DEFENSE OF THEATER

Recently a friend made the observation to me that while he had met a number of theater people he was usually put off by them, citing large egos as the probable reason. This is not the first time I have encountered this and other expressions of less than warm admiration for people of the theater. I was once appalled to discover in England that if I gave my profession as actor I would not be allowed to rent a car. Shocked I said, “Do you mean to tell me that if Lord Laurence Olivier came in here to rent a car he would be turned away?” The reply was “Yes. He would.” That was the rule. I listed my profession as teacher and got the car.

Thanks to this recurring theme, I am moved now to defend and try to explain theater people. Indeed there are amongst us some oversized egos and what’s worse still there are a few genuine pains-in-the you-know-what. But mostly what theater folk have is very vulnerable egos. I suppose it does look alien and off-putting from outside the theater family, and it is a family, which is what makes it precious. The thing is these are all, or nearly all, people working together creatively in ever changing groupings. Always working extremely hard. (It is hard, demanding, time-consuming work, even though rewarding.) And always taking personal risks. Risk because we expose ourselves continuously and directly to evaluation, criticism, and even possible ridicule by the world. Live theater is in the moment. One’s resume, past successes, credentials, no matter how impressive, count for nothing in the moment, save possibly what brought one to that moment. It’s only the success or failure of the communication in that particular moment to that particular audience that counts. So in a sense we are forever standing at the base of a precipitous mountain, about to take a dangerous chance and climb. If actors, directors, designers, and techies are not opening themselves up to this vulnerability they are not really serving the art they represent.

A phrase that actors often speak to each other in that pause just before stepping out onto the stage is “See you on the ice!” Like sports teams actors, and technical folk as well, but especially actors, are dependent on each other. So not only do we risk every time we step onto the stage but we also place ourselves in a situation of absolute trust that our teammates will be there with us in supportive focus. The aforementioned “pains” are terrible to act with and actors avoid them as much as possible. The same goes for those few who are completely self-absorbed. (Maybe they are the same ones.) The highest compliment one actor can pay to another is that he or she is a “giving” actor. Technical people enhance, or, if they are not equally involved and caring, can utterly destroy all the good work. We depend on each other. We don’t speak of “giving” techies, but we should.

There was a woman hereabouts who took up performing rather late in life and was fond of asking other actors in the dressing room why they acted. The most memorable answer I heard to her question was by a man probably in his thirties who said that he consciously devoted his life to challenging and overcoming his fears. He had done all sorts of risk things, climbing mountains, jumping out of air planes etc. etc. With realization that one of his greatest fears was going in front of an audience and speaking he plunged into theater. This same fellow moved on to work as a stage hand with Cirque du Soleil. Once a year the stage crew of Cirque puts on its own show for the entertainment of those incredible performers they work to enhance.

So given all this it evolves that in a community like ours we theater folk know each other well and in a very special way. That is what makes us a family. We have been “on the ice” together. Because we are creative people full of ideas and concepts we sometimes disagree with each other and are seldom timid about expressing our disagreements. Because we are human we have our warts. Because we are a family we gossip about each other. That is not one of our finer qualities. There are only rare occasions when we all come together at the same time and place. Sadly a majority of these times are memorial services honoring ones we’ve lost. And believe me these are emotional and special occasions when we are reminded how much we mean to each other.

I’m sure we are often not well understood by those outside the working family. Perhaps we even seem contentious and arrogant. In fact we are in no way the closed society we might seem. Anyone is welcomed in who chooses to join and work and many do for exactly the reason that striving together gives life meaning.

Theater is a wonderful place for children to discover who they are and how to relate to each other in nourishing rather than competitive ways. Not so much by playing themselves in adult shows. Doing only that they learn little but false ego. It’s the struggle to believably understand and portray someone different from self that begins to expand awareness, confidence, and compassion. Notice that we do not hear of violence in schools committed by youngsters with an active interest in theater.

Theater people are courageous! And I love them.

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