That Tall Blonde at the Callback — 5 Things I’m Doing to Ride Out The Theatre Shutdown
I had a different blog already partially written, but that will have to wait until next time, as there are pressing matters at hand. Everyone is in mourning today. And not just those of us involved in theatre, but high school students who had their proms cancelled, little league players, marathon runners, cruise junkies, Disney addicts, spring breakers, etc. Just about everyone was looking forward to something unique and special that has now been tabled. Hopefully most of these things are minor inconveniences that can be rescheduled. Disneyland will be waiting for you when we get the all clear.
But theatre. The ephemeral nature of theater is unique. You can’t just postpone and have the same combination of talent come together again. Someone will be unavailable or something not feasible even if you try an exact remount of the suspended show. Many shows were cancelled outright. Sure Broadway will bounce back, but local California/Bay Area theaters, already dealt the AB5 blow earlier this year, are particularly vulnerable. I don’t want this post to be all doom and gloom, but we are going to lose not just some good shows, but some good theaters before this is over. And our hearts hurt. For actors, this is manifesting particularly in mourning our “lost roles”. I write constantly about the audition process and how hard that is. So when you land something great — perhaps a bucket list role — it is a shock and a blow to suddenly lose it. And you may feel guilty being so upset about it when “others have it worse”. At least you/your loved ones aren’t sick. At least your livelihood isn’t at immediate risk (as it is for many professional artists). At least you got one or two performances before the rug was pulled. Whatever your situation, don’t feel bad about mourning what was lost.
I think I still have rehearsal next week for Damn Yankees, scheduled to open April 25th, but that could change on an hour-by-hour basis. I was just cast in a summer show (with my daughter and some other lovely friends!), but I haven’t done “the announcement” on Facebook yet, because it seems premature. Will these shows ever happen? But here’s what I’m going to do.
1) Focus on what I CAN do — learning my lines/music is job #1 even I get cancelled in a day or two or three weeks from now.
2) Hole up in my house, but keep singing and learning. I’m working from home. I’m expecting my kids’ school to go on a several week break. We’re going to hunker down, but I’ve got a Broadway HD subscription that I might actually have the time to make a dent in!
3) Donate where I can. If you are in a financial position to do so, consider donating to a local theater right now. They can use the help.
4) Buy some tickets once we get the all clear. I lead a busy life, and I find it hard to get to all the shows that I’m interested in seeing, especially when they feature friends and favorite performers. I’m going to try to see more things in the coming months once it’s safe to do so.
5) Put those damn roles on my resumé anyway. People will get the gist if you put (show suspended) or something to that effect if the show never saw an audience. But you earned that role fair and square!
Stay safe and healthy and at home as much as possible, friends. The ghostlight will be on when we return.
