Post Oscar Musings

Ok, I haven't been blogging for a while, and I'm sorry to those of you who have been awaiting a post (Joe). I just haven't been in the mood for sharing my thoughts publicly. I'm not really sure why but I'm feeling it now, so here goes.

I watched the Oscars last night after having skipped out on them the past 2 years and I found myself surprisingly moved. All right, so Hugh Jackman's numbers were a bit cheesy and the Joaquin Phoenix bashing was a bit awkward and uncalled for, in my opinion, but I was impressed by the eloquence of many of the speeches, particularly Penelope Cruz, Lance Black, and Sean Penn. All too often the winners get up and speed read through a list of thank yous without taking the opportunity to say something more far-reaching and meaningful. I've personally never understood why artists get such a bad rap for taking a stand on political issues, and I applaud Lance Black and Sean Penn for speaking out in support of gay rights.

As Penelope Cruz said, "art, in any form, is and has been and will always be our universal language and we should do everything we can, everything we can, to protect its survival."

I truly believe this, and more and more I feel committed to participating in and creating theater that seizes upon its unique capacity to cut across boundaries, that seeks to create new forms and provoke new ideas, that engages its audience. Yes, it's ok for art to just entertain, but 99% of the time, I find myself wanting more.

It's an unfortunate financial reality that for most plays/films to succeed they need to be seen as "a sure thing," to have some star actor, writer, or director attached or be a revival or adaptation of an already successful story. I know there is no easy solution to providing greater support and incentives for the creation of new and daring art, but I think it's very important to celebrate these types of works. When you see a performance that excites you, tell all your friends, spread the word grassroots style.

I know in this scary economic climate it feels kind of crazy to be taking risks. Anyone that has a job just wants to keep it, and as an artist, it's easy to question why anyone would want to take a chance on you. In my own work I'm trying not to let this get me down. Rather than waiting for some more powerful entity to deem me worthy, I'm just doing it myself, working on projects that I care about, fusing my passions for theater and social activism, and embracing the uncertainty that looms each day.

Sometimes the Oscars are all about glamor and voyeurism but occasionally sparks of inspiration emerge that can touch the hearts of artists watching on their TV's from miles and miles away, and that is pretty magical.