Are You a Performer When the Theatre Is Empty?
The Global Crisis has caused an Identity Crisis for artists.
I had a ‘real talk’ conversation this week with a musician friend. We discussed how the closing of the theatres and of all live performance venues was devastating in a way non-performing people could never understand. I am an actor. I am a musician. My most authentic self is the person I am when I am on stage, so how do I deal with this loss of identity when the theatres are closed for an indeterminate amount of time?
The counter argument is, of course, that we are so much more than what we do. How many times have we, as actors or singers been told this? Have an outside life. Explore the world, learn new things because you are more than your job.
But when our job is art -creation- being a megaphone for the human spirit, is that still true?
No, we are not singularly artists. We are fully realized human beings when we are not on stage. We are mothers and siblings and lovers and friends, supporters and fierce defenders of empathy and freedom of expression. We clean the toilets and make dinner and talk politics (too much) and worry about our children. Our worth is not dependent upon whether or not we have a paying gig at the moment. This is fact, and important to remember as we do the constant…