Monday, November 12, 2007

history in the making...

you know what it's like when you have so much to say but can't articulate it? that's how i feel right now. so much has gone on in the last few days, but i can't seem to express it in any cohesive way. and i'm honestly so tired that i'm not sure if any of this will make sense.

i've survived tech week and my show has it's first preview tomorrow. i'm sleep deprived, sick, and excited. and not just about my show.

local 1, the stage hands union and the largest and most powerful union in the industry, went on strike two days ago. it doesn't effect my show, so to speak, because i'm working on an off-broadway show and our stage hands are in a different union. i find this all thrilling and so important. and i've tried discussing these events with a few friends who are in the industry (but more off-off broadway) and their lack of knowledge and interest is upsetting.

these events impact theater at all levels, locally and internationally. and the longer the strike goes on, the greater the impact on off-and off-off broadway. the effects were already seen the first day of the strike. forbidden broadway, the show i'm sharing a venue with, has not sold tickets to the balcony in quite a while. they usually have just enough for the orchestra. both of their shows sold out yesterday.

the strike has been a constant topic of conversation for my coworkers and i. my boss seems to think that if they can't resolve it by tuesday (in order to save the two shows on wednesday), or if they can't resolve it by friday (in order to save the weekend shows), it could go on for quite a while. there's so much money on either side in strike funds that it is totally a possibility that broadway could be dark until the holiday season. if the strike lasted until thanksgiving, it would mean tremendous things for my show!

with all this excitement going on, i wanted to write an informative blog about the strike and the two sides and my take on all of it. i even talked to a few picketers and took their flyers. but then as i was talking to more and more friends of mine, i was struck by their lack of knowledge or care about the topic. granted, knowing this stuff is a bit more my job now than it was when i had a day job that wasn't theater, but i don't think i was completely uninformed. how can you expect to succeed in this (or any) business if you know nothing about it???

some may find it odd that these recent events excite me so much. besides the idea that i'm living through history, i also have begun to feel like part of a bigger whole (and it's been a long time since i've felt that way). i am part of this industry. i have an effect. so does my show. i wanted to be an actress so that i could inspire someone like i was inspired. and although i'm not on stage right now, i'm still able to do that. i am part of the industry that makes people's dreams reality. i don't know how i landed here, but i know i want to stay.