Covid-19 is wreaking havoc on the world. People are dying. People are terrified. People are weirdly hoarding toilet paper.
It is impossible to overstate the impact of this pandemic, both human and financial. Things are bleak. And when things are bleak, we turn to entertainment. But there are no sports to watch. Disneyland is closed. You really shouldn't be going out to restaurants, movie theaters, and clubs. And worst of all, for me, is that theatres are shut down until the curve is smashed.
If you are rolling your eyes at that, you aren't alone. I have hundreds of actor friends on Facebook...(and yes, I've stopped my personal "social-media distancing" for the time being...I'm back on the 'book) and I've seen post after post of actors bemoaning that their shows are
being postponed or cancelled. And I was one of the people rolling my eyes. How trivial in such a time to care about this?...
...and then it hit me that I am so conditioned to apologize for my career choice that I can't even allow myself to own how devastating this is for my community. And for me personally! (I have a contract job that is on hold and in danger of being cancelled. It's one of my bigger gigs ever, but I feel somehow ashamed of mentioning how this is personally heartbreaking). There has always been something shameful (especially in the good ol' USA) about being an actor. Unless you're famous, then it's fine. But for those of us who plug away semi-anonymously in theatres around the country, trying to make the world a better place by telling these stories to audiences ranging in size from 1 to a couple thousand--those of us who also have to gig other jobs to continue our passion-- those of us who will never own a house or be able to take a real vacation...well, we've learned what most people think about us: That we are somehow avoiding real work and the real responsibilities of life.
And I'm ashamed of myself for how I've allowed that prevalent opinion color my own self worth for so long. And I would like to say to all of my Theatre Community that I am so sorry for the losses you are experiencing right now. The lost wages. The missed opportunities to tell these stories. The lack of closure (and closing nights). And the real terror that many theatres won't survive this outbreak. We've been dealt a lot of blows lately, especially here in California. Between AEA trying to get rid of small theatres, and AB5 making our lives ever more difficult, and this fucking virus, live theatre may be on the verge of extinction. That also is not an overstatement.
I really hope that "Almost, Maine" is able to continue. It's such a beautiful, magical play. I will be heartbroken if it isn't. And even as I type that, I feel icky. Like I don't deserve to feel devastated that my "little play" isn't going on. Such is the social conditioning. But I'm going to try to fight against that from here on out. "I will henceforth be myself, mighty and to be feared."
I know we are all scared. And we are doing what we are supposed to with social distancing. Hopefully it all helps. And hopefully we will come back from this stronger than ever.
Take care of yourselves. Be safe. Stay healthy. Love one another. And let's all get back to putting on plays as soon as we possibly can. Because the world needs live theatre. It always has. And it always will!
And please take a moment to donate money if you can to your favorite theatres. If you don't have any, may I suggest:
Little Fish Theatre/Shakespeare by the Sea
New American Theatre
Rubicon Theatre
Those are my favorite theatres, and they are all really being hit hard by this.
"As theatres around the country go dark, I encourage you to focus on the humble ghost light. Created as a tool to keep us safe (from falling off the stage), it has since evolved into a metaphor for theatre’s ability to be light in the darkness, understanding in an incomprehensible world.
Even as we close our doors, remember that our light will never be extinguished.
Stay safe and shine on!" --Aaron Nichols
It is impossible to overstate the impact of this pandemic, both human and financial. Things are bleak. And when things are bleak, we turn to entertainment. But there are no sports to watch. Disneyland is closed. You really shouldn't be going out to restaurants, movie theaters, and clubs. And worst of all, for me, is that theatres are shut down until the curve is smashed.
If you are rolling your eyes at that, you aren't alone. I have hundreds of actor friends on Facebook...(and yes, I've stopped my personal "social-media distancing" for the time being...I'm back on the 'book) and I've seen post after post of actors bemoaning that their shows are
...and then it hit me that I am so conditioned to apologize for my career choice that I can't even allow myself to own how devastating this is for my community. And for me personally! (I have a contract job that is on hold and in danger of being cancelled. It's one of my bigger gigs ever, but I feel somehow ashamed of mentioning how this is personally heartbreaking). There has always been something shameful (especially in the good ol' USA) about being an actor. Unless you're famous, then it's fine. But for those of us who plug away semi-anonymously in theatres around the country, trying to make the world a better place by telling these stories to audiences ranging in size from 1 to a couple thousand--those of us who also have to gig other jobs to continue our passion-- those of us who will never own a house or be able to take a real vacation...well, we've learned what most people think about us: That we are somehow avoiding real work and the real responsibilities of life.
And I'm ashamed of myself for how I've allowed that prevalent opinion color my own self worth for so long. And I would like to say to all of my Theatre Community that I am so sorry for the losses you are experiencing right now. The lost wages. The missed opportunities to tell these stories. The lack of closure (and closing nights). And the real terror that many theatres won't survive this outbreak. We've been dealt a lot of blows lately, especially here in California. Between AEA trying to get rid of small theatres, and AB5 making our lives ever more difficult, and this fucking virus, live theatre may be on the verge of extinction. That also is not an overstatement.
I really hope that "Almost, Maine" is able to continue. It's such a beautiful, magical play. I will be heartbroken if it isn't. And even as I type that, I feel icky. Like I don't deserve to feel devastated that my "little play" isn't going on. Such is the social conditioning. But I'm going to try to fight against that from here on out. "I will henceforth be myself, mighty and to be feared."
I know we are all scared. And we are doing what we are supposed to with social distancing. Hopefully it all helps. And hopefully we will come back from this stronger than ever.
Take care of yourselves. Be safe. Stay healthy. Love one another. And let's all get back to putting on plays as soon as we possibly can. Because the world needs live theatre. It always has. And it always will!
And please take a moment to donate money if you can to your favorite theatres. If you don't have any, may I suggest:
Little Fish Theatre/Shakespeare by the Sea
New American Theatre
Rubicon Theatre
Those are my favorite theatres, and they are all really being hit hard by this.
"As theatres around the country go dark, I encourage you to focus on the humble ghost light. Created as a tool to keep us safe (from falling off the stage), it has since evolved into a metaphor for theatre’s ability to be light in the darkness, understanding in an incomprehensible world.
Even as we close our doors, remember that our light will never be extinguished.
Stay safe and shine on!" --Aaron Nichols
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