A Certain Perspective...

Day 46: "I can't believe I'm saying this...but can you make him a little more Thurston Howell?"
-Jack Mann, uttering a very rare statement to FLT3 at "Dames At Sea" rehearsal.

I hope this post sparks conversation, but not any arguments...I have been thinking a lot today about the perspective one brings to an artistic evaluation. I must, unfortunately, repeat a small amount of gossip to illustrate my point. Names will be scrupulously witheld to protect friendships and feelings.

Yesterday I saw an outstanding performance of a musical revue. I went mainly to be supportive of several friends who performed in it, and to be honest, I was not sure what to expect. Several other friends (all of whom are in the Bham theatre community) had told me it was "cute," "okay," and "not bad." Nobody trashed it, but the endorsements were somewhat lukewarm. Therefore, with glad heart but moderate expectations, I bought my ticket and took my seat...

Without exaggerating, I will say that the performance I saw was on par with most of what I have seen in NYC and London. The musicianship was first-rate, the performers were energetic and committed to the choreography, and the direction was sparkling and lighthearted when appropriate, and quite touching at times. I would not have felt cheated had I paid twice the ticket price or more. It was, in a word, delightful. (Incidentally, the theatre was all but sold out, and the crowd was quite enthusiastic.)

Do I think the tepid praise I heard in advance was mean-spirited? Absolutely not. I just think that we (performers in the arts community) are sometimes less than objective when evaluating the work of our friends. This does not make anyone a bad person...it's just a fact.

There is an old saying that I love..."when you point a finger at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back at you." (Try it...it's true...) I will admit that I have been guilty of this tendency myself. I have sometimes been a bit more harsh about performances than (in retrospect) I should have been. It just makes for an interesting point to ponder...does an artistic inclination rob one of some objectivity? As much as we all love our friends who are also our fellow performers, do we tend to hold them to a higher standard than the average audience member would?

At any rate, I was thoroughly entertained and got much more than my money's worth...and I am going to do my very best not to view the work of others from beneath an arched eybrow, so to speak...

On other subjects, I am looking forward to subbing with a new school system tomorrow. (I will continue to sub for Vestavia and Mtn. Brook, but have now added Jefferson County Schools to my list.) There is hopefully a very substantial job forthcoming...more on that as it develops...

"Dames At Sea" continues her voyage towards the stage. Tickets are going fast, so make reservations now if you are interested in seeing the show. We have only three performances, November 12, 13, and 14.

In today's News From The Motherland...Firefighters On Strike...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/south_yorkshire/8315417.stm

Cheers!
FLT3