July 28, 2008

Art and Money

Don wrote a great article about how theater artists' assumptions about the relationship between money and art often don't make sense (and sometimes work against them).

Everything he says makes perfect sense to me. Then again, I'm not a Theater Person. I'm just someone who wants to stage weird experimental plays. I really don't know why I want to do this other than a craving for mystery and intimacy. In a sense, I'm the ultimate amateur. I write plays because I'm enamored with the process*.

But - and this is somewhat ironic - it often seems that a lot of Theater People don't want people like me involved in the actual making of a show. Sure, I'd be allowed to usher people to their seats or work the box office. I'd definitely be welcome to help strike. But writing the play? Designing something? Even - gasp! - acting? No need to apply. I'll have to go through the "proper channels".

IOW, doing something I don't want to do at greatly reduced pay so I can, perhaps, sometimes in the distant future, have a sliver of a chance at doing what I really want to do.

Anybody else notice the irony in this?





*I enjoy the process of transformation. The act of change - in all its forms - is a source of (often morbid) fascination to me. Babies growing in the womb, werewolves changing, rotting fruit, turds turning to dirt, seeds becoming trees, decaying carcasses, fluffy clouds to rain clouds, coccoon to butterfly, etc.

Yet Another NYLACHI playwright

Yes, folks. It's official. I'm moving to Brooklyn in a couple of weeks, and I couldn't be happier unless I suddenly became independently wealthy and met my soulmate on the same day.

July 6, 2008

poetry

I never particularly liked poetry, but from time to time I'm inspired to write some. It's never anything serious, just brain farts. Here's the latest one:

hand me no bouquet
on my wedding day
for my love is not some sweet
frilly frothy thing
give me rather a seed
to plant in the soul of my heart
and water with the sweat of my brow
and tears of laughter and pain

give me no gold or diamonds
on my wedding ring
for my love is not all shine and sparkle
dazzling for all to see
i shall wear a ring of iron
hard thick heavy
as i am strong enough to bear it
and it strong enough to bear me

play for me no music
on my wedding day
for no word or sound
goes as deep as my love
i want only silence
as we exchange our vows
straight from heart to heart
unfettered by forms

give me no light
where i am wed
for i cannot know
where love will take me
let us have night
my love and i two souls
in the darkness together
finding our way together