Jake and Elwood were on a “Mission From God.” For them, failure was not an option. They were all in. Pot committed. They also had complete confidence that no matter how dire things looked, they would come through. Because they had to. That trust and commitment informed every one of their actions.
You don’t have to be on a “Mission From God” to do something important. To create something beautiful. To make radical change. But you do need to be one hundred percent committed and have absolute trust in yourself.
What’s your mission? What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
After a few weeks of participating in and hosting several Zoom meet ups, including play readings, here are some early observations:
-How wonderful this technology exists! Be grateful for it.
-Meaningful Community is needed and wanted. Now more than ever.
-A flawed Zoom meet up (crappy audio, poor lighting, people talking over each other, etc…) is still awesome.
-I can’t wait to see the incredible creativity unleashed by this platform.
-The rules still apply. If you want a reading or any kind of virtual gathering to go well, first care deeply about the play or subject. Come prepared. Make strong choices. And then, care deeply about your audience. Do a tech rehearsal with your fellow actors. Think about optimal settings. Maybe even invest in a simple lighting and audio package. Your passion for the material matters and will evidences itself in the small details, done well.
-We’re now gonna get so many more chances to experience art. Every day, all hours of the day, all over the world, people will be making art and gathering together virtually to experience that. Hooray!
-Fellow Theatre-makers. Don’t fear this technology. Yes, it’s harder and harder to get people to leave their house. And this easily could be just one more thing to convince people to stay home. But, let’s embrace this platform. Lean into it. At its best, it’s gonna get people even more excited to come to your venue and see the real thing. Because when theatre is done well, experienced live, and shared communally, there truly is nothing better. It’s why I dedicated my whole life to it. And will continue to do so.
I love, LOVE this scene from Walk The Line, the Johnny Cash biopic. Joaquin Phoenix and Dallas Roberts absolutely crush it. Definitely give it a view.
Below is a modified transcript of the advice that Sam Phillips, the famous record producer (played by Dallas Roberts), gives to Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix).
“…Let’s bring it home. If you was hit by a truck and you were lying out in that gutter dying, and you had time to sing one song, one song, people would remember before your dirt, one song that would let God know what you felt about your time here on earth, one song that would sum you up, you telling me that’s the song you’d sing?…Or would you sing something different? Something real, something you felt? Because I’m telling you right now, that’s the kind of song people want to hear. That’s the kind of song that truly saves people. It ain’t got nothing to do with believing in God, Mr. Cash. It has to do with believing in yourself.”
We all have one song, one play, one book, one film, one painting, one…something, inside of us. Something unique to our feelings, our experiences, our tastes, our desires. Who we are at our core.
What’s yours?
Let it out! We want to hear it. We need to hear it. Right now. Go.
“My formula for human greatness is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not in the future, not in the past, not for all eternity. Not only to endure what is necessary…but to love it.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” -Marcus Aurelius
Two of the most powerful concepts found in Stoic wisdom are (1) Memento Mori (“Remember, you could leave life right now.”) and (2) Amor Fati (“Not merely to bear what is necessary, but learn to love it.”)
There are three levels of thinking when anything that happens to us.
First, SEE things as they are. No judgment. Neither good or bad. Just what is.
Second, decide right now, that no matter what happens, you WILL get through it.
Third, learn to LOVE what happens. You may not know it at the time, but trust that all challenges will make you stronger, more resilient. They’ll open up new ways of thinking and doing. You’ll find more gratitude. You’ll be more present. More patient. More generous.
Nobody wants to leave their house. That was true even before this global pandemic.
Besides the fact that people work hard all week, are tired, have family and other obligations, are on limited budgets, just wanna relax and have a drink, etc…let’s face it, television has gotten really, really good.
But as theatre and art makers, let us not be disheartened. Let us embrace the challenge. Lean into it.
How?
By figuring out what we’re passionate about and why. By producing that to the absolute best of our ability. By communicating our passion to the people we’re making it for. And letting them know how much their presence means to us.
Because here’s the good news…
People want to gather and have shared, communal experiences. They want to see and experience great art together. Look no further than the ancient Greek theatres. It’s in our DNA.
Nobody wants to leave their house.
But give them a reason to show up?…They’ll be glad they did. And, they’ll be back. Just as long as you keep producing with passion, excellence and integrity. And respect for their time.
Small my table, sits just two Got so crowded, I can’t make room Oh, where did they come from? Stormed my room And you dare say it belongs to you, to you
This is not for you This is not for you This is not for you -Pearl Jam “Not For You“
Once we decide who’s it for and put ourselves out there, we’re destined to face judgment from the others. Assuming we’ve executed on our vision, said what we wanted to say, the most empowering thing we can tell ourselves in the face of such criticism is…
“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.” -Gustave Flaubert
No one wants to be around a person who’s crazy, out of control, consumed by passion, narcissistic, foul-mouthed, violent, quick-triggered, arrogant, single-minded,…well, you get the drift.
But man, we do love seeing those people on stage and screen. Or reading about them in novels. At least some of the time.
Put another way…get your sh*t together in life. Have your sh*t together as a producer. That way, you can be out of control in your art.
Producing is taste and tenacity. You find something you absolutely love and decide you have to put it out to the world.
How do you develop taste?
You get specific.
How do you get specific?
Consume as much art as you possibly can. Figure out what moves you. What you value. What you cherish. What you’re willing to stand behind and say to others, “Hey this is something I found, and I think it’s worth your time.”
Do that over and over and over.
It takes guts. It requires vulnerability. Because you open yourself to judgment.
But here’s the thing, by doing this, you will cultivate your own, specific taste. And find the others who share that taste. The tribe. The 1,000 True Fans who inspire you to make your art.
With that in mind, here are the links again to my two Fellow Traveler posts. They detail what I loved enough to share in January and February.
Welcome Fellow Travelers. Below are my February picks. Thanks in advance for reading. I look forward to your feedback and any of your own picks!
Here goes…
FILMS
The Sound Of Fury. One of the bleakest film noirs ever made. Lloyd Bridges is sublime as a bad guy. Makes you wonder why he didn’t get more great roles in film. And the haunting ending will absolutely shock and awe.
The Apartment. Gets better and better with each viewing. Jack Lemmon is my favorite actor and he’s in top form here. Fred MacMurray, cast way against type, oozes creep. But it’s Shirley Maclaine’s magnetic, vulnerable and heartbreaking performance that steals the show. You can see why she became a star. Even the way she pushes elevator buttons is riveting.
Bill Cunningham: New York. This 2010 documentary about the street, fashion photographer is sure to inspire. Anyone can lead an artistic life if they want it bad enough. My favorite line…”If you don’t take money, they can’t tell you what to do, kid.”
Loving What Is by Byron Katie. I stumbled upon this book while researching more on Stephen Mitchell. They’re a married couple. “The Work”, which consists of asking yourself four questions in any situation, is powerful, actionable advice.
American Son by Christopher Demos-Brown. Though it has some flaws, this play is propulsive with great characters and a phenomenal premise. You can see why it attracted star talent to both the cast and producing team. (Thank you Ingrid for recommending.)
PODCASTS
Naval Ravikant on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Angel investor and modern day philosopher, Naval dispenses tons of practical wisdom and advice over a wide array of topics. Long, but worth every second as well as a repeat listen or two. Get your notebook out.
All things VAN MORRISON. Astral Weeks would be in the discussion for my “If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one album…” I’ve easily listened to it over 100 times. Be sure to also listen to the albums St. Dominic’s Preview, Moondance, and His Band And His Street Choir. Turn the lights off, grab your headphones,, sip some whiskey and settle in.
P.S. – Why the name “Fellow Traveler”?…We’re all traveling on our own artistic journey. The journey to find and manifest the art we’re passionate about. Let’s travel together.
The Vs. Studio Blog 