Home

So I am up in Glens Falls, NY for a few weeks performing at the Adirondack Theatre Festival , and being away from the familiar always makes me think about the concept of home. Having moved around a lot growing up, I've always considered myself to be a very adaptable person. I've never lived anywhere for more than 5 years, but I'm nearing that time in Brooklyn, and more than any other place so far, it really does feel like home. I think part of that has to do with sharing an apt with someone I love, and I also think that the older I've gotten, the more attached I've become to routine and familiarity, all things that get thrown out of whack when I leave town for a little while.

Right now I'm living in a beautiful neighborhood surrounded by trees. I've gone for walks in the woods with lush mountain views ahead of me. I spent a few languid hours in the backyard swing today reading a book and observing the neighbors doing yard work/house projects and it got me thinking about the merits of living in a house out in the suburbs/country vs. an apt in the city.

Some of the things I like about living out here: having a washing machine, breathing in the mountain air, losing myself in the woods, cars stopping anytime you need to cross the street...

Some of the Brooklyn things I miss: diversity, being able to walk/take the subway to anything you want or need, the energy of the streets, the wealth of events/opportunities that you could take advantage of...

A friend of mine who recently moved from Brooklyn to a rural West coast town said that overall that the people there seemed happier but less edgy and interesting. Sometimes that seems really appealing, the idea of a happier, more relaxed lifestyle in a more livable place. New York can be a hard place to live in part because so many people have chosen to come there to make their mark; you really have to fight hard and hustle to make a place for yourself, but it can also be a pretty awesome place, like when you walk around the corner to go to your favorite dollar store and on the way you hear 3 different languages being spoken. I guess it's all just a matter of timing and priorities, and for now, it's still the place I want to be.

I'd love to hear others weigh in about where you live: city/suburb/country... What do you like/miss about your lifestyle?

Collaborate

There's nothing like seeing some good art to reignite the fire. It's been pretty gloomy rainy weather here in NYC the past few days which always affects me more than I wish it would. Anyway this evening I had the pleasure of attending a talk at the CUNY Graduate Center by playwright, Lucy Thurber, and members of the playwriting collective, 13P. Lucy talked about her upcoming play, Monstrosity, and about the process and structure of 13P, which I think is truly an inspirational model for future theater making. In talking about its genesis, she said something like- We make things to do them so let's just do them instead of waiting for someone to tell us we can- My sentiments exactly! Granted, they started as a company of mid-career playwrights, many of whom already had considerable success, but I think their message rings true even for artists just starting out. There is strength in numbers and in using your peer group as your foundation. I recently had a great discussion with a friend who is also making her forays into solo performance and is hoping to bring together a diverse group of solo artists to share their work on a regular basis and I am very eager to use this collective model to our benefit.

My next stop was Rockwood Music Hall to hear Ann Courtney and the Late Bloomers. I know, two events on a Wednesday- am I rocking out the weekdays or what? I don't go see music enough and when I see something this good-- the kind of music that just transports you and makes you feel happy and free-- I am reminded why I am an artist. So check out all this awesomeness!

Laughing

I am sitting on my comfy couch right now as one of my dearest friends is visiting and I just gave her the book Microthrills by Wendy Spero knowing she would LOVE it as I did and I am now enjoying multiple bursts of her hysterical laughter as she sits beside me. I just wanted to note how amazing it feels not only to read such a great book that makes you laugh out loud constantly but to then pass it on to a friend who has the same reaction. I only wish that Wendy Spero could be my friend and we could all hang out and laugh together. Check out her website. She is awesome. If I met her I would tell her that I also struggled with not wanting to leave any of my stuffed animals out which resulted in having my bed filled with them. I also had a piece of paper posted to my desk listing their names and birthdays so I wouldn't forget any of them. Obsessive, you might say. I call it thoughtful. Part of what I loved so much about this book is that it really brings out a sense of childhood wonder and creativity, and don't we all need a dose of that in our lives?

So here's to laughing and being silly and creative. That's really all I wanted to say today. I want to dance more and laugh more and read more good books so send me some recommendations if you have them.

Hope

I attended a very provocative and moving event tonight at The Brecht Forum on the 6th anniversary of Rachel Corrie's death. There was a reading of Caryl Churchill's new controversial play, "Seven Jewish Children". It was the first public reading in NYC and I hope that it continues to be seen and spark dialogue about the ongoing violence in Israel. What moved me most from the whole evening, though, was to hear two representatives from Combatants for Peace speak about their experiences. They had such a hopeful message, a commitment to work to spread peace and tolerance and to dispel hatred and fear. This organization needs to be championed and I was just so happy to learn of its existence that I wanted to share. These days it's pretty easy to overwhelmed with frustration and sadness over all that is wrong with our world, but it's important to remember there is always light amidst the struggle and I think Combatants for Peace truly exemplifies that.

Playing and Dancing

So I'm reading a great book for the Jaya Yoga Book Club,"Open to Desire: The Truth about What the Buddha Taught," by Mark Epstein and there is a passage I found particularly poignant about the author observing his young son:

"He was so focused. Play, as the Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget often said, is a child's work."

It just really strongly brought me back to that sensation of being so focused and enthralled in my world of pretend, and honestly, it made me a little sad that I don't get to occupy that world anymore. I think that's part of what I love about theatre, the opportunity to play, to so deeply invest in a world that is not your own. I believe there is actual merit to play, though, beyond just the fun of living in a fantasy world for a little while. Playing gets you in touch with your inner core of joy which I find is sometimes hard to tap into when living the life of a young adult in New York City, which brings me to my next topic- dancing!

I do not dance enough and when I do I'm reminded of how f-ing awesome it is for me. This past weekend I heard the amazing Red Baraat Marching Band at Barbes in Brooklyn and as I was jumping up and down with a packed crowd to the insane beats of the dhol drum, I felt a rush of pure unadulterated joy. I couldn't stop smiling and I felt unbelievably free and present in my body, which again, I don't experience nearly enough. So here's a reminder for us to play and dance just a little bit more. Spring is just around the corner and in this time of severe economic turmoil, it's important to celebrate the little things.

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.

A New Day

I've been having a whole lot of thoughts this past week and I don't know if I'm ready to put them into words yet, but this video gives me the chills and makes me so freakin excited to be alive. So I thought I'd share.