Enter, Stage Right.
by Stage RightIt was a cold November evening in 1994 when I shut off my television and went to a board meeting of a Los Angeles service organization for theatre owners and producers. I had just heard the news that for the first time in almost 50 years, both houses of congress would be under the leadership of the Republican party, MY party. I remember vividly feeling the hope and optimism that for the first time in my life, the Speaker of the House would have the same party affiliation as I had, and my father had.
There was a spring in my step walking to the board room. In the back of my mind I wondered to myself if I should violate my vow of silence about politics in front of colleagues whom I did not have full faith and trust in. Surely this sweeping victory signified that it was “ok” to vote Republican. Surely now I could admit that I had some sympathy for a more center-right perspective on politics. Yes, I’ll mention it during the wine and cheese portion of the meeting…
I opened the door and realized that I was not at a board meeting, I was at a funeral. Everything but black armbands. It was silent. People speaking in hushed tones. Grim faces. Not the usual revelry. And trust me, on any other normal occasion, if you get a bunch of theatre people in one room and open a bottle of wine, a party starts. Not tonight. The meeting was quietly called to order and before the president of the board could announce the agenda, a marketing executive from a prominent non-profit theatre in Los Angeles proclaimed: “Well, I don’t know why we’re even bothering having this meeting since our whole country is going to Hell as of tonight!”. It was at this moment I realized that I had absolutely nothing in common with ANY of my colleagues.
Email this to a friend | Print |
Share on Facebook
| Tweet this
| 
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Tips & Feedback