A hard month for Seattle arts.

Today Intiman Theatre made a sad announcement. After the last performance of All My Sons tomorrow, they will cancel the rest of their 2011 season and let go all of their employees until further notice. (See the Seattle Times article here.) This news makes my heart hurt. However, they are canceling their season with an eye on the future. Instead of pushing through with the 2011 season and maybe not making it after all, they will use 2011 to regroup and hopefully rebuild. I really hope they will come back and continue to produce the caliber of work they have been. My heart goes go to all the valiant employees, artists, technicians, designers, ticket office workers, concessions workers etc etc etc of Intiman Theatre. Thank you for giving me my first job in Seattle, my first opportunity to work in a professional theatre and a Tony Award winning one at that. I'm pulling for you.

This has been a rough month for the Seattle arts community. With the recent deaths of well-loved Seattle actor Mark Chamberlin and arts champion/leader Melissa Hines, I can feel Seattle artists reeling. Although I did not have the opportunity to meet either of these amazing individuals, the effects of their deaths on my colleagues has been palpable. I am saddened by these losses.

I am also scared for what all this turmoil means for Seattle's artistic future. I am beyond confident in the abilities of my colleagues, friends, fellow artists, and theatres in town to continue to uphold the artistic standards they have set and have encouraged me to try to achieve as well. I am more worried about our support. Whenever one theatre hits a bump in the road, people tend to worry about the future of all theatres. This is the time when, most commonly, supporters spook and pull away from the arts community.

But, this is the exact moment when I, with my whole heart, will encourage you (arts supporter) not to spook. It is only by your support and arts organizations supporting each other that the arts community will continue to stay strong and provide the over-arching community with evocative, creative, and world changing art. I cannot lie, many of us arts professionals are a little bit scared. The crashing state and government budgets which include slashes to the arts funding is terrifying. But despite it all, many organizations are doing exactly what they can to continue to provide our community the necessary and vital arts programs.

Seattle, look around you. Look at the art that is being done in your backyard. Downtown to Renton, Issaquah, Everett, Tacoma, Olympia, there is art being done everywhere by big theatres, medium theatres, collaborative groups and even individuals. We often think of the big theatres first (ACT, Seattle Rep, Village Theatre, 5th Ave - who all do fantastic work) but it is important to remember that art comes in all shapes and sizes. Seattle Shakespeare Company, Annex Theatre, New Century Theatre Company, Shady Lane Productions, Theatre Off Jackson, Open Circle Theatre, and Northwest Playwrights Alliance are all working long, hard, low paying hours, and sometimes no paying hours, to create art for you. And yes, the big theatres are also working those long, hard, low/no paying hours as well. (I am still relatively new to Seattle so those are just some of the theatres I can think of right off the top of my head.) Of course, I have mention Book-It Repertory Theatre as well, as I work there and am constantly in awe of the passion and talent of my co-workers and quality of work that our theatre puts out. Realistically, however, I have a vested interest in all arts organizations. As a playwright, actor, and fledgling director every theatre I see is a new opportunity. And every person involved in that theatre is a colleague and an inspiration. I am pulling for every single one.

None of these theatres can survive without your support. More importantly, none of these theatre artists can survive without your support. And they certainly can't survive without their art.  

After all that, I must also take a moment to thank the Seattle community for the support they already give the arts and their artists. For a recent college grad, it has been inspiring. And thank you, Seattle artists, for showing me what great art can look like.

You're continued support means the world to us. Really.

In fact, it means life to us.  

Conquering my fears.

Today I did my first audition in over a year. It was for Balagan Theatre, their general auditions. I must say it was terrifying but I am proud of myself. Before I left Western Washington University, I had some experiences that really made me question whether or not I could and should continue acting. After much agonizing, I realized (as I do over and over again and probably will again and again) that it only matters what I want to do, what I'm driven to do. It does not matter what anyone else thinks I should do. The essence of the message I was getting from certain educators was that I had to choose; do I consider myself a writer or an actor?

The answer?
Both. Always and forever both.

Still, after a year I was a little out of practice. So my motto for this audition was "Have fun. Don't fuck it up." I believe with that as my goal, I was successful! Like I said, I'm proud of myself. And that's all that matters.