Theater Thoughts 7/20/13

Just returned from "Seeing Stars Over Dixie" at our local community theater - Mariemont Players. It was a Sunday, 2 p.m. matinee performance - with a "sold-out" crowd. The play was entertaining with some fun "jabs" at humans being human. Forgiveness, acceptance, love and deciding "what's important" took "center stage".

Wished for both audience and actors that there were more opportunities for curtain calls. One session of applause (in my opinion) did not give sufficient reward to incredible hours of dedicated, hard-working, talented, creative people.

I have been a "theater goer" for many years of my life. I'm amazed by the entire process of theater - amazed in knowing how an idea appears in the playwright's brain which may gradually become a bound packet of dialogue to be read, torn apart, read again and again; discarded or eventually accepted as a play. Maybe the play will make it's journey to the stage - to be performed for a living, breathing audience.

Knowing that the playwright's idea may be squished and molded into something he may not have envisioned is a true "leap of faith" - allowing others to rip and tear one's creative thoughts, words and vision to pieces or reconstructing the entire story to fit another's interpretation of what may have been originally intended - this is the challenge - the challenge of getting past the fear of being fiercely judged - one's creative work - judged and possibly destroyed!

However, there is the possibility of genius lurking among those exchanges of speech, body maneuvers and gestures between those who are chosen to "play the part". Having this promise of sharing with others - one's thoughts, dreams, observations, obsessions and a myriad of other interactions with "all" that is available to the eternal mind - this force - this soul wrenching force - pushes the playwright forward.

How to become a playwright - that is the question for me today? I've written articles, columns, press releases, small stories and worked with my mother writing several books for family and friends. Writing comes easily - when I choose to write. So, today, I write a blog - not a play - a blog. (What a funny word - blog - rhymes with cog, dog, bog - funny word for writing).

OK. Let's "get with the program" as Mama (now Angel Lois) would say - hearing her words makes me realize it's time to do just that! One more word, just one more word! Onward!