Jobs, friends, Radio City, James Barbour

When I created this blog I anticipated using it quite a bit more. I guess I get caught up in things. I’m pretty easily distracted.

Since last time I posted, I got an internship with Classic Stage Company. I work there twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That’s been great so far; they have a very tight-knit group of overworked people. I’m hoping this will really give me a feel for the general day-to-day workings of a theatre company, and may give me some insight as to what aspect of theatre I want to ultimately devote myself to (other than performing, of course). So far it‘s been a blast. I’ve done my share of copying and licking envelopes, but I’ve also had chances to contribute in more satisfying ways, like drafting outreach letters. When you’re on stage you certainly don’t think about how much work it takes to get the ball rolling. To take part in it lends perspective, for sure.

One of the perks of being an intern, along with free coffee, is tickets to their productions. So I saw Uncle Vanya a few nights ago. Not everyone has the patience for Chekhov, but I do. As expected, there was some great acting--it stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, and Denis O’Hare. I was especially impressed with Sarsgaard. The set is also very impressive. It was the first time I’d seen a show at CSC and was surprised at how intimate their theatre is. I believe it’s roughly 180 seats. The show officially opens tomorrow, so tomorrow might be a busy day at the theatre.

In other news, my friend Adam was in town until this past Sunday. He had been teaching in China and I hadn’t seen him in a number of months, so we hung out quite a bit. Drank quite a bit. I’ve also been hanging out with my friend Josh--we’re making a movie next Monday that sort of mocks romantic comedies.

I’m officially broke. I’ve spent the past couple weeks looking for a job. Today, I think I finally found one giving tours at Radio City Music Hall. Should be fun--it’s better than flipping burgers, that’s for sure. I went to see James Blunt last year at Radio City and loved the space. Apparently there’s 18 pages worth of relevant theatre/ hall info that I’ll need to digest.

Craziest thing happened to me today. How many millions of people live in NY? I just left my interview at MSG, and I’m on my way to take a drug test for them, when walking ahead of me is none other than my favorite singer of all time: James Barbour. I knew if I didn’t introduce myself I’d regret it forever, so I did--but I was pretty awkward. (You’re not supposed to have nerves anymore when you’re 22, are you?) Seems like a great guy, though. I told him how badly I wanted to see TOTC, which my ex can vouch for, I desperately did. I feel like I mumbled and stuttered through everything I told him. Oh well, bumping into your idol randomly isn’t something you can plan for, I guess.

BTW: Check out my brother and I singing Lily's Eyes here
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The rest of my life.

Today I had lunch with my friend Mike. I hadn’t seen him in seven months or so, so it was nice to catch up. We did a cappella together at BU, and we basically reminisced about performing and the people in our group, etc.

I’ve been asked a lot recently what my plans are for the rest of my life, and answering that is always tough. Not because I don’t know what I want, but because life doesn’t always follow plans, and while I know what would be ideal, I also know that to get set on one track means setting myself up for disappointment when the unexpected inevitably happens. I’ve spent much of my life planning exactly how I want things to go, for a while at least I’ll content myself with trying hard and hoping for the best.

What I do know is that I eventually want to settle in New York, hopefully Brooklyn, when I save up enough money. I’d like some kind of writing job where my hours will be flexible, so that I can audition for things.

I was thinking about how competitive the performing arts industry is, and how a recession makes it that much more difficult to break into, when I realized something: It’s not for lack of interest, and often it’s not even for lack of expendable income that the industry suffers. I believe it’s become too centralized. People think of New York as the place to be for theatre, and at the moment it is. But the problem is that there are other markets for the arts in the U.S. that are not being exploited. The countless productions not only on Broadway, but everywhere in New York are competing mercilessly with one another for an audience, when if they were elsewhere they’d thrive.

It’s great that there’s such an interest level in staging productions, but the market needs to branch out. I bet that South Florida would embrace more year-round professional theatre. The fact is, how many shows can one tourist possibly take in on a trip to New York? The most enthused patrons and those with the deepest pockets can only see so much.