients recycle and release back into the ecological system. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A dramaturgy of decomposition</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Is a tender invitation beyond loss</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 30pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Toward re-membering our interconnected futures.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Terence McFarland, coach and one of my personal mentors, recently posted on Facebook about a conversation he had with a friend, in part saying “If we aren’t cultivating the soil health of the field in our wake, how are our processes not also extractive? Bringing in the indigenous way of thinking about seven generations down the line. How do we nurture a verdant future? And I mean “verdant” in the broadest possible sense. And most importantly, asking students and early career artists to really reconcile with a deeply understood sense of their purpose, or said differently, can they answer the question “to what end?” about their work?” Death is final only when viewed from the perspective of the singular entity. How can we be fully alive–individually or pursuing an artistic mission–if we do not acknowledge the possibilities that arise from our demise? How can we answer “to what end?” without talking about the End? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Death in a theater–permanent closure–is seen as failure. But there is no such thing as failure. To paraphrase many: we win or we learn. We are relevant for a brief time period in our communities: not even the “hallowed” halls of commercial Broadway are relevant to everyone everywhere. And being forgotten, well, that is what happens more often than not, but that's why we're doing theater in the first place, right? Why we still perform Greek stories and Shakespearean comedies and Oscar Wilde and Lauren Gunderson. Because we want to remember and to feel what it means to be human. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">*</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Yes, it’s a remake of a movie that’s an adaptation of a play and was also a stage musical and…. I know. Great stories don’t know death.</span></div></span><div><div></div></div>Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-91265289108189606842023-09-22T14:16:00.000-04:002023-09-22T14:16:29.039-04:00What constitutes a pro?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsvtbLO6pitTb7Nc-Xn_BADBq81nRLABQ-AXzTNj5lVbRd9nbMiVYJXOunqBVWhCI3zZYl-scLIRajJK3TTEiCPPOp5TU9sVrbL4XdCvlBlzEY3CCqP8BiZuI_rAq3bxC1KB_ol9K7Co/s1600/othello_cast.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsvtbLO6pitTb7Nc-Xn_BADBq81nRLABQ-AXzTNj5lVbRd9nbMiVYJXOunqBVWhCI3zZYl-scLIRajJK3TTEiCPPOp5TU9sVrbL4XdCvlBlzEY3CCqP8BiZuI_rAq3bxC1KB_ol9K7Co/w640-h206/othello_cast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Director and cast of "Othello," Deep Dish Theater, 2011, Chapel Hill</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: none 0% 50% repeat scroll transparent; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the questions that comes up over and over in my work--supporting both theater and other arts genres--is the idea of the "professional." What is professional theater, or a professional writer, or painter, or poet, or dancer, or improviser? </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Much like the term "success," we've conflated "professional" with "earning money." If you have earned a lot of money from your art, you are a "professional" "success." </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Odd, in that we also equate the term "selling out" with "earning money" and that has a bad connotation. </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think, though, <a href="https://stevenpressfield.com/2012/03/working-on-two-tracks/" target="_blank">Steven Pressfield's idea of "Professional"</a> is closer to the truth, and why so much of the Triangle theater scene is so damn good, is actually professional quality. </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pressfield talks about the Professional Mindset being one of doing the best work you're capable of at all times, and not putting emphasis on how others react to what is currently your best work. He couples that with the idea of always learning and growing at your craft, be that through practice, teachers/mentors, or producing new work. It may make money, it may find a giant audience, or it may not. But you, the artist, know if you've done the best/truest work you're capable of... or if you've sold out. </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hence the dilemma when trying to parse between "community" or "amateur" or "pro-am" or "professional" or "commercial" or "trained" or whatever when discussing our theaters. There is great work happening at every level of pay in these organizations. <i>Money does not necessarily equate with a better, more professional show. </i></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And I think, too, this is why there is a constant tension about the death of theater: the more money it takes to produce a show, the more money needs to be in the coffer, either through donations or through ticket sales (or ideally both in my nonprofit world).<i> </i>Another solution, although one no one likes to talk about, is maybe do less costly shows. My friend Scott is riffing on this idea over on his new <a href="https://theaterskunkworks.notion.site/Appetite-A-Different-Way-to-Budget-a33c5f31a4d6450b862490ddd273343d" target="_blank">blog</a>. I wrote about this in my book, <i>Courting the Community,</i> too.<i> </i></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have talked with many people over the years--critics and donors and season ticket holders and performers and directors--who repeatedly say, "I've seen theater in [insert well-known theater community here] and the work done in the Triangle is at just as high a caliber, if not higher." Is caliber different from professionalism? Is the caliber of work done for a stipend different than that done by a quote-unquote professional who is earning a living wage (not likely even in those major theater centers)? Is a kind, soft-spoken, theater-trained director less professional than one who studied at Yale but creates a nerve-racking schedule and induces a traumatic rehearsal process? Is an artist who produces their art around their day job less professional than the artist who has commercial success with their art and doesn't need a day job? </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a healthy artistic ecosystem, you can find every kind of quality of art. You can find students of any age just starting to learn their craft and their work reflects the beginners mind. You can find people who have been working and studying and practicing and the quality increases. And you can find masters, those who have worked and been blessed by their Muse and, best case scenario, are now sharing their wisdom with the next generation. Commercial theater needs Regional Theater which needs Independent Theater which needs Community Theater which needs University Theater which needs Youth Theater (rinse and repeat). </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you see a lot of theater, inevitably, you will see work you expect to be of great caliber that isn't and you will be surprised by a show you thought wouldn't be good but was. One of my all-time favorite shows was high school kids playing the high school kids in <i>Dog Sees God</i>. I wept at that show. All in high school. Not a one of them paid. All of them doing their best work at the time. </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pressfield, in his book <a href="https://stevenpressfield.com/books/" target="_blank">Turning Pro</a>, writes: </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A Professional Is Courageous.</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Professional displays courage, not only in the roles she embraces (which invariably scare the hell out of her) or the sacrifices she makes (of time, love, family) or even in the enduring of criticism, blame, envy, and lack of understanding, but above all in the confronting of her own doubts and demons.</div></blockquote><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I applaud the many professionals making theater or creating their art, being courageous, doing their best. Regardless of credentials or income. Keep it up. </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-70442937683586680662023-07-13T15:10:00.000-04:002023-07-13T15:10:25.405-04:00Pass the Collection Plate, Please. <p>Various sizes of buildings, with some sort of seating arranged in rows, facing a slightly raised platform. may have curtains around the platform. people --primarily men-- take the platform to orate to the audience seated before them. A plea for donations is made at some point, either before or after the show, which may have music and will definitely have directives masked as stories on how to be a human in this day-and-age. children will be seen, maybe, but definitely not heard. the men in charge will believe they have been given a special gift for leading this particular group of people. and the people, for whatever reason, will also believe this. and this group of people will believe that their building and person and each other are completely different and somehow better than all the other exact same groups around their town/city/county/state/nation. <br /><br />If theater wants to be treated as church and church as theater, then both are getting exactly what they have been setting up for the past two generations: a rapid decline of participants who see what happens within those four walls as any way relevant to life today. <br /></p><p>Add to the process similarities, a list of problems both share: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Bifurcation into ever smaller groupings, typically based on some personal slight masked as "theological/artistic disagreement" </li><li>Massive organizations promising entertainment both here and in the afterlife in exchange for a hefty price tag of earthly money</li><li>Tiny groups of people who worship and create for the love of it, not for any financial remuneration, continuing thanks to a patron of some kind</li><li>well-trod stories used over and over, with little new work shared</li><li>harassment and abuse by people in power, which is ignored, neglected, or dismissed, until knowledge dissolves the institution</li><li>political leanings barely disguised</li><li>lip service given to community needs</li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXmSoayaQQZozj_NZl_L5UxTaSn6CJinwUHqqzO_v04VlDR1K21x27iy_z-BiDYoePbp8DIlpocfVqcPSn4ngp7RDcijn214W7RUxMrtXJKD_BTcV0PVh8oYrMb620aGRMBShswd4XQUZityYI-GUL-U3jeaikAEu10zLJ15TBNnpVrN2qB7kDn3tZ5g/s2880/20171013_204639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="St. Matthew holding a book, in a gilt frame." border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXmSoayaQQZozj_NZl_L5UxTaSn6CJinwUHqqzO_v04VlDR1K21x27iy_z-BiDYoePbp8DIlpocfVqcPSn4ngp7RDcijn214W7RUxMrtXJKD_BTcV0PVh8oYrMb620aGRMBShswd4XQUZityYI-GUL-U3jeaikAEu10zLJ15TBNnpVrN2qB7kDn3tZ5g/w240-h320/20171013_204639.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />But our present day problem of neither organization enjoying the numbers of people or assets is no one's fault but their own. You cannot purport to be "For the community" and then only benefit those inside your group. You cannot claim to care for those around you and not actually take care of them, or even care for those inside your group. People will see the hypocrisy and leave. <br /><br />The business models are primarily the same: pay a modest staff a modest wage and everyone else works for free. Income is primarily through donations, augmented by a "fee for service/product/rental." The major expense tends to be a mortgage or rent payment in order to keep a roof over everyone's head (which leads me down a very different path as to why more churches don't share their spaces with theaters and vice versa), plus keeping the lights on and air conditioning humming. <br /><br />I'm not saying either theater or organized religion is going the way of the Dodo. They both have been around, well, as long as human civilizations have. We will always have stories to share and massive philosophical questions to answer. These are often enjoyed within gatherings for three or more people. <br /><br />I know from personal experience what it means to feel either of these organizations no longer speaks to my own life. I walked away from the church I was raised in when I went to college and realized the "sinners" that had been preached at me my entire upbringing were actually good, decent, kind, caring people. When I left my beloved Deep Dish Theater in order to run Common Ground, it was because I felt so strongly about local stories, new work, and the beginning of the artistic life cycle. Finding groups of people who support one's spiritual journey and story-telling practice are important. What turns disciples/audiences away is power hoarding, fear mongering, and turning a blind eye to a community's needs. <br /><br />Legal loopholes have allowed some churches to become massive, some might say unfortunately. How much of the money in those coffers could be shared with actual community-centered organizations, art-related or not? The same is not true of nonprofit regional theaters. The legal loopholes there actually make it more difficult for nonprofits to truly diversify their income streams. Ticket sales, education fees, and straight donations are about the best they can do. And even most regional theaters hesitate to raise their ticket prices to match what a Broadway tour commands as it comes through town, even if the costs are proportionately the same and the value is actually greater (e.g.: supporting local professional artists, etc.). <p></p><p>Add to that the 40 year decimation of public school arts education: not only have the existing audiences been dying off (both through age and Covid), but there was never a new audience to replace them anyway. Gen Z doesn't understand performing arts the way Boomers did: they weren't raised with it as part of their education (except in isolated and/or privileged cases). The same goes for churches: as most people stay with the church denomination they were raised in, as Gen X turned away from organized religion, therefore Millennials and Gen Z have continued that trend. <br /><br />Cutting new works programs to save money, reducing the number of plays to cut payroll, laying off lower level staff in order to balance budgets: as everyone who has ever worked a fiscal education program knows, you can't save your way to financial health. You have to earn more. <br /><br />More tickets. More donations. More investment, both fiscally/physically and emotionally. <br /><br />Churches exist to separate. Theaters should be the opposite. <br /><br /></p>Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-62020889822955080922022-09-09T12:59:00.002-04:002022-09-09T12:59:56.685-04:00Is your theater building a community? Or is it just putting on shows?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom9Vg81Q472dD9PPDqGBoB81BItACH0sw5-KCbevfcRsLlOEn5VtYuDCI3Yo6Zei7PwkGj6UWenuMSWwX381Yho1RBgE8PW8Ssdq2gVB7fPYSu2j6ndy8mlaVsZUWH8YykN-KeIusH_Vrx-TBSIK7RQF0CMztxgZ5lGlrPrtDaEc4880tZ9Tfqdl8/s960/10371708_10152899014323625_8011214205730456210_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="slide with text "a thriving arts sector creates suprising ripple benefits throughout our community"" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom9Vg81Q472dD9PPDqGBoB81BItACH0sw5-KCbevfcRsLlOEn5VtYuDCI3Yo6Zei7PwkGj6UWenuMSWwX381Yho1RBgE8PW8Ssdq2gVB7fPYSu2j6ndy8mlaVsZUWH8YykN-KeIusH_Vrx-TBSIK7RQF0CMztxgZ5lGlrPrtDaEc4880tZ9Tfqdl8/w180-h320/10371708_10152899014323625_8011214205730456210_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br />I asked in a Facebook post in 2011: "Theater is about connections. How do administrators facilitate this connecting? How do theaters (as an entity) ensure this connection continues happening, time and time again?"
Strengthening these connections is what makes a theater resilient, what makes the theater ecosystem resilient. <p></p><p>Even before Covid forced theater closures, our local ecosystem lost several long-standing organizations due to life happening (people moved, people aged and retired, etc.). Add the normal ebb and flow of creatives coming together for some number of shows and then going on to reassemble in different configurations. New groups crop up, some grow, some provide fodder for a completely different way of making art. </p><p></p><p>Nonprofit theater cannot build itself in the same way as for-profit theater. The very heart of the nonprofit mission is community-mindedness. For-profit theater by its very nature will follow a path of least resistance to earning as much profit as it can: mass-audience pleasing work; stunt casting; paying actors, designers, and crew as little as possible. Nonprofit theaters that use the same tactics repeatedly abandon their core reason for being a nonprofit: to strengthen their community. </p><p>Much like a forest must withstand a fire every so often in order to clear out decay and make room for new growth, the past few years should be viewed similarly for our local theater ecosystem. Has it been painful? Sure. Has it been drastic? In some ways, yes. </p><p>Can we now look around and ask ourselves "how are we resilient, how do we move forward and build organizations that are more focused on the community and supporting the artists within?" Now is exactly the time to do that. Zingerman's president Ari Weinzweig recently wrote "Perhaps most of all, we can create organizational ecosystems where
resilience is present and persistent in the best possible ways." </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Boards need to be changed to resemble the community the organization serves. </li><li>Administrations need to diversify in nonprofit the same way Fortune 500 companies need to have more diverse staffs throughout their "pipeline." </li><li>Work presented needs to reflect the conversations the community must have. </li><li>Actors need to be advocates and admin needs to get off the wall of "well we've never done that before" and make safe, supportive working spaces for all. </li><li>And audiences have to show up for all the work. All. </li></ul><p>For our theaters, resilience isn't putting on another show or having an endowment or even a few donors with very deep pockets (although all those things help). Resilience is building a community both <i>inside</i> and <i>outside </i>the doors that wants to ensure the art continues to make a difference. <br /></p><p> </p>Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-86798492971861940972022-08-31T09:52:00.000-04:002022-08-31T09:52:16.382-04:00Cultural Cycles: 4 Questions for our Current Moment in Triangle Theater<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWaQVBjfZ7LdI72mEXBujQcio8y7AfYTB-PlnOphGgCYkHYKOCdHSrrwgxr8_YllMZHMF2BJQJsaR-PuI8r9TsIhgy3KziIvDuZQP71uzHQ4lLWmPOdxGs7Upjm9td-ECy87PxlRcjNO6LeUmmKafPdgPt0h7zE21UoZi0-M7CxF6PjoKIU8ZrDcK/s2048/20150721_122823.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWaQVBjfZ7LdI72mEXBujQcio8y7AfYTB-PlnOphGgCYkHYKOCdHSrrwgxr8_YllMZHMF2BJQJsaR-PuI8r9TsIhgy3KziIvDuZQP71uzHQ4lLWmPOdxGs7Upjm9td-ECy87PxlRcjNO6LeUmmKafPdgPt0h7zE21UoZi0-M7CxF6PjoKIU8ZrDcK/w640-h360/20150721_122823.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>How utterly ironic. Also, I wrote a book about DPAC.</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Triangle theater ecosystem has a long and vibrant history. But as with all ecosystems there are good times and bad, birth and death, growth and loss. Theodore Reik pronounced "There are recurring cycles, ups and downs, but the course of events is essentially the same, with small variations. It has been said that history repeats itself. This is perhaps not quite correct; it merely rhymes." It feels that way now: these questions are ones that have been asked before, which is what led these artists to do the damn thing in the first place. <br /></p><p>Much of the downswing for our ecosystem started before 2020, but was, of course, exacerbated by loss of physically being able to gather. We've long said that was crucial to live theater and the pandemic only served as proof of concept. Can theater happen online? Kind of. Is it the same? Not even remotely (pun fully intended). </p><p>So here we are, asking these questions again. <br /></p><p><b>Where are the champions?</b></p><p>With the loss of our dear great one Liz Grimes Droessler, where is the next champion of local live theater artists? In the late 90's/early 00's, Danny Cameron served in many ways to fund and connect theater artists in Chapel Hill and Durham. Before that, Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans and Ella Fountain Pratt made names for themselves (and foundations and awards) by ensuring the next generation of artists were supported, both with money and people. Who is stepping in now to not only bring the money, but also gather the people, find the spaces, and give a loving kick to the rear of terrified artists, saying "you are talented. go do the damn thing."? </p><p><b>Where are the experimental venues?</b></p><p>When the Carrboro ArtsCenter began, it was a haven for independent artists of all genres, both visual and performing. Many beloved theater companies relied on that space over the decades to produce their art. When the ArtsCenter decided to gradually phase out live theater, it was a blow to not only Carrboro artists but audiences, too. </p><p>Jeff and Ed at Manbites Dog in Durham served a similar purpose and maintained a space that saw so much experimental art happen. Rachel Klem did it at Common Ground Theatre, too. What venues are willing to be open and take the risks to make sure new work is being created and seen? </p><p><b>Where are the new artists?</b></p><p>It was an absolutely delicious, delightful, heart-warming night in Carrboro in August to witness a master class reading of "Ripcord" at Lanza's Cafe with Marcia Edmundson and Lenore Field (and all the rest). David Berbarian and Jeri Lynn Schulke were mesmerizing in "The Woolgather" last October. I've no doubt TIP is still churning out great work. RLT is finally coming into fully representing the community it has been a part of for a century. But these artists and theaters have been stalwarts in our community for 20+ years. <br /></p><p>So where are the new artists? Where is the next Mike Wiley or David zum Brunnen or Serena Ebhardt: phenomenal performers who are from here and decide to live here and make this community stronger with their art? Where are the next Jeff Storer or Paul Frellick, supremely talented directors who moved to the area and saw a need for their art and then did the damn thing? (One could make the argument that the local colleges had a larger responsibility in that time frame, so I'll save that for another post.) What the heck happened to the high school and college groups like One Song Productions or Company Carolina? <br /></p><p><b>How are we communicating? With each other? With our audiences? With ourselves?</b> </p><p>When the News&Observer shuttered its arts coverage (and this was before 2020), it was a blow to the Triangle performing arts community. Could Roy ever hope to write about every show happening in the area? No. But just what he could cover was a signal to audiences that work was happening. </p><p>When the Independent stopped publishing a weekly calendar of events, it was a blow to the Triangle performing arts community. Could Byron ever hope to write about every show happening in the area? No. But the calendar lent credence to the fact that work was happening. And audiences could check the calendar and get ideas. </p><p>Am I being an antiquarian about the power of print? Possibly. But we all know that online calendars (there have been <i>so many</i>) and social media (at the mercy of the algorithm) have not come close to replacing the consistent audience draw of print. </p><p>Word of mouth will always remain the best audience communication method, yes. What is happening that is memorable enough to talk about? Theaters started discontinuing their season subscription ticket models long before the pandemic. This turned out to be a downward spiral: if you have to sell MORE individual tickets, then your work needs to be MORE enticing, so that MORE people talk about it. In most cases, that meant more mass appeal shows, well known names, or marketing gimmicks. <br /></p><p>How are companies, venues, artists communicating with each other? Another friend recently mused, "I wish there was a way for the different art genres to get together and talk about their work." TriangleArtworks makes this happen once a year at SMASH, but on a regular basis? Way back in the day, there was a briefly a theater artistic director monthly meeting happening. But now? Sure, general auditions are not exactly fun, but it gave directors a chance to catch up with each other, learn about what work they were planning, and see new artists. And it gave performers a chance to meet each other and share notes about work and companies. </p><p>As fall seasons start in the performing arts companies remaining across the Triangle, now is a good time to ask questions and try to find answers that will make the ecosystem stronger, healthier, more diverse, more inclusive, better able to weather whatever may come. Have we been here before? Sure. Can we make it better next time? I sincerely hope so. <br /></p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p>Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-26476581276241304192021-09-09T11:03:00.001-04:002021-09-09T11:03:23.066-04:00An Existential Crisis Wrapped in a Wardrobe Problem<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYF-QuG8Eg6TMeMLoFL01zZudEYElWDaHuQUdqwdzfzNg41T_kB1PYOJe_AhWVBJe9HqYfTAueDIahmCOslmHhhBiaqo6YlAK6FnQFMVcGna31lsrFLSin-44Q98qwWBdSx_qqSV4rn5k/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1650" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYF-QuG8Eg6TMeMLoFL01zZudEYElWDaHuQUdqwdzfzNg41T_kB1PYOJe_AhWVBJe9HqYfTAueDIahmCOslmHhhBiaqo6YlAK6FnQFMVcGna31lsrFLSin-44Q98qwWBdSx_qqSV4rn5k/w400-h309/wear+blog+post.png" width="400" /></a></div><i><br />Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.</i><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a3313198-7fff-580a-9fb0-3f77f05b158c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clothes make the human.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you dress a body {that has birthed two humans}{that carried you through an ongoing global pandemic and more stress}{that doesn’t look/measure/feel the way you think it should feel} when you don’t have a clear picture of who you want to be?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Before Instagram influencers, before Stacy and Clinton on “What Not To Wear” (and the many different iterations), and sometime after a Vogue subscription, there was the J Peterman catalog and its numerous historical and fictitious women carrying on around the world. </span>I’ve been toying around with the idea of writing a long-form series about “Who is a J Peterman Woman.” If clothes or fashion is an expression of who you aspire to be, then “an unconventional woman of very good taste”--to quote but one of their many copy lines--has long been my guiding star. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The one thing she’s not, though, is a mother to children-at-home. They may be grown-and-gone, but they are mentioned twice throughout the years of back catalogs I combed for research. However, the one thing I certainly am currently is a mother with children-at-home. Even if I set aside the question of what job do I want, the question still remains of how do I dress for the job I have? </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are as many versions of clothing motherhood as there are mothers. Current (2020s) trends include:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Sporty Mom in constant athleisure (may or may not actually exercise)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Slouchy Mom in sweatshirt and joggers (ever present mass market coffee accessory)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Junior League Mom in booties and pearls (hair and makeup understated yet perfect)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Earthmother Mom in flowy pants and yoga top (mala bracelets stacked, perhaps barefoot)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Add more here. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You could seek inspiration from other well-known moms:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Michelle Obama (first, personal trainer. contemporary and colorful.)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Martha Stewart (khakis, button-up, shoes appropriate for garden or craftroom)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Ree Drummond (jeans, flowy top, work or fancy cowboy boots)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Kate Middleton (bespoke. Probably no longer aspirational in the 21st century as royalty used to be for our grands/great-grands generations.)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or go further back in history or fiction:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Lilly Pulitzer (South Beach colorful caftans)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Coretta Scott King (classic 50’s/60’s day dress and pearls)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Morticia Adams (goth. And posture.)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Television has likely given us the most consistent representation of motherhood, even if it hasn’t been truly inclusive of the wide variety of motherhood looks in America. Which makes sense as tv is there to sell a way of being, of moving through our lives. But I digress … </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is why I often refer to clothing as costume: much like in theater/film/television, we play different roles for different audiences on a weekly basis and must dress accordingly. This adds complexity to building a wardrobe. Where in one role I may desire to be Martha, in another I’d rather be more Michelle. While it suited them to maintain a core “brand” costume from which they could deviate slightly for dressier or more casual occasions, that may not work for us mere mortal moms. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And while I am intrigued by a capsule wardrobe or a minimal closet, I do not wish to wear the same outfit for every occasion (a la insert male icon name here).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will also leave aside the very real but very lengthy discussion of body image and weight as a construct of the capitalist beauty industry in order to take my money. Suffice it to say I cannot leave my house naked and run errands, procure groceries, take my kid to school, etc. So therefore clothing of some sort is required. And I do not wish to simply live in yoga pants and one of my husband’s old t-shirts. I tried that. I felt awful. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I suppose I’m ruminating on the clothing issue because I’m not entirely certain who I want to be, coming out of stay-at-home orders and having a surprise baby after a decade of establishing an identity. It wasn’t full-blown J Peterman Woman, but it felt like it--that is I--was headed in the direction of “incorrigible bandit with sartorial swagger” (another of my favorite catalog quotes). It built on my quite preppy younger self and included some trends, some luxe, some sexy, some sporty (strictly for sports, as per Stacy & Clinton). Figuring out the next iteration feels like an insurmountable task. Should I get my colors done? Rent the runway? Succumb to jeans/tshirt/Converse--my current outfit dujour--for the rest of my days? </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bigger, though, is the fundamental question: besides a mother and a spouse, who am I now? Artist? Writer? Producer? Journalist? Editor? Community Builder? Project manager? Event planner? Managing Director? Nonprofit Volunteer? CEO of Home? All hats I’ve worn in the past. Do any of them still fit? The clothing conundrum is but the outerwear of the existential crisis wardrobe. </span></p><br /></span>Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-37369496186571107022021-01-15T11:34:00.003-05:002021-01-15T11:34:28.554-05:00My Top 4 Books in 2020 (plus all the rest)<p>Amazingly, I managed to hit half of my reading goal for the year! Between a new baby and a global pandemic, I am firmly in camp "making it through each day is a success." I somehow wound up with MORE books on my TBR shelf than I started with, thanks in no small part to discovering BookOutlet, plus the library's super-convenient website ordering and curbside pickup. I still adore browsing through the stacks, but between email list and Bookstagram recs, and having the entire NC Cardinal system at my fingertips, it's too easy to get the exact book I'm looking for. I can't wait to be able to be pleasantly surprised again, though.</p><p>My Four Favorite Books: </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPUxou7U0qRdELhaapO5KC7mWk6nV-BdLGhS6fKxd3oaSS2P6VJUpDYWRF1eP6v5uRKY0LmFZ8LVuVUy42LkIwr4F7-xJ3CTN-EiuAWxIkXK9v9m-QrTd_iJ-P5Muniw2FdjqsiRC2DM/s2268/PXL_20201118_202621809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPUxou7U0qRdELhaapO5KC7mWk6nV-BdLGhS6fKxd3oaSS2P6VJUpDYWRF1eP6v5uRKY0LmFZ8LVuVUy42LkIwr4F7-xJ3CTN-EiuAWxIkXK9v9m-QrTd_iJ-P5Muniw2FdjqsiRC2DM/s320/PXL_20201118_202621809.jpg" /></a></div><br />1. <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/caste-oprah-s-book-club-the-origins-of-our-discontents-9780593230251/9780593230251" target="_blank">Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson</a>. "Beyond race, class, or other factors, a powerful caste system influences people's lives and behavior and the nation's fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations... [and] shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day." This book made me so righteously angry that I wanted to vomit. And I say that as highest praise: this is a book that every white person needs to read. I thought I understood "racism", but I didn't get the nefarious ways those in power use race (and class and other delineations) to divide us in order to maintain power. Is there a way to get rid of caste on a country-wide scale without simply burning it all down and starting over? I don't know. That's what had to happen in Germany to stop the inhumanity. <p></p><p>Also in the category of Black Lives Matter reading: <i>Stamped </i>by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendi, <i>Dean Smith, Charlie Scott, and the Era That Transformed a Southern College Town</i> by Art Chansky, <i>Raising White Kids</i> by Jennifer Harvey, <i>Freedom is a Constant Struggle</i> by Angela Davis, and <i>Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?</i> by Beverly Daniel Tatum. </p><p>2. <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/lost-connections-why-you-re-depressed-and-how-to-find-hope/9781632868305" target="_blank">Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari</a>. "Once Hari had uncovered nine real causes of these problems, they led him to scientists who are discovering very different solutions--ones that work." I believe mental health is a multifaceted thing, made up of neurochemicals, physical pathways, gut health, AND the connections Hari talks about in this book. Only using one of these facets to gain good mental health leaves a lot of potential on the table. I also believe the medical establishment wants to sell the quick fixes of pills and a lot of people would benefit from therapy, meaningful work, a better network of acquaintances, neighbors, and friends, and finding ways to be of service. My own journey with therapy, medication, functional medicine, and connection certainly bears that out. Knowing my own history, I sought a therapist for immediately post-partum, to talk through and hopefully alleviate issues that could have led to a postpartum depression or anxiety episode. Hari's book is worth reading even if only to check through your own connections and see what you can make stronger. </p><p>Also in Getting Better reading: <i>What You Do is Who You Are</i>, <i>Smart People Should Build Things</i> by Andrew Yang <i>The Disappearing Spoon</i>, <i>Cribsheet</i>, <i>7 Secrets of the Newborn</i>, <i>Untamed </i>by Glennon Doyle, <i>The 7 Laws of Enough</i>, <i>Courage </i>by Osho, <i>In Praise of Slowness </i>by Carl Honore, <i>Meaning of the Library</i>, <i>Off the Clock</i> and <i>Juliet's School of Possibilities</i> both by Laura Vanderkam, and <i>See You at the Campground</i> by RVAtlas. </p><p>3. <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/the-art-of-gathering-how-we-meet-and-why-it-matters/9781594634932" target="_blank">The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker</a>. "At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play." I loved this one so much that after I returned it to the library, I bought myself a copy. Total game changer for theater and other live performance events. The way Parker describes asking "what is the purpose of this event?" made me rethink every theater show I have put on. Being able to think through her precepts for gathering will make any theater better connect with their ideal audience, which of course leads to raving fans and successful operations. </p><p>Also in When I Have a Job Again reading: <i>This is Marketing</i> and <i>The Practice</i>, both by Seth Godin (these actually bookended the year!), <i>Profit First</i> by Mike Michalowicz, <i>Setting the Table</i> by Danny Meyer, and <i>Building A Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire</i>. </p><p>4. In fiction: <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/the-book-of-longings/9780525429760" target="_blank">The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd</a>. (Fun fact: Kidd lives in our old home Chapel Hill! Did I know this when we lived there? No, I did not.) I CANNOT stop thinking about this story about Ana, wife of Jesus of Nazareth. "Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers." Kidd's storytelling made me weep. </p><p>Also in fiction: <i>The Library of the Unwritten</i>, <i>Mysterious Benedict Society: Riddle of the Ages,</i> <i>The Secret Chapter</i>, and <i>The Satapur Moonstone</i>. </p>Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-63342726031793809052020-01-08T13:39:00.001-05:002020-01-08T13:39:29.669-05:002019 Reading Roundup: Flanuering Through the Stacks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqrtiVq23_zFeGTAYAB2v5DLv3ABskph2qVij1jn1wzoXZfMKNVg8wdQJvX02GJKSb_aJ3bywnFPswPLUNGPuenhc1GlBMpg5FNUWJGEVXpAQXPVxlcor21CXNcTO4Jz-pS7M7VbnT2A/s1600/IMG_20191116_091122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqrtiVq23_zFeGTAYAB2v5DLv3ABskph2qVij1jn1wzoXZfMKNVg8wdQJvX02GJKSb_aJ3bywnFPswPLUNGPuenhc1GlBMpg5FNUWJGEVXpAQXPVxlcor21CXNcTO4Jz-pS7M7VbnT2A/s320/IMG_20191116_091122.jpg" width="240" /></a>2019 Reading was not quite as prolific as 2018 (which I didn't write a recap on because #moving), but contained quite a few stand-out books. I did manage to complete 42 books, plus a handful of magazines and tons of online articles/essays.<br />
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I didn't read as many off of my To Be Read shelves as I'd hoped: dammit, Instagram, I'm looking at you! Too many authors I follow, too many readers I'm friends with who keep recommending interesting books. Couple that with the browser tab I keep open to my local library account, which also links up with over 50 other library systems across the state, so I can simply place holds at any time... Look, I'm not saying I have a problem, I'm just saying it's reallllly easy to give into ordering a new-to-me book at any time. For 2020, I'm trying to keep lists of "books to read", either as a saved collection in Instagram or on paper in my planner, that I can reference <b><i><u>after</u></i></b> I've finished the current stack.<br />
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So the #theunreadshelfproject2020 has 64 titles on it. I've actually subdivided my reading chart into TBR and Library, to reinforce my own desire to read off my own shelves. My total goal for the year is 60 books read. Wish me luck.<br />
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On to the round up:<br />
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- I hesitate to nominate a "Top Number", but I will list these as being particularly impactful: <i>Choose Yourself</i> by James Altucher, <i>Joyful </i>by Ingrid Fettel Lee, <i>The Courage to be Disliked</i> by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi, <i>Do Less</i> by Kate Northrup, <i>Range </i>by David Epstein, <i>Boss Up</i> by Lindsay Teague Moreno, and <i>Don't Keep Your Day Job</i> by Cathy Heller. These were ALL Instagram recs.<br />
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- Due to the changing nature of our family (I am still shocked every day to be expecting Kid #2), I also read and LOVED <i>Like a Mother</i> and <i>Expecting Better</i>.<br />
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- A couple of travel books got in there: <i>The Yellow Envelope</i>, <i>Walking the Bible</i>, and <i>The Art of Flanuering</i>.<br />
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- Fiction included: <i>Less</i>, <i>Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race</i>*, <i>The Witch of Painted Sorrow</i>, <i>The Library of Lost and Found</i>, <i>Shadows</i>, <i>Noir</i>, <i>The Serpent's Secret</i>, and <i>The Forty Rules of Love</i> (a novel about Rumi and Shams!), and <i>The Saint Omnibus</i> (so much better than ANY of the movies or the tv show. Natch. Although I am partial to the Val Kilmer version, because hello, <br />
VAL KILMER.)<br />
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- Also fiction, but deserves special mention by author:<br />
-- local Fayetteville author Shane Wilson's <i>A Year Since The Rain</i>. I read this steamy, magical realism novel, then promptly got pregnant. I'm not saying it's Shane's fault... but it is.<br />
-- fave queer steampunk author Gail Carriger released the final in the Custard Protocol series, <i>Reticence</i>. So good. So sad to be done with the series.<br />
-- fave not-just-YA author Catherynne Valente's crazy retro sci-fi novel <i>Radiance</i>.<br />
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As usual, other bits and bobs but those are the ones worth sharing. You can always follow my <a href="http://www.instagram.com/stubborndev" target="_blank">Instagram </a>for reviews in real time.<br />
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I'd love to hear if you've read any of these! Leave a comment with your review if we read something in common.<br />
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*We discovered they'd made the first Mr. Lemoncello's book into a tv movie. Please give it a HARD PASS and just read the series. The movie was awful. Like, 1980s BBC tv series of Hitchhikers Guide awful. Like, did they even read the book or just the character list and highlights?Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-3607263154221200202019-03-15T13:42:00.002-04:002019-03-15T13:42:39.714-04:0014 Ways Indy Theaters Can Use Social Media Like Award Shows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8mEZmmuD7zR934Qv9uDi9OVdm8dcWq3o-pyTsxOhyphenhyphenq4BinAqQAyt0TIxjYmpQJptAAFogBbtSN5Gei6dzucdYTbvpTRMy_igUyNZWk4QpQZW1raZjqju16tGmNzf4mm7zZ0oT0DVZnU/s1600/14+award+show+social+ideas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8mEZmmuD7zR934Qv9uDi9OVdm8dcWq3o-pyTsxOhyphenhyphenq4BinAqQAyt0TIxjYmpQJptAAFogBbtSN5Gei6dzucdYTbvpTRMy_igUyNZWk4QpQZW1raZjqju16tGmNzf4mm7zZ0oT0DVZnU/s1600/14+award+show+social+ideas.png" /></a></div>
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Any time I read, well, practically anything, I always wonder how the lesson can be applied to live independent theater. A recent article from Nielsen Ratings proved no different. <a href="https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2019/red-carpet-repost--award-shows-are-big-winners-on-social-media.html" target="_blank">"Award Shows are Big Winners on Social Media" </a> got me thinking "How can live theater use social the way the awards shows do?"<br />
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After all, the two events are very similar. For starters, they're both live events. Attendees are all in the same room together. There's often alcohol involved. There are distinct phases to the event: the pre-show, the live event itself, and post-show discussion.<br />
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Secondly, like awards shows, theater productions should be culturally relevant, at least to the community in which the theater resides. These productions may even feature local celebrities or have other local cultural cache.<br />
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I am a firm advocate that social engagement is but one leg of the three-legged online marketing stool. A regular email newsletter, a regularly updated website, and good, engaging, timely social content should all be feeding each other in a beautiful circle, driving audiences to engage with every platform. Besides, with the increasing confusion of how many people will see each post on Facebook or Instagram, and the real-time nature of Twitter, posting more is always preferable to posting less. Very few people are going to complain that you've posted too much, and even if they do, so what? Invite them to help with the next show: they need something else to do with all the time they've been spending on social media.<br />
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I can hear my theater friends going, "But, Devra, I'm only one person of a two-person team and we're already producing/directing/acting in/buying props/covering stage management/etc etc etc. How am I going to add a full-blown social media plan to this show?" Have you gotten your 501c3 status? Call your local high school and see if someone needs community service hours who also loves social media. Call a social media influencer and see if they want to participate in the show in this volunteer capacity. Tap your board (because you do have a decent sized board for your nonprofit organization, right? [suspicious look]) and see if they know anyone who could help. I'll do it, for a generous consultant fee.<br />
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So, How can small independent theaters/shows use social media like their award show cousins? Here are a few ideas:<br />
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<b>Pre-opening:</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Build your promotional plan from the beginning of planning. Don't wait til the week of the show. Oscar social media blitz starts 4-6 weeks in advance, basically as soon as the new year rolls over, and that doesn't include the screener coverage. </li>
<li>Decide a hashtag early and make sure all available social media channels are included on all marketing material. Make sure your entire team knows the hashtag. </li>
<li>Use every aspect of your show for content: actors, director, designers, rehearsals, props, costumes, sets, music, dramaturgy, etc. You know the Grammy winner for best small market radio station is still crowing about their win, even if they aren't featured on the telecast! </li>
<li>Can you release content that highlights both the actor AND the character they are playing? </li>
<li>& don't forget to call out your sponsors! Best if you can find a way that integrates into the show itself, like Taco Bell sponsoring an award, but even if you can't, it's value added for the sponsor, which (hint hint) makes them more likely to sponsor you again in the future. </li>
<li>Invite local social media influencers to a final dress rehearsal and encourage them to post in real-time, take pictures, whatever. </li>
<li>While the theater company (network) puts out content through official channels, encourage the individuals involved (talent) to post on their preferred network. CBS did a ton of social media for the Grammys, but so did Alicia Keys, and all the other talent associated with the show. </li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvtoa_MZustJp61zTk_KIRlyOw8Rh3w9ZkCyAfn2Rsh3V-kr4oY977gYEzSpnVprkgoCV5Z-O5sMWfh-MP7Md0gVGEkS7BAqTXmVjDxRfTpVKxEgp-fhFzf_AkuEydLr40-VF5jUS5rA/s1600/9cf3b8dc-e068-4a5c-a4c0-8500ee7770e4-0dd379e5-365f-4b30-bcc7-3b7b12267c58-getty-1131875711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvtoa_MZustJp61zTk_KIRlyOw8Rh3w9ZkCyAfn2Rsh3V-kr4oY977gYEzSpnVprkgoCV5Z-O5sMWfh-MP7Md0gVGEkS7BAqTXmVjDxRfTpVKxEgp-fhFzf_AkuEydLr40-VF5jUS5rA/s320/9cf3b8dc-e068-4a5c-a4c0-8500ee7770e4-0dd379e5-365f-4b30-bcc7-3b7b12267c58-getty-1131875711.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is your Billy Porter moment? </td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
<b>Opening/During the Run:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Ok, so have we all given up on tweet seats? I actually really liked the idea, if it can be done unobtrusively and not bother other patrons. </li>
<li>Provide all the relevant social media information (AND WI-FI, if necessary) in your lobby/bathrooms/waiting area so audiences can engage with your show online right away. </li>
<li>Live-stream your Q&As. It's an easy way to re-engage those audiences who have already seen the show and gain new people who may want to come see the show if they hear a little more about it. </li>
<li>For muse's sake, and I wish this could go without saying, but it can't: HAVE ACTOR PHOTO-OPS AFTER A PERFORMANCE. People have just given you two hours of their time and hopefully you've provided great value for that from your performance. Reward them by being available afterwards and graciously taking photos that we all know are going straight to social afterwards. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>Outside of Showtime: </b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Repost. Repost. Repost. This is a big thank you to your audiences that have not only given you their money and time but are gifting you with content! If you want to ask permission, by all means, but many posts/accounts/platforms are public. Share an Instagram post on your Story. Retweet. Comment. ABC/CBS/MTV do this all the time. Remember when "Dancing With The Stars" had a live twitter feed on the live show? </li>
<li>Integrate a hashtag feed onto your website so that the conversation from Twitter or Instagram shows up there. </li>
<li>Is there a moment or phrase from the show that would make a great GIF or meme? Make it so! One way you'll know is if there's a particular moment or character that audiences keep referencing. </li>
</ul>
<br />
Yes, the networks and talent who participate in awards shows have cumulatively hundreds of people who can post social content. But that doesn't mean the small theater shop gets a pass on engaging with their audience in this way just because they don't have as many people. Because this is the crux: the small independent theater must engage with their audiences in every way possible in order to deepen relationships and increase their audience overall.Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-14666226659451590302019-01-18T13:07:00.002-05:002019-01-18T13:07:35.726-05:00Minimal Living: Forced Version<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjEkjBgfwtgPdI1-9ZHKmABxAUZrF-CsQmIfREIllf7Y_GwT9Ujib11VrajJ2mYoyNUxsCZReWf_mPsfbDsh3-xXvppK7BB4diK2-YSp9kqZV-unl0Ii2CGVODSXjyq1WhgwhrBCdkYc/s1600/Forced+Minimalism.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjEkjBgfwtgPdI1-9ZHKmABxAUZrF-CsQmIfREIllf7Y_GwT9Ujib11VrajJ2mYoyNUxsCZReWf_mPsfbDsh3-xXvppK7BB4diK2-YSp9kqZV-unl0Ii2CGVODSXjyq1WhgwhrBCdkYc/s320/Forced+Minimalism.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Minimalism is everywhere these days. It's very in style, if getting rid of all your belongings and living with the bare necessities is your style.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong: I've toyed with the minimalism idea for several years now. Even as an extrovert who loves owning lots of "things that spark joy", there is still a threshold of "too much". I'd started paring down before we made the big move from the Triangle to the Coast and made sure to not RE-accumulate random things while we were in Morehead City.<br />
<br />
So when it came time to pack all our belongings again for moving, I embraced the opportunity to live with even less. I knew we'd be "in between" homes for a while and that what ever I kept had to be packed into two vehicles, along with my kid, dog, and cat. I looked up long-term travel on Pinterest, followed minimalist accounts on Instagram, and made sure I knew what self-care was non-negotiable for me during this time.<br />
<br />
And we'd already done this on a trial basis: when we evacuated for Hurricane Florence and spent a week at my folks' place. So I thought I knew what I was getting into.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9NMyU8QmccDQ1kclYbonU_2pw1X87ei1XBkOELA2_TufOhiusk8LGNKtEPiQFzz2j_ltRxQWI_qDGPpyDOrtJzdXstlujui39amvxeXPD6p43D-0q0kWt5YfR2fH1lf2gXtsNjAkmyQ/s1600/20190104_192338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="1600" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9NMyU8QmccDQ1kclYbonU_2pw1X87ei1XBkOELA2_TufOhiusk8LGNKtEPiQFzz2j_ltRxQWI_qDGPpyDOrtJzdXstlujui39amvxeXPD6p43D-0q0kWt5YfR2fH1lf2gXtsNjAkmyQ/s320/20190104_192338.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extended-stay "Suite"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We are now in month three of minimal living. November and December were still in our old home, but January has mostly been in a 400 square foot extended living hotel "suite" (I use suite lightly: it's basically a hotel room with a 2 burner stove and full size refrigerator). When the minimalism aesthetic is forced upon you, you learn a lot about exactly where you fall on the style spectrum.<br />
<br />
Here are a few things I've learned during our time without stuff:<br />
<br />
1. <b>Most homes <i><u>really </u></i>are filled with simply too much stuff</b>. There's a reason why the before and after pictures on any HGTV show are so starkly different: there's the perfect amount of stuff. Since we were living in our home while it was on the market, we staged it with our own stuff. 90% of our worldly goods were in storage, but the 10% we had left were enough to be comfortable with. Did I have choices? No. Did I need choices? Again, no. Not really.<br />
<br />
2. Speaking of choices: <b>How many clothes do you really NEED?</b> This is one of those areas where the long-term travel folks are right: you learn very quickly that you can indeed thrive on 3 shirts, 2 pants, a jacket, and a few odds and ends. My husband's entire work wardrobe is in a suitcase. My daughter packed 1/3 of her wardrobe and STILL has shirts she hasn't worn.<br />
<br />
Now, will I want to burn every item of clothing after this time is up because I'm tired of seeing/wearing it? Most likely, yes. BUT, the point is that you don't need a bedroom-size walk-in closet because it's 99% unlikely you wear all those clothes on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
3. <b>Close quarters are truly close at night.</b> Sleeping is the one activity that I legitimately do want my privacy and hotel living does NOT provide it. There's the kid in the bed right beside me. There's the cat who wants to be nocturnal. There are the other hotel patrons who are keeping vastly different hours. I don't recall reading anything about this in the long-term travel research, so let me be the first to say that if you're going to sleep in close quarters for a long time, figure out really quickly whether your tolerance level is "eye-mask and earplugs" or "sleeping pills." I don't care if you're in a hotel, BnB, travel trailer, or hosteling your way across Europe: sleeping normally won't happen.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYR9rBmHULFvekyK71l5NuHGhWPfh35Y4l-LX011Z7CHakNv9AYLrl4QY-Lt7pH0T5GI0bJ8y2dmOBzFnJsgMPg6uwj3X7HFVXF4tsfwGHLaFmEVKqGcwwvT9idln7iQnTj2M2XGOJ1o/s1600/20190114_180758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYR9rBmHULFvekyK71l5NuHGhWPfh35Y4l-LX011Z7CHakNv9AYLrl4QY-Lt7pH0T5GI0bJ8y2dmOBzFnJsgMPg6uwj3X7HFVXF4tsfwGHLaFmEVKqGcwwvT9idln7iQnTj2M2XGOJ1o/s320/20190114_180758.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paleo chicken parmesan with<br />non-paleo whole wheat<br />angelhair pasta. All done on the<br />2-burner stove.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
4. <b>I miss my kitchen, but I've learned to be vastly more creative.</b> I consider myself a fairly decent home chef, but being forced to rely on one knife, one skillet, one pan, and an old 2 burner stove has ratcheted my kitchen creativity up 100%. Long-term travel folks will tell you quickly that eating out is more affordable overseas, however, you still don't want to eat out every meal.<br />
<br />
5. <b>Home is truly where the heart is.</b> As frustrated as I can get by this situation, it's vastly better to be together. I missed my husband so much when he was on the road and I was in an empty house waiting for an offer to buy. My daughter has been a champ throughout the process and, rather than the nightmares we've experience in school vacations before, this has been a growth experience for both of us. Even the dog and the cat--as bored as I can tell they are--have been good about being cooped up in a small space together.<br />
<br />
I'm thinking I will wait on unpacking once we are in the new house. I know I can live without that stuff for a while longer. Maybe forever.Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-73211286372981931472018-02-02T12:54:00.000-05:002018-02-02T12:54:00.129-05:00Theater in the Age of Netflix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I read a great article in the December issue of Fast Company titled "<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/40491567/the-future-of-retail-in-the-age-of-amazon" target="_blank">Retail in the Age of Amazon.</a>" Long-time readers know of my penchant for following retail conversations and seeing how they are applicable to the theater world and this article was no different.<br />
<br />
(New readers: hello! do you think retail and theater overlap, too?)<br />
<br />
I sat down to write notes on all the topics and details from the article that I wanted to flesh out on for theaters. I thought it would be 4 or 5, since the article itself had 4 sections to it.<br />
<br />
Instead, I had TWENTY-TWO points to hit. To flesh out each of those points, even a paragraph a piece, seems a tad much for a blog post.<br />
<br />
Some of them I've written about before, like <a href="http://devralthomas.blogspot.com/2017/04/what-if-success-was-easier.html" target="_blank">defining success on your terms</a> and <a href="http://devralthomas.blogspot.com/2017/02/everybody-does-it-this-way.html" target="_blank">using heretical ideas</a>.<br />
<br />
A lot of them are about how going back to basics and focusing on differentiation rather than competing at the same game can help retail businesses survive and thrive in the age of click-and-buy.<br />
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This is my point about live theater: when it's easiest to click-and-buy entertainment in your pjs on your couch, you can't treat your theater business like it's another Netflix. Nor can you exasperatedly declare "there's nothing I can do!" about declining audiences and lackluster seasons. There are plenty of things you can do. Twenty-two things by this count.<br />
<br />
So I'll be tackling this list, giving each point the focus it deserves. I hope to even find real-world examples of theater companies and people who are doing these things already. Nothing beats reading another's story for inspiration and checklist-creation.<br />
<br />
Carr wrote: "Retailers don't need to chase a futuristic version of themselves that they might never attain; they first need to remember what made them special in the first place." I'd say the same is true for theaters, too.Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-12279715773741828752018-01-03T16:40:00.001-05:002018-01-03T16:40:16.069-05:00Reading in 2017 Expanded My Mind, Heart, and SoulI read 37(ish) books in 2017. As usual, they were a bit all over the place.<br />
<br />
Some of the highlights:<br />
<br />
- being diagnosed with anxiety and depression and realizing your codependent tendencies makes you seek out book help. I read Melody Beattie's work, including the classic <i>Codependent No More</i> and the newer <i>Stop Being Mean To Yourself</i>. I have another one still on my TBR pile. Related: <i>Never Good Enough; Drama of the Gifted Child; The Wisdom of Depression; Potatoes Not Prozac.</i><br />
<br />
- the business books included the fantastic <i>Abundance </i>by Peter Diamandis (older title) and <i>Principles </i>by Ray Dalio (new title). I'm enjoying branching out my business reading to forward-looking futurists. These are the folks who read science fiction as kids, made it come true, and are now looking ahead another forty years to see what will be next. <br />
<br />
- in the "make my life better" Dewey Decimal section: <i>You Already Know What To Do</i>, about tapping into intuition, was phenomenal and fell into my hands at the perfect time (towards the end of therapy). I've definitely been following my intuition more and feel much better about choices. Another good read was <i>Pussy: A Reclamation</i>. We all need to listen to our female intelligence more. Others in this category: <i>The Happiness of Pursuit; Living Forward; Fearless and Free; Make Your Mark; The Power of Meaning; High Performance Habits.</i><br />
<br />
- file under "Tim Ferriss": I read his own <i>Tools of Titans</i>, plus his recommended <i>Vagabonding</i>.<br />
<br />
- I expanded my religious studies reading this year. Most exceptional was <i>Four Testaments</i>, which included foundations texts for eastern religions and a through introduction to Zoroastrianism. Every Judeo-Christian raised person should read about Zoroastrianism as it directly influenced the Hebraic history and Christian mythology. Related: <i>A New Earth; How Philosophy Can Save Your Life; The Spirit of Zen.</i><br />
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- I reread Deborah Harkness' <i>All Souls Trilogy</i> (one of very, <u>very</u> few fiction works I have read multiple times) and that led me to read <i>The Clockwork Universe</i>, about how science bloomed during the 1600s, leading to thoughts which changed the world. <i>Universe </i>talks about England right after the time period of the <i>Shadow of Night</i>, the second in the All Souls Trilogy. It was neat to read about topics Harkness references as "coming." This also highlighted how out of practice I am in STEM areas, so I'm using the <a href="https://brilliant.org/" target="_blank">Brilliant app</a> to brush up on my science and I read Richard Feynman's intro lectures to physics, <i>Six Easy Pieces.</i><br />
<br />
- The massive fiction tome this year went to an author I haven't read in 20 years: Neal Stephenson, and his collaboration with Nicole Galland, <i>The Rise and Fall of DODO</i>. If you're a fan of long, crazy, interwoven, sharp character-driven science fiction, I can't recommend this book enough. I've never read Galland's work before, so I can only surmise she kept the pace quicker than Stephenson's normal slog. But it was incredible; the ending was perfect and didn't make me sad (*cough*like <i>The Night Circus</i>*cough*). Also read: <i>The Masked City; Furthermore; The Burning Page; Book Scavenger; A Conjuring of Light; Girl Who Drank The Moon</i><br />
<br />
There were bits and bobs more, but those are the ones that stand out.<br />
<br />
As usual, you can follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stubborndev/" target="_blank">what I read over on Instagram</a>, where I post shots and reviews in real time.<br />
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I'm tackling #theunreadshelfproject2018 for my reading this year, which means getting through the 55 backlog titles on my shelves. Wish me luck.<br />
<br />
<br />Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-28574329885988088532017-04-03T11:11:00.000-04:002017-04-03T11:11:07.558-04:00What If Success Was Easier?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>success</b>:<br />
<br />
1. <i>obsolete </i>: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outcome">outcome</a>, <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/result">result</a><br />
<br />
2a : degree or measure of <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/succeed">succeeding</a><br />
<div>
b : favorable or desired outcome; also : the attainment of wealth, favor, or <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eminence">eminence</a><br />
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3: one that <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/succeed">succeeds</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>succeed</b>: <br />
<br />
2a : to turn out well<br />
<div>
b : to attain a desired object or end</div>
</div>
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<div>
From the latin <i>succedere</i>: to come after, or up from below</div>
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<div>
Why do we not do a better job--or any job at all--defining success for ourselves? </div>
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<div>
Why is the first definition of success one that Webster's qualifies as obsolete? <i>An outcome or result</i>. The first definition of succeed is literally "to come after another in rank or position, to follow after another in order". The second definition is to attain a desired end. Why don't we do more to delineate in any kind of terms what our desired end is? Why do we always default to "money" or "fame" or "status of some kind"? </div>
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<div>
I admit that I am a perfectionist with [insanely] high goals for every artistic event I'm involved with. My props had to be indistinguishable from the real thing, if I couldn't get the real thing. My shows had to be sell-outs, or as close as physically possible without literally picking people up and bringing them to the theater. Classes and workshops needed to have the max number of students or I felt unsatisfied as either a teacher or a venue provider. More, always more. </div>
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<div>
What if we defined success differently, though? I've <a href="http://devralthomas.blogspot.com/2014/11/nablopomo-day-22-what-is-failure.html" target="_blank">written about failure before</a>, how I don't truly believe in failure as long as you're trying and learning. But why can't the same be true of success? Why isn't there a spectrum rather than two distinct points? You did or you didn't. You succeeded or you failed. You made a gazillion dollars or you're a poor hack who just needs to quit trying. You're an investment banker/hotshot lawyer/neurosurgeon or you might as well be laying on your couch without a job. Dr. Strange thought his life was over because he couldn't use his hands any more after the car accident. </div>
<div>
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<div>
The success story in the performing arts is school--move to one of three acceptable cities--get discovered--get signed to a project/show/team with an amazing amount of salary--pictures on magazines/appear on television/people want your autograph. </div>
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Why? </div>
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Why do we set ourselves up for the massive amount of disappointment that this definition of success inherently creates? </div>
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Yes, money and fame are nice (I'm guessing.) But we can redefine the outcome we want and have success on our terms. </div>
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I want a family and a house and live in a community I can afford without feeling like all work and no play. </div>
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I want to produce theater that makes me--and hopefully an audience--laugh and cry and try to be a better person. </div>
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I want to help other performing artists produce work that moves them and their communities, regardless of what size that community is or what that community looks like. It could be a town of 8,000 people, largely agricultural based, with a strong Irish background and cultural history of story-telling. It could be a neighborhood of 400 with young families of all nationalities trying to find some commonality between them and make their neighborhood a better, safer place to live. It could be a dancer who has moved six hours away from the only home she's ever known and just wants to move her body and find like-minded individuals. </div>
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Connection is succeeding. That may be one person. Or 1000. </div>
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More is better, sure. But it's not necessary. Define your success and then achieve it. </div>
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Or not. And redefine and try again. </div>
Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-22183000725177625072017-03-09T10:06:00.001-05:002017-03-09T10:06:08.454-05:009 Seminars I'd Love to Teach<ul>
<li>Arts Hospice: Palliative Care for End-of-Life for Arts Organizations</li>
<li>Healthy Ecosystems in Small Cities: Why Diversity of Size and Content Matters</li>
<li>Try Today, Buy Tomorrow: How Performing Arts Can Use Samples to Build Audience</li>
<li>Fear-Setting in the Arts: Mitigating Risk by Developing Comfort with Fear</li>
<li>Stone Soup: Using Collaboration to Create New Performing Arts Opportunities</li>
<li>Pivots and Sprints: Using Corporate Process Development to Grow a Sustainable Arts Org</li>
<li>Clothing Costumes: How What you Wear Changes Your Own Perceptions</li>
<li>Grow Your Own: What Food Chains and Arts Ecosystems Have in Common</li>
<li>I Can't, I Have a Kid: How to be a Present Parent and a Performer Without Losing Your Mind</li>
</ul>
<div>
I'm available. </div>
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Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-74737947692673812612017-03-03T11:15:00.000-05:002017-03-03T11:15:21.970-05:00Permanent Theater Venues, While Useful, Are Not A Panacea<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Much has been discussed about how the Triangle needs more black box theaters, more fertile ground to grow the native, nascent nonprofit theater groups and companies. With Common Ground Theater closing up after ten years and Sonorous Road Theater’s future in question, it does seem like there is less room for itinerant groups to ply their trade. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-ed16d00c-94ed-4a1e-0c1c-53e7dfdf086e" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Examining the twenty-five year history of the Triangle theater scene, the same venues tend to be used over and over again. Most of productions happen in the same handful of spaces, even if made by different groups of people. For the time period in question (1990-2015), the vast majority--90% of companies who produce at least one full weekend show--do not continue to make work over a decade. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Out of 24 (give or take a few) companies that have succeeded in sticking around the Triangle for a dozen years or more, only six have successfully operated their own venue. Again, the majority of ongoing theater organizations are either affiliated with a college or with a municipally-owned venue. Raleigh Little Theater, Theater in the Park, Durham Savoyards, North Carolina Theatre: as long-standing and as important to the ecosystem as they are, they are all beholden to a municipal venue for their performance space. Our single “professional” theater, PlayMakers Repertory Company, is fully-owned by UNC-CH. Yes, it has a nonprofit arm for raising funds, but without the people, work, and space provided by UNC, PlayMakers would not be PlayMakers. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The six that have lasted over twelve years and had an established space are The ArtsCenter with its various in-house theater programs, Burning Coal Theater, Deep Dish Theater Company, Manbites Dog Theater Company, North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theater, and Raleigh Ensemble Players. It is important to note that two of these organizations (Deep Dish and REP) are no longer in business and a third (ArtsCenter) has guttered its in-house theater productions as of this writing. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Burning Coal Theater and Manbites Dog both spent many of their formative years producing shows in various spaces around Raleigh and Durham, respectively, before they were able to locate and afford their own building. Deep Dish Theater was located in a mall retail space and made do with low ceilings and nonpermanent set restrictions because of mall protocols. Raleigh Ensemble Players started as a summer company for two years, using Theater in the Park’s space during their down time. After several itinerant years, REP partnered with the new Artspace, a visual art studio and gallery. After many years in Artspace, the attempt to secure their own permanent full-time stage space proved unviable and forced them to close. The ArtsCenter’s in-house theater programs grew out of acting classes in the 1980’s at its original space in Carr Mill Mall, before morphing into the ArtsCenter Community Theatre, which quietly died in 2001. Shortly thereafter, Lynden Harris came on board as staff at the ArtsCenter and revived programming under the “ArtsCenter Stage” brand. NRACT found and held a venue through sheer power of numbers. Enough committed volunteers to establish a true working board plus enough interested actors and technicians--including a deep relationship with the local high school--provided enough revenue from six large cast shows in the early years. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The axiom is true for any business: success is in large part due to location. ArtsCenter was the only non-school performing arts venue in Carrboro. Deep Dish and NRACT both were surrounded within retail establishments in highly suburban neighborhoods. Burning Coal and Manbites spent years growing their audiences before settling into venues that would themselves become catalysts for their neighborhood’s growth. REP benefitted from the constant flow of artists and visitors in Artspace, conveniently located in the middle of downtown Raleigh.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many of these companies have themselves also played host to itinerant groups, and because none of them are professional or a closed group of participants, the constant flow of talent both on and back stage has helped grow the opportunities available for creative work. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These companies successfully found and maintained venues because they had enough people willing to put in sweat-equity to make the space viable and because there was enough differentiation in their locations and products to find a profitable audience. Types of revenues varied from business to business, but all found many ways to make expenses every month. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dedicated venues bring their own downsides. Rent or mortgage payments, insurance premiums, cleaning and maintenance expenses add up every month, and that’s after an initial push to upfit a space with a stage, seating, and appropriate lighting and sound systems. And then you need someone to manage the space! If you look at the budget of any business, the largest line-item is employees. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Can many of these downsides be mitigated? Yes, certainly: a government-owned facility with provided infrastructure or a co-op space with volunteer management. A wealthy theater-loving real estate developer who wants to be a singular patron to a small company. Insert many other options here.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finding a permanent venue is possible; these six companies clearly demonstrate that. However, they also demonstrate the hard work involved in doing so: both before in establishing a feasible product and growing audience, and after, in earning enough income to meet ongoing expenses. Desiring a permanent home is admirable, but actually finding one comes after the need justifies it. </span></div>
<br />Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-6506385209348948022017-03-01T14:13:00.000-05:002017-03-01T14:13:50.615-05:00Green is March's Favorite Color: Use It To Take Care of YourselfI'm not certain if it was something I ate or didn't eat or Divine Spirit or earth energy or what, but I sat bolt upright last night in bed with the phrase "Go Green for March" on my tongue. 2 more thoughts immediate popped into my head, plus a visual: "go", "money", and a green string tied around my wrist.<br />
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Not wanting to get out of bed, I laid there, staring at the covers, thinking "I need to write this down because obviously it's important and the Universe is trying to tell me something." As I could feel this idea was all about making progress and changing mindsets, I begrudgingly exited the warm bed, plodded downstairs to find pencil and paper, wrote the ideas down, and then went back to sleep.<br />
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This morning, I pulled out my cross stitch supplies, found the exact shade of green in my delirium-induced vision, and tied a bit around my wrist.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #274e13;">Maybe you, too, have been struggling lately with these things? Perhaps you, too, could use a visual reminder? </span></blockquote>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">1. Green for GO</span></b><br />
I am prone to analysis paralysis. The thing where "if I just learn more then I'll start" or "I don't have quite all the information I need" or "I need to check over here too before I get going."<br />
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HOGWASH. It's perfectionism, it's mainly useless, and it's holding me back.<br />
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So this green is for GO, <i>a la</i> a traffic signal. It's not about speed, it's about taking my foot off the brake and applying light pressure to the gas pedal to get my car going forward. One of my favorite Universe metaphors is it's like a GPS system: The Universe will tell you which way to turn but you have to put the car in drive and GO!<br />
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My green thread reminds me that when I start questioning my actions "I'm not ready" or "I don't know enough" to gently change my thought to "yes, I do, I know what I need to know to take an action--any action--right now."<br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">2. Green for MONEY</span></b><br />
Money is an energy, and as an energy, it needs to flow.<br />
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This may sound like crazy-talk to some of you. Money flows into your life at a rate equal to the rate it flows out of your life. Want more to flow into your life? You need to increase how much your money-energy flows out.<br />
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For me, that means two things:<br />
-first, I need to not begrudge spending the physical cash I do have. That is lack thinking ("if I spend this, I won't have any more") and simply shuts off the flow.<br />
-second, I need to spend more of my cash-energy, meaning, I need to be spending my energy in ways that give it away to others. I have to trust that increasing my energy flow out will increase my energy flow in.<br />
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My green thread reminds me to breathe out the "lack" and breathe in "share" and "give" and "trust" and "abundance." I truly lack for nothing and to dwell in feeling pity does nothing but continue my self-hurt.<br />
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Which brings us to 3, which came to me as I was writing the first two, because there's always a 3, because 3 is a magic number:<br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">3. Green for SUPERGREEN</span></b><br />
One of my favorite movies is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKHh3EIFcZw" target="_blank">The Fifth Element</a></i>. Chris Tucker is hilarious as an over-the-top, self-indulgent, cosmic radio-show host. His preferred way of categorizing his joys are levels of "green." Something he particularly likes is "Supergreen!"<br />
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Are you struggling with taking care of yourself? I am. I don't mean in a bubble-bath, wine-glass, bon-bon kind of way (fine for her, not for me). I mean in a "I've lost myself and haven't a clue what I actually enjoy doing because I've been taking care of everyone else's needs for so long" kind of way.<br />
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Supergreen is about <a href="http://www.cherylrichardson.com/store/the-art-of-extreme-self-care/" target="_blank">radical self-care</a>. It is about becoming a <a href="http://planetsark.com/swl/books/" target="_blank">succulent wild woman</a>. It is about figuring out how to speak (or write or draw or sing or whatever) your truth. It is about making a small space in your brain where you can say yes to yourself and no to someone else, feel the guilt or pain or disappointment briefly, then move into the thing that brings you joy.<br />
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I've been doing a lot of sitting with this one and the signal I keep getting is "writing." For as far back as I can remember (and I've been doing a lot of that digging, too), I've done two things: read a lot and write a lot.<br />
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I loved researching and writing my thesis. I loved writing college papers. I love writing articles for Marbury. I love writing on my blog. Daily diary entries, my new therapy journal, writing notes to my daughter and husband, writing emails to friends. Words on paper bring me joy.<br />
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I'm an extrovert, too, though, so I need to balance all that solo writing with being out in public, getting to know people, helping artists with their projects. It's why journalism, marketing, and fundraising are all truly of a piece for me.<br />
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My green thread reminds me to take care of myself daily. I have to go for a walk in the outdoors daily. I have to eat nourishing food daily. I have to take my meds daily. I have to write daily. I have to be present with my daughter and husband daily. I have to practice loving myself daily.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Tp2dk2M3IIX3KjotQtIwUfj_f6BgpMmbbbTz61wiNUBFlLNRto0q-mWCPjUvfwnHDgCGT-aWVJIWQYyIJUVJNOoZFRdJDVKPw05EgBDKBhyYL1dQ61aEoaA8hwJ2bVwelTO0-9QoZjk/s1600/20170301_120451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Tp2dk2M3IIX3KjotQtIwUfj_f6BgpMmbbbTz61wiNUBFlLNRto0q-mWCPjUvfwnHDgCGT-aWVJIWQYyIJUVJNOoZFRdJDVKPw05EgBDKBhyYL1dQ61aEoaA8hwJ2bVwelTO0-9QoZjk/s320/20170301_120451.jpg" width="320" /></a>So I'm wearing my thread this month. Like Buddhist Prayer Flags or Kabbalah strings, I figure I'll be mindful of these tenants, work on integrating them into myself and life, and when the time is right, the thread will naturally free itself and go away.<br />
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Maybe you're struggling, too, with one of these? Maybe wearing a visual reminder will help bring you focus and mindfulness, too. I'd love to hear about it!<br />
<br />Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-44771451290557076832017-02-28T14:16:00.000-05:002017-02-28T14:16:56.542-05:00Doing Your Best Work With Others When You Feel AloneI love any piece of writing that covers "creatives" and "artists." Even more, I love it when business magazines like Fast Company, Inc, and Harvard Business Review write articles about us arts folks.<br />
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In one of the latest at Fast Co, author Jeff Goins tackles the idea of <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3068276/work-smart/why-youll-never-do-your-best-work-alone" target="_blank">why you'll never do your best work alone</a>. I want to riff on his three takeaways for the small theater and performing arts communities.<br />
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<b>Find a "Master"</b><br />
Goins uses the idea of Renaissance artists but this idea is also one used by Austin Kleon in his book <a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/03/08/steal-like-an-artist-austin-kleon-book/" target="_blank"><i>Steal Like An Artist</i></a>. However, this task may feel impossible for those of us living in smaller communities that may not have an established performing arts scene. Where are we to locate these masters? This may mean turning to online communities, diving into Youtube, or doing a lot of interlibrary loan exchanges to read what's been written by or about your chosen artists.<br />
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<b>Emulate your mentor's work.</b><br />
As most of my readers know, I very much adore both Malcolm Gladwell and Daniel Pink as writers. When I was working on my Master's Thesis book, I kept asking myself "how would Malcolm or Daniel set up this story?" I didn't want my thesis to sound like, well, an academic treatise on arts ecosystems. I wanted it to read like a compelling creative nonfiction story.<br />
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When it comes to theater, how can you copy a particular director's style or a designer's aesthetic? When I took directing class in undergrad, we watched classic films to try to understand good directing choices, design decisions, and then used those when we crafted scenes with our fellow students. Rehearsal space is perfect for trying out new-to-you techniques.<br />
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<b>Find community.</b><br />
In a small town or a new city, this is going to mean a lot of searching, a lot of coffee, and a lot of cold calls. But finding a small group of like-minded people is crucial to both keeping your work going and making it better. It may mean starting with your local community college, to see if they offer any theater classes, or talking to the local kids' dance studio to meet the instructors. It may mean stepping outside your art form and talking to writers, painters, or even *gasp* entrepreneurs. Your local Chamber of Commerce may prove helpful in this search.<br />
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And last, but certainly not least, start producing a show! If you've just moved to a community, it may mean doing a solo work at the local open-mic night (or creating an open mic night!). It may mean some site-specific work in the local parks. Plaster the town with flyers. Find the locally-owned coffeeshop: these places tend to be hubs of information.<br />
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Don't overlook social media communities but don't rely on them, either. Expand your horizons with new people, new books, new videos, and new places. Your artistic work will be better for it.Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-42149872025220583152017-02-21T14:04:00.001-05:002017-02-21T14:04:57.943-05:00"Everybody does it this way"<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>Once in a while, start with zero, not with what might be the standard right now. -- Seth Godin [<a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2016/02/anchoring-can-sink-you.html" target="_blank">original post here</a>]</i></span><br />
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We have a lot of calcification in the performing arts. Instead of doing what everyone else does, what if you did the exact opposite?<br />
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1. Selling tickets individually rather than in bulk form. 2 tickets, 4 tickets. Packs of 8 for half price. Actually selling one group an entire performance.<br />
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2. Size scale of performances. What would an individual/site specific performance look like for you? What about the opposite: how could you achieve a massive scale of people or space?<br />
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3. Stages. Platforms. Removing the set. Sometimes this is done because of economic reasons. What if you perform in the audience seating area and put the audience on the stage instead?<br />
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4. Engaging the audience during the performance. Not as stopping the action for an aside, or fake engagement, but as part of the action. There's a great early episode of the Dick Van Dyke show where he forgets to get tickets for the PTA, but is saved when Mel needs extras for the large picnic scene at the end of the Alan Brady show, so the PTA actually gets to be in the show.<br />
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5. One person deciding a season in advance. What happens if you truly crowdsource a season?<br />
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6. Selling tickets in advance. Pop-up performances.<br />
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7. Selling tickets at all: rather, asking for people to donate after the show what monetary value they'd place on the experience. Pro tip: actually pass a hat so people feel compelled to put in something and not just leave.<br />
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8. Closed rehearsals. What if all the aspects of creation were open to whoever wanted to watch? What if you used Facebook Live to stream rehearsals and then charged for being in the room/the final product?<br />
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9. Season=1 year. What happens if you plan AND ANNOUNCE 2-3-4 years in advance.<br />
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10. Success=sold out shows, a building, staff, all the money from various sources you could desire. Rewriting your mission statement to say what you're going to DO.<br />
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11. And what you're NOT going to do. OR when it's time to stop. Closing an underwhelming show. Closing an underwhelming company.<br />
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What are anchors for your art? Let us know in the comments. Maybe it's the thing that's been bugging you but "everybody does it."Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-53933751660834437432017-01-06T18:03:00.003-05:002017-01-06T18:03:56.506-05:00Reminiscences of Books Past: My 2016 Reading Log Yall know I like to read every now and again.* I thought I'd go over my 2016 book highlights.<br />
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So, I started the year with the intention of reading my entire backlog, which was probably 8-9 years old (the astute reader will remember my daughter turned nine in August). I achieved half of that goal, that is, I read about half my back log pile. Even if that had been all I'd read, that still would've been 18 books, so respectable for the year in this day and age of "nobody reads past college".<br />
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Actually, not including books I read for classes, I recorded a total of 45 books read!! And two audio books (I discovered Tim Ferriss's podcast in mid-summer so started listening to that in the car instead). A lot of those are library books, although I think I did buy enough to replenish my TBR pile for 2017.<br />
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Outstanding titles:<br />
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<i>The Society of the Spectacle</i>, by Guy Debord. Classic French not quite existentialism but amazing views on what our society truly has become: oblivious.<br />
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<i>The War of Art</i> & <i>Do The Work</i>, by Steven Pressfield. As recommended by Seth Godin. Basically, anything Seth recommends, I read. And Steven's work is worth every penny.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0e8UvG1JyARjEyWLnhhcLCQsNJehgKxYFzjYZ97jQF2PLlx98RxUIs6Dt8F7SZH7isDQl6hvjZcDnj8GDWCe2PehZGFMq5dXf03nFMw10pheg4ddSGpCLPyxritadLEOWo8RaUVzNYI/s1600/20170106_173907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="booklist" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0e8UvG1JyARjEyWLnhhcLCQsNJehgKxYFzjYZ97jQF2PLlx98RxUIs6Dt8F7SZH7isDQl6hvjZcDnj8GDWCe2PehZGFMq5dXf03nFMw10pheg4ddSGpCLPyxritadLEOWo8RaUVzNYI/s400/20170106_173907.jpg" title="" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The full list. I promise, he read more than that.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>So Good They Can't Ignore You</i> & <i>Deep Work</i>, by Cal Newport. These both changed my mind about both what I am doing with my career and how I need to be doing it. Still processing both of these and trying to work with the precepts while being a lead parent. (NB: Cal is not a lead parent. I can't help but believe this makes a difference.)<br />
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<i>How the Mighty Fall</i> & <i>Built to Last</i>, by Jim Collins. Yes, I finally read the seminal Built to Last, and it was every bit as good as you'd expect. How the Mighty Fall, though, will be more relevant to my book writing.<br />
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A few modern classics that are, duh, classics: <i>The Long Tail</i>, <i>The Checklist Manifesto</i>, <i>The Black Swan</i>, <i>Switch</i>.<br />
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I don't read a ton of fiction, but for some reason, almost all of it I did read this year wound up of the "magic" "victorian" style. Particular fun was Charlie Holmberg's The Paper Magician series and VE Schwab's Shades of Magic series.<br />
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Finally, I finished the year with Kevin Kelly's <i>The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future</i>. If you wonder or care or just want to have some cocktail banter about what the next 25 years may be like, read this book. Every day I see an article or someone's post and go, "just like KK said."<br />
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My reading goal for 2017 is to, once again, clean out the backlog pile AND to read 52 books this year.<br />
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What are your reading goals?<br />
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*That is sarcastic. I know you just snorted when you read it.Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-57095207536411482352016-09-14T20:25:00.002-04:002016-09-14T20:25:56.902-04:00Advocating for the Right ReasonsI've had Barbara Kingsolver's <i><a href="http://www.kingsolver.com/books/" target="_blank">High Tide in Tuscon: Essays from Now or Never</a></i> sitting on my To Be Read pile for, oh, five or six years now. I picked it up after reading her essays on farm life, <i>Animal, Vegetable, Mineral,</i> but then it got shuffled into the stack and sat there, waiting. As usual, the Universe knows the right timing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://thoughtcatalog.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/les11.gif?w=500&h=250" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://thoughtcatalog.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/les11.gif?w=500&h=250" width="320" /></a>When you start advocacy, you need to have a pretty clear idea about exactly what it is you're advocating <i>for. </i>When it comes to increased support (financial and otherwise) for artists, I've long been back and forth in my thinking, not really certain what tactic was best. I mean, do we focus on the "arts for arts sake"? (And really what does that even mean?) Do we show how the skills you develop pursuing any of the arts help you no matter what your career path? Or do we talk about the return on investment for municipalities in their artists and arts businesses? Because I'm so close to it, I can argue many different angles about why the arts are the best thing ever. I mean, it's not a huge exaggeration that my friends call me the "Leslie Knope of Arts Administration." (Goddess, I love Amy Poehler in that role.)<br />
<br />
So it is fitting that I'm now coming across these beautifully-penned lines from Kingsolver:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Art has the power not only to soothe a savage breast, but to change a savage mind. A novel can make us weep over the same events that might hardly give us pause if we read them in a newspaper. Even though the tragedy in the newspaper happened to real people, while the one in the novel happened in an author's imagination." </blockquote>
<br />
It's no surprise that the Federal Theatre Project's main program was called "<a href="https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/federal-theatre-project/living-newspaper.html" target="_blank">The Living Newspaper.</a>"<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
"Art is the antidote that can call us back from the edge of numbness, restoring the ability to feel for another. By virtue of that power, it is political, regardless of content." </blockquote>
<br />
As opposed to mass media, which, in my opinion, is solely trying to numb the populace enough to let those who have power continue to rule the world. There's a reason "Stay Woke" is a popular phrase these days. (And why I shudder every time I think "Bread and Circuses.")<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We have all heard plenty about each other's troubles, but evidently it's not enough to be told, it has to be lived. And art is so very nearly the same as life." </blockquote>
<br />
I once heard the phrase "art is that which makes you stop and look again." My favorite photographers are <a href="https://www.fastcocreate.com/1683295/annie-leibovitz-on-getting-the-shot-and-the-future-of-photography" target="_blank">Annie Leibovitz</a> and <a href="http://moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2010/henricartierbresson/#/" target="_blank">Henri Cartier-Bresson</a> because I can lose myself in their art. I <i>know</i> the subjects purely through their photographs. Art is life.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Art is entertainment but it's also celebration, condolence, exploration, duty, and communion."</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6mzbXWcV0PNQEIoC2tyqYp-Z5HCK5Z6e7DwU3hbiKq3S5uxd4TDPKVLdOuR7aRajwh6MVM5xMb1007Q4ioTzOQvSKFHJx50HFQPosU_sLMvKTs0YUIAqTF6K0UDrz-Q-iSvsutO7R_k/s1600/BEST.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6mzbXWcV0PNQEIoC2tyqYp-Z5HCK5Z6e7DwU3hbiKq3S5uxd4TDPKVLdOuR7aRajwh6MVM5xMb1007Q4ioTzOQvSKFHJx50HFQPosU_sLMvKTs0YUIAqTF6K0UDrz-Q-iSvsutO7R_k/s320/BEST.png" width="320" /></a><br />
I would argue that Kingsolver has it backwards here. Art is first about emotional connection between artist and audience. But it can also be entertaining.<br />
<br />
Tactical arguments overlook the underlying importance of what we're doing this <i>for: </i>So that we may have more communion with each other. If that doesn't inform the basis of all my advocacy, then I need to step away from the work.Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-64141898535727768312016-08-30T11:06:00.000-04:002016-08-30T11:06:24.633-04:00Cultivating A New Arts Writing Format<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpUrV9YOEHIWZGNNGIvKNcIK8t6gH94hdTDf3FdRPbWtY-iPAVgZ5NHedzKUqKAG4qoo82YMBT8KSkOKylPxLgMAwtO_Qa5I9k2XNvsX9sZslUT8qq3NgR7vJ2YYSJrnTRxijB2_K8rA/s1600/20160827_172518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpUrV9YOEHIWZGNNGIvKNcIK8t6gH94hdTDf3FdRPbWtY-iPAVgZ5NHedzKUqKAG4qoo82YMBT8KSkOKylPxLgMAwtO_Qa5I9k2XNvsX9sZslUT8qq3NgR7vJ2YYSJrnTRxijB2_K8rA/s320/20160827_172518.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">I'm a sucker for non-fiction books <br />about women's friendships, <br />or compilations of letters, <br />or North Carolina history. <br />So this book hit all three.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>March 1974</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"The <u>Observer </u>dropped my column several years ago. They wanted the space for a staff member to do a how-to column. He calls me to ask the answers to the questions. I was heartbroken at first, because I found to my amazement that a weekly column is the most delightful way to write. You don't have to hold yourself down to any lengthy subject but you can go into whatever interests you at the moment. Then I learned so much, by being asked about so many things I didn't know, and having to find out. And the instant response is so stimulating; I would go to St. Peter's at eight, and someone would already have read the morning paper, and would comment or disagree, or have something to add."</i><br />
<i>~Elizabeth Lawrence</i><br />
<br />
I couldn't help but chuckle when I read this passage in <i>2 Gardeners: A Friendship in Letters, </i>a collection of over twenty years worth of correspondence between <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Onward-Upward-Garden-Katherine-White/dp/0807085618" target="_blank">Katharine S. White</a> (editor and writer at <i>The New Yorker</i> and wife of author E.B. White) and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Garden-Elizabeth-Lawrence/dp/0807849308" target="_blank">Elizabeth Lawrence</a> (<i>A Southern Garden </i>author and garden columnist for the <i>Charlotte Observer</i>). <br />
<br />
I loved the whole thing and could go on about any subject, but the reason I chuckled at that particular passage has to do with my own writing, both as the editor and a columnist at <a href="http://www.clydefitchreport.com/author/devra-thomas/" target="_blank">The Marbury Project</a>, hosted by The Clyde Fitch Report*, and here on my blog.<br />
<br />
You see, I agree with Elizabeth's feeling that a weekly column is the best form of writing for the public. And that writing within a given area--but given complete freedom on particular topic--is a fantastic way to learn and grow. Today, Elizabeth might be an avid garden blogger: answering questions from readers, posting pictures of her daffodils on Instagram, keeping a running Excel spreadsheet with flower dates submitted by avocational growers across the country. She did all of this on paper, in long-hand, and published in the newspaper fifty years ago. (She also wrote many books on gardening, on which she often collaborated with other gardeners and illustrators.)<br />
<br />
I grew up in newspaper reporting; my high school and college experiences both included stints writing and editing for the school newspapers. But I've always thought about blogging as not like newspaper reporting. Either a blogger is too personal, the blog serving as a sort of public diary, or the blog is a "how-to column," 5 tips for this or 6 easy steps for that.<br />
<br />
Both types of blogs have their place, absolutely; I've written them. But the writing I enjoy doing (and reading) is the newspaper columnist style: a lot of research to educate the reader about a topic, with a liberal dose of experience and personality thrown in to make the reader feel like a friend.<br />
<br />
Most of the theater or arts blogs I read regularly (or try to, anyway, there are so many) fall into the latter category: how-to do [insert arts focus here]. And quite a few of them are... let's say they leave me discouraged about the field. I am a bit Pollyanna-ish when it comes to the power of the performing arts to change lives, so to read writing that bemoans the state of affairs without giving positive stories as well leaves me drained (and turning to gardening books to take my mind off of it).<br />
<br />
I do want to start writing here regularly. Perhaps Elizabeth's old once-a-week column format would serve me well. Katharine edited quite regularly but only wrote every few months, much like what I do over at Marbury. I'll stick to the performing arts (mostly). I'll start doing a bit more research. I'll even throw in a how-to piece every once in a while.<br />
<br />
And if you know of another overly optimistic arts blogger I should follow, do let me know! Or if there is a particular question you have about theater in North Carolina or women/mothers in the arts, drop me a line.<br />
<br />
*I should note that most of the monthly columns at <a href="http://www.clydefitchreport.com/" target="_blank">The Clyde Fitch Report</a> are in the journalist/columnist mode. So very well worth reading, every one, and I'd say that even if I didn't work there.Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-85210737885251313322016-06-27T15:33:00.000-04:002016-06-27T15:33:18.844-04:00The 3 People You Need On Your TeamIf you want to get better at your art, you need a master practitioner to give you critical feedback (a "personal dramaturg" is what one friend called this person, to frame this relationship in a positive supportive way. Mentor, coach, etc etc).<br />
<br />
If you want your art in front of a lot of people, you need a personal champion.<br />
<br />
A lot has been written about the former: the student/teacher relationship. Within the context of the "10,000 hour" rule, the sometimes-overlooked half of that is "with a master teacher" portion. You become a master not simply by doing something a lot (but that's important) but by doing it a lot with someone who is better than you giving you insight, support, and correction.<br />
<br />
I've read less about the notion of a champion.<br />
<br />
The pervasive myth is comprised of bootstraps, and DIY, and the "overnight success," at least in America anyway. Especially within the past twenty years, when the means of production and distribution have flattened and been put within everyone's reach, we are primed with<br />
<br />
"if we promote our art enough, we'll be successful"<br />
<br />
OR "if we follow the path exactly as it's laid out, we'll be successful." <br />
<br />
Truth: we don't have to wait to be picked, we can create our art and put it out there and build relationships and find our tribe.<br />
<br />
And yet, we still need a champion. We still need a neutral third-party who says to a fourth person, "Have you seen this artist? I like this art." The telling is the key. A champion is not just a tribe member: they bring other people into the tribe for you.<br />
<br />
The champion used to be the picker. The book editor who said "this book will be published" or the producer who said "this play will be on our stage." Even a wealthy patron who said "I will pay you, particular artist, for your art."<br />
<br />
Then we went the other way and all became our own brands, publicists, and marketers. Bootstraps.<br />
<br />
It strikes me that journalists used to play this role to some extent. But in these days of "pay to play" local story writing and the sheer amount of information available across media, it is unlikely that they are brandishing any one particular artist's work <i>before that artist is already famous in their own right</i>.<br />
<br />
But we haven't lost the need for champions. While we've likely built a relationship with this person, they are not our best friends, they're not in it for the money, they don't do it because we've asked them to. They like our art and want others to experience that same joy.<br />
<br />
Doesn't have to be someone famous [to whatever degree]. Doesn't have to be someone who is wealthy. It could be someone who shows up at every show and always brings new friends who then come with their new friends. It could be someone at the next level adjacent who gives you a hand up the ladder. It could be someone who has all the connections and convinces people to donate to your organization (this is the one area--capital campaigns--that I do hear about champions on a somewhat regular basis).<br />
<br />
Champions are the ultimate raving fans. You can't buy them, you can't hire them, you can't steal them. But they are as critical to your success as any other member of your team.Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-14224313867604187202016-06-04T12:07:00.001-04:002016-06-04T12:07:05.542-04:00An archaeological dig into theatrical past1990 doesn't seem like that long ago. I can remember that far back. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Twenty-five years ago seems like forever. I can't remember what I was doing twenty-five years ago. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm working on a book about the history of independent theater in the Triangle of NC, roughly titled "Like Mushrooms on a Log: 25 Years of Independent Theater in the Triangle, NC" (catchy, huh (Don't answer that. I said "roughly.")). I've bracketed my research from 1990 to 2015, for numerous reasons which I'll illuminate later. As with most research of historical incidents, nothing stays that neat. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm going to blog about interesting things I find along the way: tidbits about the area, things I don't know actually fit into the book but I don't want to lose, insights and questions I have about myself that arise. Maybe even one day I'll publish actual portions of the writing here. I just need another place to get stuff out of my head. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But back to 25 years. I do remember 1990. It wasn't long before I myself got started into the theater scene. But going back, trying to immerse myself in what is now very murky waters, is simultaneously depleting and energizing. There's a puzzle to piece together, which I love; there are people who are still around--many still working--who were there then, but many others who aren't. Or, worse yet, it'll be a major archaeological dig to find information: tracking down leads to only find a 2-year old piece of pottery that was made to look like an old dinosaur bone. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Good thing I enjoy hunting. (see also: my 10 years experience as a propsmaster in Triangle Theater. A separate but equally as entertaining book yet to be written.) </div>
Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-70051601659450030922016-03-18T14:41:00.003-04:002016-03-18T14:41:21.129-04:00They called me an expert so it must be true. I totally forgot to mention I wrote an article back in December, '15 for the Triangle's <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/" target="_blank">Indyweek newspaper</a>.<br />
<br />
It was supposed to be a response to their choices of <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/indies-arts-awards-2015/Content?oid=4894784" target="_blank">Indy Arts Awards winners</a>, none of whom were theater-related.<br />
<br />
At first, I was mad about that, because I get irate every time theater is left out of a discussion. But the more I sat with the madness, the more I realized,<br />
<h3>
dammit, they were right. </h3>
So, <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/a-regional-theater-expert-thinks-triangle-companies-are-too-insular-to-thrive-heres-how-they-can-fix-it/Content?oid=4920939" target="_blank">here, then, is my response</a>.<br />
<br />
I received the usual portions of praise and criticism.<br />
<br />
<br />Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44713270030963210.post-30001099228296456772016-02-15T15:45:00.002-05:002016-02-15T15:45:50.829-05:00Whose Responsibility Is It? <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmnBAVpheReFVLg-GSdeYZnIOwru1vQc6BtuR5xTcKnWQDxeNvNzdjGGnDxQoQ6xwlQfjUmjWNtoklyO9Q4SG6hgkHiOAdpkQaeEb8NlL0s26wAWS-fmTuA6unc58DoGXF-DwlEe0iDI/s1600/meg-blog-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmnBAVpheReFVLg-GSdeYZnIOwru1vQc6BtuR5xTcKnWQDxeNvNzdjGGnDxQoQ6xwlQfjUmjWNtoklyO9Q4SG6hgkHiOAdpkQaeEb8NlL0s26wAWS-fmTuA6unc58DoGXF-DwlEe0iDI/s320/meg-blog-2.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">, And</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm in the throes of an "do I or don't I" quandary.<br />
<br />
Decisions are easier to follow when they're somebody else's responsibility to make.<br />
<br />
Perfection paralysis. Second guessing all the possible outcomes. Each answer has a catalog of additional questions that go along with it.<br />
<br />
If you're lucky, if you've cultivated the right relationships with people you trust with your decision, you can ask for advice. But if you're the one-in-charge, it's still your decision. You can take input, you can build trees, you can create iterations, but the decision is still yours to make.<br />
<br />
"How to be" productive or successful articles talk all the time about removing low-level decisions--what to wear, what to eat for breakfast--so that you open your decision-making bandwidth to the high-level, change-the-world decisions. Be commercial and take investors or stay nonprofit and cultivate donors. Give your product away versus charging all the market will bear.<br />
<br />
Empower your frontline employees to make their own decisions or give them carefully-worded handouts on what to do in any situation.<br />
<br />
Joy and autonomy versus cog in the machine.<br />
<br />
That decision seems to be low-level. You're leading an arts organization.Devra Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18243091365748200322noreply@blogger.com0