NOW could I drink hot blood?!

This post started out as a list of all of my current theatrical vents, as well as an explanation of the fact that I’m having doubts about my career in theatre. It then switched halfway through into the positive side of every vent. Because I’m trying to look on the positive side of things lately, I deleted all of the negative things, but I left the positive parts. Also, it seemed like I was looking for sympathy, which I’m not. I just needed a place to get things out, and my blog used to be that place. As life slows down a little over the summer, I’m going to make an effort to blog more. That’s a lie. I’m going to THINK about making an effort.

Anyway, here are the flipsides of all of my recent theatrical woes:

• The way I felt about my job at the end of the school year was leaps and bounds better than the beginning of the school year, and the administration is doing everything they can to make me happy so I come back next year.
• I lost a directing job I wanted, but then another fell into my lap which is turning out to be a blast, AND! I’m getting paid almost twice as much as the other would have paid. Also, it’s only going to last a month as opposed to two. AND!!! I get to rehearse in the afternoons so I can be home with Lauren at night. Last, but not least, my staff is fantastic, and the cast is a fun group of kids.
• If people are going to be dishonest around me, I don’t ever HAVE to work with them again!
• Art is to make people think, and not always enjoy. For instance, I saw the movie The Invention of Lying recently, and while I HATED it, I was able to find the art in it and appreciate that aspect. If somebody lies to my face about how much they liked something I was involved with, it’s their problem. Not mine.
• If I don’t end up directing the musical I wanted to do in the near future, it will leave an opening in a very strategic place for me.
• Even though I’m sick TO DEATH of music directing, it’s invigorating to have the opportunity to work closely with brilliant directors like Dave Tinney and Chris Clark. I learn more from them in one rehearsal than I ever did in any of my directing classes in college.
• I’d much rather hear about backstage drama after the fact than let it ruin my outlook at the time.
• A master’s degree would take at least 2 years, and if I got one, then it might be harder to get a job in a public school, should I ever decide to do that. And I’d still rather be a jack of several trades than a master of one.
• Negative people are in abundance in the theatre world, but some of my closest friends were made through theatre. Also, if I hadn’t been working in theatre for the last several years, I wouldn’t have met Lauren. (And I wouldn’t have had the acting skills to trick her into marrying me!!!)
• Less acting work = more directing/music directing work = more money.

And just to be extra positive, here are some more positive theatrical thoughts:

• I just spent a week teaching musical theatre classes to junior high and high school aged students, and I loved every minute of it. And the growth of some of the kids shocked me. THAT’S why I teach. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a student gain confidence from “getting it”.
• I can now say that when Chris Clark turned down a directing gig, I was 2nd choice. :) And his own recommended successor. If you know how much I admire him, you’ll know how much that means to me.
• Every time I see any version of Hamlet, I remember how brilliant the script is, how much I love it, and the fact that 400+ year old stories can be made as pertinent and fresh today as they were when they were written.
• I figured out how to use a feature in my recording software today that will make my tracks SO much better. I’m excited to get some recording done next week now.

That’s it for now. I’m going to fall asleep to the fifth act of The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Hamlet, starring David Tennant. Thanks for reading!