The Vs. Studio Blog

“We once lived in an industrial economy—built on industry. Then we shifted to a consumer economy—built on consumption. And more recently we lived in a service economy—built on service.

But we now are entering the age of the Annoyance Economy. And it is the inevitable result of corporations battling for your attention.

They monetize your eyeballs—measured in clicks and microseconds—and they will do anything to hold on to them. This increasingly involves annoying, intrusive actions that no business would have dared to implement in a consumer-oriented economy.” -Ted Gioia

“If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.” -Tristan Harris

The most valuable currency in the world isn’t gold or greenbacks or crypto.

It’s your attention.

Everyone is vying for it. So much so, they could care less about annoying you.

Just know this and consume wisely my friend.

P.S. – This article from the always excellent Ted Gioia.

“It’s depressing. It’s confusing. It’s fraught. You don’t like where the world is going. You don’t like what’s happening.

What are we supposed to do? Especially when we are so powerless, as ordinary citizens, people who do not hold office, especially when we are matched against billionaires, against madness, against inertia, against so much.

“Remind yourself that your task is to be a good human being,” Marcus Aurelius writes in Meditations, in reaction, it must be said, against his own dysfunctional and cruel times. “Remind yourself what nature demands of people,” he added. “Then do it, without hesitation, and speak the truth as you see it.”

We are not emperors. We are not senators. But we are human beings, connected to all other human beings. Our job is to do our job—to do it virtuously and honestly. Our job as citizens is to participate in politics—not to cede the field simply because it disappoints and disgusts us. Our job is to help the people we can help closest to us—those who have lost their jobs, those who have been targeted, those who do not have the advantages we have. -Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic

“When the people lead, the leaders will follow.” -Mahatma Gandhi

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” -Colossians 3:23

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, feed just one. Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.” -Mother Teresa

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” -Arthur Ashe

If you’re asking and wondering, “What can I do?”…first, do your job. Whatever that is. Parent, spouse, child, friend, artist, co-worker, employer, employee, neighbor, etc…Do it to the best of your ability. Do it with all your heart. Do it virtuously. That’s the biggest contribution you can make.

Then, with whatever bandwidth you have left over (should you have any), help one person at a time. Help the person nearest you. Help them however you can.

Trust that the ripple effect from doing your job well, coupled with simple helpful actions, is the stuff of miracles.

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” -Peter Drucker

Speaking of great people…

If you’re looking to work for a company, prioritize finding out everything you can about the culture. If that’s right and you admire the people working there, then go for it. Accept the offer. Everything else will take care of itself.

Conversely, if you’re a company looking to hire someone, prioritize their attitude, enthusiasm, work ethic, openness and can-do spirit. If they have these rare qualities and other soft skills, then go for it. Hire them. Everything else will take care of itself.

“Great vision without great people is irrelevant. A company should limit its growth based on its ability to attract enough of the right people.” -Jim Collins, Good To Great

You can have the coolest brand, the most inspiring vision and the greatest mission statement in the world, but if you have mediocre or unmotivated people carrying out all this meaningful work, then you have nothing.

Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power. -Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu (Stephen Mitchell translation)

“Today I will be master of my emotions…I am prepared to control whatever personality awakes in me each day. I will master my moods through positive action and when I master my moods I will control my destiny…I will become master of myself.” –The Greatest Salesman In The World by Og Mandino

I see all my dreams come tumblin’ down
I can’t be happy without you around
So alone, I keep the wolves at bay -song, “Train In Vain” by The Clash

“When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own – not of the same blood and birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are unnatural.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

There’s an old Native American story that goes like this:

A grandfather takes his grandson on a walk to share his wisdom for life.
​
“A fight is going on inside me,” he tells the boy. “It’s a terrible fight between two wolves. One is bad, he is anger, fear, hate, jealousy, and envy. One is good, he is hope, kindness, joy, love, and optimism.”
​
The boy asks, “Which wolf will win?”
​
To which the grandfather replies:
​
“The one you feed.”

Every single day when you wake up, you get to choose which wolf you will feed.

Choose wisely my friend.

“Ask for things. Ask for things that feel unreasonable, to make sure your intuitions about what’s reasonable are accurate (of course, try not to be a jerk in the process). If you’re only asking for things you get, you’re not aiming high enough.” -Cate Hall (former lawyer and professional poker player)

Similar to making art, asking involves first knowing what you want and why you want it.

Then, you must take a risk and be vulnerable. You have to actually ask for what you want.

But you might not get it.

And that’s okay.

Because the real value is in the ask.

For the producer…

if you’re renting an outside space for your production, here are two good rules of thumb to follow:

One…Treat the space as if you were the owner.

Two…Leave the space cleaner and better than you found it.

P.S. – This article.

For the actor…

There’s nothing like the feeling and magic of opening night.

Once it’s over, it’s on to the run of the show.

But keep in mind every single night during the run is the audience’s opening night.

That’s the beauty and ephemerality of live theatre.  A new audience every time. Embrace that.  Don’t take any nights for granted.  Don’t cheat the audience out of their opening night.

P.S. – Speaking of which, tonight (and tomorrow) are opening nights for “What’s Next?…Volume 2.”  I can’t wait for you to see these artists shine!

“…And the sun’s coming up. It makes me feel like anything’s possible. Ya’ know? Like a beginning. I love beginnings.” –Sam Shepard, True West

I’m very excited to announce our two Vs. Studio Producing Workshop Live Presentation Nights! They are Tuesday, June 3rd, and Wednesday, June 4th, at 8pm at Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice. Below is the program note I included. (Click Here to see the full, online program that has more info.)

Dear Friend & Vs. Ally,

Thank you for coming out tonight and supporting the Vs. Studio Producing Workshop!

Over the last two months, fourteen committed artists met weekly to find and manifest the work they’re passionate about. As well as to learn how to produce with excellence and generosity for themselves, their fellow artists and the audience they seek to serve. Tonight represents a big first step on their journey. You get to see a scene from the work they intend to produce.

Moving forward, my vision for Vs. is that of a thriving, deeply-connected and radically supportive community where more artists are doing the work they love. This benefits everyone…the artists working on the play, the playwrights whose work is handled with the utmost care and respect, and the audience who get to watch and experience passion in action. A virtuous cycle is created. I believe this workshop will serve as a springboard for all kinds of interesting and terrific work.

Once again, thank you for being here and supporting live theatre. I can’t wait to see “What’s Next.”

Sincerely,

Johnny Clark
Artistic Director
Vs. Theatre Company & The Vs. Studio

(And for further context, click Here for the original description of the Producing Workshop.)

Space tomorrow and Wednesday is very limited. So if you want to come and root these talented and committed artists on, please email whatsnextboxoffice@gmail.com ASAP.

Thanks and hope to see you there!

A recent lesson from our Vs. Studio Producing Workshop…

Don’t wait for the reviews and audience feedback to see if your show is a hit.

That’s too late.

Assume it’s a hit from the very beginning. Waaaay before the show opens. And let all your marketing efforts reflect this confidence.

“How can I have this confidence before it opens?'” you might ask.

One…You took the time to find out what you’re truly passionate about and why it’s important to you.

Two…You decided to produce this passion project with excellence and generosity at all times. For yourself, your fellow artists and the audience you seek to serve (knowing who’s it for and what it’s for). You cared enough to make it and share it.

Three…you took massive and continuous action. Including telling people why you made it and why you’d love for them to show up.

Because you have these three (rare) elements, assume your show is a hit.

It will be.

It already is.