Perpetually Curious

It's Thanksgiving, and I'm in the middle of thesis paper research, so naturally I'm thinking a lot about who has been helpful and needs thanking. Almost everyone I've contacted about varying topics has been both intrigued by my thesis and generous with their time and energy. I'm especially thankful to: Robert Wildman, my faculty adviser, who has the extremely difficult job of both keeping my passion in check but encouraging my quest when I'm tired of it. He's playing the Sancho Panza to my Don Quixote.  Robert Long, who I emailed out of the blue, but has given me several puzzle pieces and introductions and continues to check in on my work. All of the people who have agreed to be my "sounding board", reading drafts and commenting on what works or doesn't (Byron, Liz, and Bob). All of the folks I've worked with at Americans for the Arts: Clayton Lord, Hannah Jacobson, and, by extension, Professor Roland Kushner. They care about our fi

Is laughing with people about yourself the same as being laughed at? On Nov 22, I was the special guest for Mr. Diplomat, an improv show held every Friday night at DSI Comedy Theater . The show's set-up is a special guest comes on, tells stories from his or her life, and then the crack improv team makes up scenes based on those stories. "And yes I said yes" by It's Greg, licensed under Creative Commons I was asked to be the guest in a rather informal way: the guy who took my old job is also on the Diplomat team and they'd had a guest back out, so he asked if I was interested. While I may not have any desire to be an actress, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy my time on stage, so I said, "Yeah, sure, I'm down with that." Kit promised I didn't have to be funny, I just had to get up on stage and tell some stories. They would take care of the rest. Having recently listened to Daniel Pink's To Sell Is Human , two of the primary rul

I'm starting a new theme, of posts about where I see cross-industry applicability. While I'm passionate about the performing arts, I take inspiration from everywhere.  In high school I wanted to go into magazine publishing because I adored the medium. I've always been a sucker for a good article, especially one with beautiful photography to go along with it. So I was pleasantly surprised by this New York Times video about British handbag designer Anya Hindmarch . Done as interview with writer Suzy Menkes , this short video captured my attention, and also held some nuggets that I think apply to theaters as well.  copyright NYTimes Menkes describes Hindmarch's bags as "women-friendly, with an attention to detail and lots of fun." Shouldn't that be theater? We all know the statistic that 67% of Broadway theater audiences are female , and I'm sure that holds true across nonprofit and non-New York markets, as well. Are we finding ways to make

Yesterday, the Deep Dish Executive Board took me and my husband out for a farewell dinner. The food was delicious, the company lively, and many complimentary things were shared around the table. The old saying, "I don't regret the things I did, only the things I have not done" applies here. I will look back with fond memories of my time there, but I will always wish I had done more. Worked harder at donor stewardship. Pushed for the marketing campaigns. Written the 'why not' grants. Running a small independent nonprofit theater is not easy; leaving the comfort of corporate retail with its automatic product shipping and management teams and decent paycheck to take on the part-time administration role was a leap of faith. And now, I stand at the precipice again. I feel like Indiana Jones at the third test in "Last Crusade" , where he says "Only in the leap from the lion's head will he prove his worth" before closing his eyes and taking th

I felt it important to have a few things up here about my thesis paper, as I'm talking to a lot of different folks about this, and, hey, some of them may even do some due diligence and look me up before we chat.  Highlights, in no particular order: overall topic is about how large-scale performing arts venues, specifically newer builds, impact their local nonprofit theaters.  my four research cities are: Mesa, AZ; Modesto, CA; Durham, NC; Appleton, WI intersection of "creative class" writings and city revitalization differences between nonprofit, commercial, and municipal organizations how being a resident company changes the numbers

...about my next gig. Many thanks to Rachel for entrusting me with her baby, Byron Woods for the care and conscientiousness he put into the article, and to Justin Cook for a great photo shoot. http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/a-changing-of-the-guard-at-durham-theater/Content?oid=3762578

Slowly growing my arts admin library. Note: not all my books are on this shelf yet, as I've accumulated a few more as textbooks or thesis research, which are being stored elsewhere. What's your favorite book on arts admin, building community with art, or customer service and building relationships, or fundraising?