My view from Seattle: theatre, life, soul and stuff.

We’re at Snowater, by Mt. Baker. I’ve been sitting and reading.(Alan Furst’s Night Soldiers and Dark Star, Fast Company magazine, Henri Nouwen’s Sabbatical Journey and  more). Taken a few short hikes along rivers, in the woods and in the snow. We’ve had some great dinners, mostly ones we cooked, with the “finest wine” (from Trader Joes). Taken lots of photos! And even took a nap or two, not to mention getting a full 8 hours of sleep each night. Is this Life?

Back home I get to work with sharp people and create theatre. We help people celebrate and reflect on their lives. I drove back to Seattle on Sunday - 2 ½ hours each way, on the second day of our 1 week vacation - for the Over the River and Through the Woods cast party: great fun and cast! I get to think about, and work toward extending the impact of Taproot Theatre Company with many of the same sharp, fun and adventurous and prayerful people. Is this Life?

At the house, we’re fixing up our upstairs bedroom (improving the closet) and bathroom (replacing ancient pipes, replacing a sink and adding a bathtub). Our kids are young adults, and it’s good to affirm their efforts, listen to their frustrations (Peter and theatre; Lisa and bad-tippers – she’s waiting tables and going to school), and guide or ask questions where needed. I have a vegetable garden with 6 tomato plants, cucumbers, 4 blueberry bushes, a lot of raspberry canes, oregano, rosemary and basil. Is this Life?

What does a Life in BALANCE look like when you enjoy work, family and play? When your work (in the arts, like mine) is seldom on a fixed schedule, 9-5 affair, and you read and see things – even on vacation - that feed ideas for projects. At what point does that underlying thrill or satisfaction actually become stress and a distraction?

My context for questioning . . . Tim Russert passed away two weeks ago of a heart attack. A good friend reflected in his blog on 2 months of ignored chest pains and the stern warning from his wife, doctor…and his body. Another good buddy, a managing director of a peer-theatre and 4 or 5 years younger than me, had a heart attack last Thursday and will need a triple bypass. Hmm, and I’ve had high blood pressure since 2005…

So Balance is of interest to me, or at least up for major review. From the points of view of mental, spiritual, emotional and physical health – how should I rank, or re-rank the things that make me happy and busy? Vacations with no worries about work, the next project, TTC finances, etc. are rare. No answers today…but I’m finally asking the question and it’s worthy of more thought, prayer and correction.

I’m a huge BSG fan. We don’t have cable, so Kudos to the 1st friend who lent me the mini-series and Season 1 on DVD, to the corner video store that got Season 2.0 and 2.5 just in time, and to the 2nd friend who gave me a gift subscription to Season 3 via iTunes. By now, I own Seasons 1, 2 and 3 + Razor, the stand-alone SciFi Channel film. I keep up on the SciFi channel’s online broadcasts now.

But - if you’re afraid of science fiction, you’ll like this series. Trust me. If you’re interested in stories that plumb the nature of humanness, religion, society, loyalty, compassion … you’ll like this series! Okay, there are ships in space and there are some robots - but it ain’t the mylar coated robots and tacky costumes of the BSG series from the 80s, or the lame-brain attempts in the recent Star Wars films. And I recently stumbled on this blog that has a lot of good thinking on the series. (Warning: the blog assumes that readers have been keeping up with the series so there are plenty of spoilers.)

So. Go to the video store and get started. Rent the mini-series and then go methodically through the show. This is its fourth and final season, and you’ll not be pleased that it’s ending!

A CPA friend pointed out that moving targets are harder to shoot. A small gem of wisdom for those of us on the move and trying to get something done. No comment on the “shooters” I’m avoiding.

What I find interesting and compelling in a very kooky way, is the challenge of building a community that values the work we’re trying to do. While avoiding the shooters (could be the task of proofing a grant, writing copy for a subscriber newsletter, or filing the 6 inches of stacked rehearsal/finance/box office reports spread across my desk) I’m drawn to a variety of thinkers ranging from Seth Godin (writer/speaker) to ArtsJournal bloggers to the NY Times. While I’m drawn like a moth to the flame when they invoke new technologies, it’s really about 2 changes: the tastes, impulses and interests of Gen & Y (our next wave of attendees) and the sheer chaos in strategies/tools to keep the public informed and engaged.

Do you Twitter? Do you have Picasa or Flickr accounts?  Presumably you do Facebook or Myspace and texting is something you can do without looking at your phone’s keyboard, right?  Did you write a review for Yelp on your favorite theatre in Seattle (hint) …or Washington, DC, LA, Chicago or Philadelphia? What blogs do you subscribe to?

The rules of engagement have changed - again. Or maybe it’s the definition of social interaction. For those of us who remember gas costing less than a dollar (or how about under 30 cents?!), our protocols of meeting friends for dinner and a show have changed and there’s no going back. The newspaper is an irrelevant source of information; heck, I get a morning paper on the West Coast and the East and Europe have been awake and working for hours and hours. So I go online for a restaurant’s review and address, buy theatre or movie tickets, and get driving directions — all from my smartphone. Does this energize you or give you a headache? (I could probably guess your “generation” by your reaction.)

Back to the Theatre. As theatre artists we move somewhat slowly and methodically - I can’t download the script and staging into the actors’ brains. But behind the scenes in the world of marketing, press releases, websites and audience services we do move at 100 mph so that we can get audiences in the door to sit for for two hours in the dark –> and to slow down, laugh, ponder, cry and celebrate the frail and humble live performance of a story. And somehow, amidst the clatter of a wired world, we find the souls who want to stay. The ones who want to be part of the Taproot Theatre audience and family, returning to be filled like a thirsty traveller needing a cool drink on a hot journey. I like them.

This link goes to Teen Tix’s review of Over the River and Through the Woods, on-stage now (just opened last week). My point is, not to only hype or praise the show, but to express my pleasure that the teenage reviewer enjoyed herself so much! And that the primary characters she enjoyed and found herself moved by were the grandparents. I think that’s cool. Very cool.

I’m back in rehearsals, in fact tech and dress rehearsals begin tonight for Over the River and Through the Woods! It’s by the same playwright, Joe DiPietro, who wrote I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. (Both shows have been Off-Broadway hits!!!)  Above is an advance press photo: not the real thing (costumes, hair, the table, & set) taken, maybe, the second day of rehearsals?! So the show and characters look a little different. But when you have press and web deadlines you have to do with what you have!

Very fun show. Really heartwarming and hilarious. We alternate between big laughs and grabbing kleenex. Hmm. A concessions item: little packs of kleenex? Or $1.00 a tissue?

As a member of a very large, extended, three generations of family at every Christmas gathering — the play is a beautiful tribute to the love that crosses the generations, and the blessings we receive from our elders. Likewise, what blessings the elders receive from the from the younger ones’ energy and dreams. Really good stuff.

I’m outta here — to rehearsal…

When my production staff and I are choosing a season, we’re very conscious of who our subscribers are, the issues facing them (and us) and even a sense of where we’ll be in a year. No crystal ball or navel gazing - just lots of reading and reflecting on more than scripts and budgets. There’s a real sense of needing to be connected and committed to our patrons’ lives, the community and, in this case, the greater Seattle region.

So it drives me a bit crazy when theatre boards of directors look nationwide for talented artistic directors - with little apparent focus on whether the new artistic director has a heart and vision for being locally-committed. Or whether it’s a revolving door to a better gig. Or a stable gig while working elsewhere too. How do you relate to your community … if it’s not yours? How do you listen to them . . . if you’re not here? Is there a contracted requirement to be a local citizen and participate in the life of your new artistic homeland?

I’m addressing the role of artistic leadership, not the functions of guest directors. The latter are freelancers hired for a particular production, maybe precisely because they’d bring a new perspective to a theatre’s audience, even shake things up. They fly in and out, maybe to work with actors who are also not from the theatre’s home town too.

This isn’t a rag on artistic directors who are moving targets. John Longenbaugh’s article in The Seattle Weekly pays tribute to two ADs and their departures, well at least one of them. The other doesn’t live here. But what’s next for these two theatres? What questions are their boards asking about their theatres’ expectations for artistic leadership and how these leaders are accessible to their constituents?

I’ve tipped my hat, and believe strongly that nearly all arts organizations need to be deeply committed to their city / region. Perhaps in an area with a strong tourist economy (like NYC) you can speak more generically to a broad audience. Otherwise, do you know who you’re talking to? Even as a matter of survival in the present economic strain (!!), we need patrons who know and trust the artistic and management leaders at “their theatre” (or symphony, dance company, etc). The tickets they buy and financial support they send are affirmation that we - theatre and arts leaders - have made their needs primary, and that our missions, visions, budgets and pursuit of vital art are indeed, local.

I’m thankful for people who are subscribers and donors at Taproot Theatre. It’s pretty astounding to have their loyal support, humbling really. There’s not much better than standing in the lobby and chatting with patrons about the show, answering questions, and knowing we play a role in their daily life. And they play a big role in mine too.

I’ll post some photos, as good as I can given that I’m a blog-site novice!

Also the show continues to acquire glowing reviews and very, very engaged audiences who express praise for the show and personal stories. A couple expressed their great appreciation of the play to Pam, and then briefly summarized their own family’s experience with a priest who abused a family member. For them the play was cathartic and redemptive. It’s very humbling and astounding to help people resolve their personal pain.