A Short Interval

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A Short Interval

Last weekend I finally had the opportunity to see something other than the walls of my apartment and the faces of those I live with - and it’s been a fantastic and much-needed little break!

This pandemic has been a sizable drain on all of our emotions, energies, routines, bank accounts, and lives on the whole.

And of course it is far from over. Despite how well we’ve been doing here in New York, other states have set us back on a national front while the world begins its preparations for a second wave that will likely hit this winter. I do hope we catch up.

On a personal level, I have been running on fumes for quite some time, both generally and creatively. Which is why I’m going to be taking a short interval from my blog posts - just a few weeks - to recharge and gather some new thoughts for moving forward through summer and into the fall!

But before I go for my period of recharge, I’d like to leave you all with a couple thoughts:

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The *Check* List

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The *Check* List

You probably all know by now how much I loved words and word choice.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Words are magic. With words you can create and you can harm. You can build and destroy. You can make beauty and you can strip it away.

That’s powerful.

Right now there is a word that has become a hot topic (for obvious reasons), which seems to be quite misunderstood. And that word is Privilege.

But before you roll your eyes and decide to close this post, I ask you to consider whether or not you are fully aware of what that word means - in large part because I thought I had a full understanding and it turns out that I did not! My understanding was partial and narrowly applied.

In her book So You Want To Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo says:

“Privilege, in the social justice context, is an advantage or a set of advantages that you have that others do not.”

But there’s more to this definition and concept - which she does go into - and it seems important to dive in and understand.

To bring this conversation back to the arts, the Theatre Community is being asked to take a good hard look at its structural issues, but we are all also being asked to check our own personal privileges (of which there are many types).

So how do we begin?

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5 Changes for the Future of the Theatre

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Anyone in the theatre world who has been paying attention to social media over the past two weeks will have seen the outpouring of information related to the treatment and experiences of BIPOC folx in the theatre.

*Note: BIPOC (pronounced like “buy-pock”) stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

There is no question that - despite theatre’s tendency toward liberal ideals and actions - the theatre as an institution in America is heavily steeped in a hierarchy built to keep white folx (especially white men) in the positions of power and authority.

So, with our industry currently on pause due to a pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement gaining steam and voice, theatre is finding itself at a crossroads.

We know it should change and needs to change, but will it? And how?

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How To Listen

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How To Listen

One of the most important skills we have as human beings is our ability to communicate, and to do so effectively.

However, one could easily argue that - societally speaking - we have not been communicating effectively with one another, or have only been doing so with a select group of people. The events of the past ten days seem like blatant proof of that.

A large part - if not the largest part - of effective communication and the subsequent forward momentum of progress is:

Active Listening.

We - and I’m speaking to the heavily White majority of my readership here - are being asked right now to Actively Listen to our Black peers, friends, family, colleagues, allies, acquaintances, and all Black voices across the country.

So how do we do this? What does this mean? Where to start?

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How To Summer

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How To Summer

Like many people, one of the big questions that’s been on my mind is:

“What is the summer going to look like?”

Today is May 22nd, which is the non-technical beginning of the season. Normally people would be looking forward to some start-of-summer plans this weekend: Memorial parades, barbecues, opening pools, picnics in parks, opening summer places, heading to amusement parks, or even just visiting a local ice cream joint.

But for most people, this isn’t going to be the reality of this weekend. And maybe not even the majority of summer.

As states begin the process of re-opening, we are going to learn a lot: What can be done and at what speed without creating further spikes in the virus spread. And some places will make mistakes and have to shut back down again.

So, what can we make of all the uncertainty moving into this summer?

Here are a few of my thoughts.

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10 Lessons Learned In A Decade

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10 Lessons Learned In A Decade

Ten years ago today I graduated from SUNY Geneseo and - two hours later - hopped in a car with my mother to drive 20 hours to Granbury, TX for my first professional theatre gig at Texas Family Musicals.

And with that, I embarked upon the journey that has been my post-college adult life.

To say that a lot has happened in the past decade is an almost criminal understatement: I’ve lived in three states, made a home in NYC, made and lost friends (made far more though!), had people come in and out of my life, found my artistic home, grew as a teacher, writer, actor, singer, pianist, arranger, and overall human being, and oh so much more.

As much as people like to call our high school and college years our “formative” years, I think it’s in the decade after the college experience (or your twenties into the start of the thirties, for those who did not attend college) in which we truly discover who we are, what we want, and where we want to go.

So, in honor of this milestone, I would like to share just 10 of the lessons I’ve learned over this decade.

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With A Little Help From My Friends

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With A Little Help From My Friends

I often say that I know some of the best people, and I think that’s true.

Some of the most wonderful, giving, caring, and delightful people I’ve ever met can be found amongst my friends, colleagues, students, peers, and family.

Now, I’m a bit of a go-getter personality who is often most productive alone. (Surprised, anyone?) And I’m sure many of you out there feel similarly, even if just when applied to work.

But this quarantine has shifted that mentality. And not just for me, but across the globe.

I think people are realizing that sure, lots of work can be done remotely, but it’s nothing like being together with other people working toward a common goal. And people are craving that feeling more than ever.

We may not be able to make that happen in person quite yet, but it’s brought people together in some other beautiful ways. And what’s being put out into the world is good.

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Why Does He Endure?

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Why Does He Endure?

Last Sunday evening was the 90th Birthday Celebration Concert for Stephen Sondheim - put together and produced by Raul Esparza, and starring a jaw-dropping list of Broadway celebrities and personalities.

Despite the technical glitches - which had Twitter abuzz with some excellent Sondheim-related humor - the evening was beautiful.

The performers had recorded their songs ahead of time from their quarantined homes and still, somehow, the music and performances were just as emotional, raw, delightful, and revealing as they might have been with more theatrical conditions.

Why?

The music, the lyrics, and the marriage of the two.

Stephen Sondheim has to be one of the most polarizing musical theatre writers, having been lauded as the most important to live and also berated for being too high-brow and difficult to perform or understand. And yet, he is known as “the master.” Not a master - and we do have many - but the master.

Why? What is this legacy? Why does Stephen Sondheim endure?

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What Is Quarantine Theatre?

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What Is Quarantine Theatre?

This is a big question, and one that many people are currently trying to answer:

How can we make and perform theatre from our current states of quarantine and extreme social distance?

I’ve seen and heard this topic explored all over the place, particularly over the past two weeks, as we all look forward into a summer likely to leave theaters across the country (and the world) with nothing but well-lit ghosts.

I’ve personally seen this question posed by:

  • The Dramatists Live (hosted by Joey Stock, Amanda Green, and Christine Toy Johnson weekly)

  • Lauren Gunderson on her Howlround TV show (excellent, by the way!)

  • Ken Davenport in his blog

  • Multiple Artistic Directors of professional theaters

  • The heads of several University Theatre Departments

  • Teaching Artist friends and colleagues

  • And several quarantine-specific online creator groups

And if that’s just what I’ve seen - without specifically searching on this topic - I imagine that theatrical people everywhere are looking for these same answers.

So, what are people coming up with?

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On Self-Tape Auditions

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On Self-Tape Auditions

Dear Actor-Vocalists,

I would like to offer some thoughts, tips, and advice to help make your next theatre self-tape audition/callback a little smoother and effective.

[*Warning - This post is mainly geared toward toward performers and those interested in the online audition process!]

We may be working with this medium for much longer than any of us would like or hope, and I suspect some theaters will see some value in self-tapes even post-quarantine.

As an actor, vocal coach, and accompanist, I know the struggles and worries very well. Being in front of that camera is nothing like being in front of an audience.

And as a Musical Director who recently went through an online audition and callback process, I have some thoughts that - I hope - will alleviate some of your stresses and get you focused on what matters most to those watching the tapes roll!

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In A Far-Away Land...

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In A Far-Away Land...

You know how most fairytales begin by specifying that either the events of the story or the Prince/Princess live in a “Faraway Land”?

That’s us. All of us.

We are all the people in extraordinary circumstances living out strange stories in our own personal faraway lands. (Though I’m not sure if that take makes me feel better or worse about it…)

What we have at our disposal however, which the characters of the fairytales sorely lack, is a way to communicate between our faraway lands. A way to peek through small windows into the other peoples’ lives. A way to connect.

Is it as wonderful as being able to ride a steed or step through a portal and be fully immersed in another space?

No, certainly not.

But we do have this technology to give us an advantage. An advantage allowing for new and continued connection, friendship, and creation.

Today, I would like to share some of my quarantine connections, and how they’ve worked (or not worked).

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The Creative Corner - Guest Blog #3: Shannon Haddock

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The Creative Corner - Guest Blog #3: Shannon Haddock

Michael contacted me with the theme of Creating/Making, and I thought, “Oh. I don’t do either of those things.” Yesterday, I decided to explore what it means to be considered an artist, when you feel like you’re not.

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Take Direct Action, Get More Benefits

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Take Direct Action, Get More Benefits

There are two things I’ve been hearing a lot during this quarantine. One is a question and the other is more of an uncertain statement:

“I feel lost, unmotivated, unsure what to do.”

“How can I help the struggling people/organizations that I love not go under?”

I must admit - although these are both tinged with the sadness and anxiety of our present moment - I’m heartened by the love and care that has poured out of our communities online. A desire to do something at all is a marker of self-care, and a desire to give is a marker of care for others.

And that is beautiful.

But acknowledging that beauty doesn’t provide an answer to the above queries, both of which are searching for fulfillment.

So, how can we take some direct action - for ourselves and those around us - that will provide fulfillment? And are there other benefits as well?

Here are some thoughts.

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Must We Put On Pants?

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Must We Put On Pants?

Depending on where you are in the country, you may be on Shut-In Day 3 or Day 13. Here in NYC, it’s the latter.

And over the course of these days/weeks, we’ve all been making major shifts in our work lives as we try to figure out keeping ourselves at home while still making an income.

For some people, this shift to at-home and online work has been relatively simple - perhaps their type of work is done mostly online anyway, they’ve worked from home before, or an office just isn’t necessary.

But what about the rest of us?

Artists of all types - and particularly those whose work relies on in-person contact - are now isolated and unable to perform the tasks generally necessary to their craft.

So, how do we move forward with our work?

How do we make any sort of money?

And do we have to put on pants to do it?

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No, You Don't Have To

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No, You Don't Have To

You’re stuck at home.

Well really, we’re all stuck at home. And if you’re not, you need to be (this you do have to do)!

Life already looks a lot different than it did one week ago, and it’s only going to change more the further along into this crisis we go. And - not to be alarmist - we do have quite a ways to go.

(Side Note: “Quite a ways” is such a delightfully odd phrase!)

And since we’re stuck home trying to cope, deal, and learn a new way of life, as the whole world is trying to adjust - all whilst the capitalist system tries to figure out how to retain its workforce and productivity - we’re being bombarded with ideas and advice.

Some of it is meant to be helpful.

Some is not.

Intentions aside, let’s dive into a few of these messages.

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Tighten The Net

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Tighten The Net

No doubt about it, these are uncertain times.

The world has been thrown for a loop - one that we had not properly prepared for - and “normal life” as we know it is going to be put on hold for some time.

Is this going to suck?

In a lot of ways, yes.

Is the mass chaos and fear warranted?

For us in the US, caution is certainly warranted, but perhaps not the extreme fear (and let’s hope it never gets to that point).

Do we know what’s going to happen moving forward? What that will look like?

No, not yet.

“So, everything’s terrible and all hope is lost???”

Not at all!

These precautions and life interruptions are necessary to prevent the wide spread of an illness that could see our entire health system overrun. That’s when the real trouble would start (look to Italy if you’re unsure what I mean).

This is going to hit a lot of people hard - not the least of which are artists, entrepreneurs, freelancers, small business owners, and all non-salaried/non-insured employees - but we can still support each other.

As Amanda Palmer says in The Art of Asking: Tighten the net.

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Speed Dating...for Writers?

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Speed Dating...for Writers?

Some of you may have seen my post on Instagram or Facebook this past week saying that I attended a Writer-Producer Speed Dating event this past Sunday evening.

(If not, make sure to follow me on FB, and follow me @radimichael and the blog @glamorouslifeblog both on the Instagrams!)

This event was insane. In a good way. But insane.

11 producers, 11 trailing producers, 22 writers, 2 sessions each over 2 hours, plus a reception. And that was just the night itself, which doesn’t include the week of intensive preparation of the pitch and accompanying materials!

And throughout the entire week leading up to it - I was scared out of my mind.

I rarely get myself worked up in anxious anticipation of things, but sometimes I cannot control it, and this was one of those times.

“So what the heck was this thing and why was it so daunting?”

Excellent questions, dear reader.

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