Sunday, April 20, 2014

No One Said It Would Be Easy (NO ONE SAID IT WOULD STILL BE THIS HARD)



I recently met a young theatre artist, 10-12 years my junior, who was all wide eyed, determined, talented, and naive. This person had a pure heart, clear head, overly punctual... We'll call this person X.

X wants to make great, important theatre - one of those people who truly mean it and knows what important theatre is. I am terrified for X. As we parted, I did everything I could to convince X to do something else - Anything else. LEAVE THE THEATRE! I knew X WOULDN'T - it's in X's blood and soul.  Yet, I had to for both our sake. I didn't want a guilty conscience and I wanted X to know HOW hard it is AND will be. Arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can.

The theatre will crush X and breaks X's huge heart at times. I will be there to support this person at those times, but it was the first time I've been in this situation. I've had many mentors and I wondered why none of them have ever tried to discourage me. Granted, they likely knew it would have been a waste of time, but I am amazed they didn't warn me.  They had to have known - but maybe they felt naivete is what I needed to get my grounding? I knew it would be difficult. Still, I feel slightly mislead by not being forewarned as to the continual difficulty.

I recently asked an octogenarian mentor if it gets easier with experience - I was told no. "You don't worry as much as you LEARN it's going to always be difficult". - WHY DIDN'T YOU WARN ME YEARS AGO??!!

1. It's gonna be tough(er than you think)
2. If it seems to get much easier, something is likely wrong. (If you are coasting, you're sliding downhill.)
3. Accept these silly ideas, and fight on.
4. The greats have the same problems you have.

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