Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday is the New Tuesday
...because it's time for a Trip Report. The Vagina Monologues wrapped this past weekend, and it was an amazing experience. I had a crew of supportive family and friends (possibly even a motley one) there to cheer me on, and these family and friends were surprised and moved by the content of the show. It's important material for anyone-- for everyone--to think about. A lot of really terrible things happen to women around the world. Even so, the horror and brutality of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo does not invalidate the less pressing but still keenly felt issues of women in this country coming to terms with their womanhood, and with the cultural attitudes which surround it. Examining this process and these attitudes is crucial for us as we learn to be in the world.
On a more personal level, the show made me realize that I miss doing theater. Not that I ever really Did Theater-- my post-high-school acting career consisted entirely of a small group called Artistic Masturbation Theater. I did not, in fact, masturbate artistically on stage with this group, although I did once have a role which required me to fake an orgasm. The company began with a group of my friends who wanted a place to produce the scenes, monologues, and vignettes they wrote. It was a brilliant idea, and during its run I was involved as an actor, a writer, and a director.
College is, of course, the sort of place where one does these wildly creative things. It should not, however, be the only place. Why doesn't everyone put on their own productions? What's stopping them? I don't know, but I'm going to find out. I'm planning to move to Madison in July, where a large collection of Artistic Masturbation founders and collaborators live. My first project while there is to start an independent theater group and produce some of the things we've written.
Now, I've got no idea what, practically, is involved in such an endeavor. Renting a space, marketing a show, all that stuff-- I guess I'll figure it out as I go. Adventure!
This leads me to my second order of business: A Project for Emily. My first plan for this theater group is to put together an evening of Film Noir-inspired scenes, because I've already written one and I have a friend who is filming one. Two scenes does not an evening make, however, and so I plan to solicit submissions from any aspiring and talented writers who would be excited to see their pieces performed. Emily, your mission, should you choose to accept it: Write a one-act play that involves some of the conventions of Film Noir. Subject matter is open, but aesthetic must fit the theme. If the result is workable in the show and with the resources I have to hand, I'll produce it whenever I get this crazy biplane off the ground.
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waitwaitwait. madison in july? we has catching-ups to do, we does. i will call soonfully.
teh loves <3