Friday, March 23, 2007

One week to Elektra

No time. No time. No time.

I am actually looking forward to performing this show; this from a person who usually prefers the rehearsal period to performing. No time. No time. Rehearsing, and when not rehearsing, designing the poster or flyer. Or programme. Or helping build lights. Or helping find costume bits. Or thinking about my application for school due in one week. Or the grant application due three days after that. And on top of that there's something in the Guardian blogs by Laura Baggaley, entitled Does it matter if we don't get paid for theatre work? and I'm all like, hell yes it does! Because if I go on like I'm going now for another thirty years, you'll have a burnt-out husk of a creative person left. I don't need to have enough for a house in Spain, but something, just something to help pay the rent has got to be there. Somehow her blog post seems like it was supposed to be a reminder of why you got into this non-paying beautiful life in the first place, which is nice to remember, but on the other hand her post is just not developed far enough and it comes off as rather hopelessly romantic.

One commenter commented well: "Having money frees you up in your thinking in that a certain level of worry ( how am I going to eat, pay the rent etc ) is removed. This level of worry has nothing to do with creating work and really only hinders it. Your ability to make good work depends on your ability to transcend your situation. Of course being over-funded can turn you into a bloated complacent so and so but let's face it being over-funded is not a situation any middle/small-scale theatre company is going to be in."

Yes, thank you.

2 comments:

Anna MR said...

So cranky I can't make it to opening night. If I don't see you (and chances are I won't), break all the available legs & a few extra. Will book a ticket for a later show.

(You were listed in Nyt)

happeningfish said...

Thanks for the ups! Would you believe this is the second time we've shared an opening night with Akseli Ensemble? It eats our press but anyway, I think the show is going to be really good so it's hard to put a damper on anything right now...