Perpetually Curious

success : 1. obsolete : outcome , result 2a : degree or measure of succeeding b : favorable or desired outcome; also : the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence 3: one that succeeds succeed : 2a : to turn out well b : to attain a desired object or end From the latin succedere : to come after, or up from below Why do we not do a better job--or any job at all--defining success for ourselves?  Why is the first definition of success one that Webster's qualifies as obsolete? An outcome or result . 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"?  I admit that I am a perfectionist with [insanely] high goals for every artistic event...

Once in a while, start with zero, not with what might be the standard right now. -- Seth Godin [ original post here ] We have a lot of calcification in the performing arts. Instead of doing what everyone else does, what if you did the exact opposite? 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. 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? 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? 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...

Jonathan Katz, longtime and now retiring leader of NASAA, and Maryo Gard Ewell, second generation community arts activist and teacher, decided to write a book each about the history of their respective areas of arts support. This isn't the start of some fictional novel. This conversation actually happened during the AftA National Convention in Nashville in the middle of June. I was lucky to be standing there when they chatted and vociferously encouraged both of them to write those books. What a blessing for our field that would be, to have these first-hand accounts of what really happened over the course of the last sixty years during the rise of state and local arts support. For all the talk about the coming massive leadership shift (1 in 4 within five years), we have to acknowledge the body of wisdom that has the potential to be lost during it. Marcus Shelby AftA is informally about that delicious tension between learning--and learning from--our history and creating entir...

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 ...