Archive for April, 2009
by Treescaper: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bokononist/1421174161/
I wrote of the power of writing something down yesterday… But today, I found that actually saying something aloud can be even more powerful.
A project that had been languishing for a while got done today in a matter of minutes because I’d mentioned it to someone yesterday.
Saying something aloud makes it real…
And maybe beyond the idea of the power of theatre being live, it’s the action of hearing something aloud (on the part of the audience and the actors) in that moment where the power lies.
If someone says something profound, what good is that statement if no one heard it? (Or if a tree falls in a forest, and there’s no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?)
Which means an audience’s participation isn’t only limited to seeing (like it can be with a movie, hence the popularity of silent films), but very much hinges on the hearing.
I think I’ve always known this… as I build silences into my texts as often as possible… to give the actors/characters and audience a chance to breathe and hear what is being said, or unsaid… But I got a reminder today, when I saw myself literally taking action.
–Sue
April 15th, 2009
Some days it’s hard to figure out which way is up. Today was one of those days.
My head was wrapped around so much nonsense — things that drained my focus and energy.
I knew I had to pull myself out of it and give myself some direction.
So what did I do?
I wrote a mission statement.
And you know what? I felt more clear than I had all day before I wrote it.
When it’s hard to see the forest from the trees, pick up a pencil and see how far it takes you.
–Sue
April 14th, 2009
Well, you never know who’s reading what these days on the Internet…
Apparently, there are two Hodaras in the world writing plays. The other Hodara is Philippe Hodara, in France. Philippe has a published play, a comedy called “Ce soir ou jamais: comedie en 4 actes.” Which my mom (my French authority) translated as: “Tonight or Never: Comedy in 4 Acts.”
Philippe emailed me, but I thought his message was spam, and promptly deleted it. Luckily, he also sent a message to Dina, who forwarded that email to me.
Who knows, this might be the seeds of a new comedy? I’ve spent so much of my life being mistaken for someone else as a twin (though we did have our share of fun), then for the other Susan Hodaras (yes there are a few of us) out there… (I even had a mix up with the credit card company because another of the roaming Susan Hodaras also has an account.)
For now, I’ve emailed Philippe, and will keep you posted.
–Sue
April 13th, 2009
I sat creating yesterday…from scratch. Not food, that I can do in my sleep… I was working on a new website yesterday for a new project we’re launching in the near future.
Scott came home to find me anxious and upset. I barely ate (Passover isn’t helping), hadn’t showered, was sitting in the dark… fixating on my computer screen.
I’ve had much harder times creating in my life (I’ll share my grad school story another time), but it’s amazing, after so many years of creating, I still start so primitively.
Some of it is frustration… I don’t know where I’m going, I don’t have the map in my mind yet. Some of it is being protective of the new work, like a mother protecting her cub. A lot of it is just wanting it to be GOOD.
I never start out creating for an audience, but the truth of the matter is, EVERYONE wants their work to reach a wider audience, and they want their work to be loved.
Luckily, I have family to see this weekend, so I won’t get swallowed up by the website again — at least for another few days.
–Sue
April 10th, 2009
The panel I attended the other night was really wonderful… It opened my eyes to many things.
One comment really illuminated a lot for me. One of the company managers said that per capita, there are LESS people handling the SAME amount of money as other industries that move as much money as Broadway does.
What does that mean?
It ups the stakes trust-wise… It’s not just about the investment financially to mount a show, but it’s the people power — which is more scarce than many realize… more scarce than I realized.
It’s all about the relationships… it’s not just who you know, but whom you can trust. And more than anything, that takes time.
Though I haven’t been writing much lately, I have been putting myself out there to forge relationships, and I’m realizing more and more how important that is and will be in the future.
–Sue
April 9th, 2009
Comedian Stephen Colbert. Media Credit: Alex Ellis
Have you ever gone to a show, or panel, or other large event and felt like a comment or glance was being directed right at you?
It happened to me (and happily, this isn’t the first time) last night. It was a panel on the function of a company manager. One of the managers said this at the start of the discussion: “If you’ve put together a wedding, you can produce a show!”
For those of you who’ve been reading for a while now, I DID put together my wedding!!! (My mother was invaluable in the process. She was my partner, and she was my Company Manager as well… she helped with negotiations and talking to vendors and discussing the budget. She did payroll and helped me with operating costs…)
I got sooo much out of last night’s discussion — the most important being: Form a team early… because you can’t do it alone, and it’s better if you have help. (It sounds funny to say, but how many times have you tried to go it alone and felt the burden of something that was so much bigger than you overwhelm you?)
I’ve already started forming a team, but I’m always on the lookout for more team players…
–Sue
April 8th, 2009
Everyone knows that Broadway, and theatre in general, is a business. Everyone has to eat… including me. But there’s so much emphasis on star power, spectacle, and political satire — these aren’t what will nourish and sustain theatre. These attention grabbers are dessert, not dinner.
At a panel last week, I heard a producer/marketing maven talk about value. I asked him how a show without a big star, director, theatre, or producer can attract theatregoers?
His response was simple, “Give theatregoers something they’ve never seen before.”
But when I think of the stories I tell, they are about people the audience has seen before… some might be people they see everyday in the mirror, or next to them in bed, or two cubicles over at the office… And I hope they are.
In telling these stories, I hope my audiences recognize themselves, or people they know and love. My job is shedding light on what was once hidden, or dark.
So, am I worried?
Not really…
I think value, more than anything else in terms of theatre, is feeling like you’ve walked away learning something new, or knowing something on a deeper level. There’s always room for entertainment, and sometimes, you just want to laugh you ass off, or ooooh and ahhhh… But there are enough shows doing that out there as it is.
I’m giving theatregoers characters and stories they can hold on to, and keep for years to come… I can’t think of nothing more valuable than that.
–Sue
April 7th, 2009
For the last few days, we’ve been having technical difficulties with our internet service.
Scott, who works in an office in front of a computer all day, is used to coming home and turning his computer on. I can’t tell you how many glances we’ve exchanged looking at one another over our computer screens (about a foot away from one another).
I thought he might develop a nervous tic, he was crashing so hard…
The thing I missed more than anything was writing this blog. I started worrying that I’d lose you, my dear readers, not posting for a few days, especially since I just had a long hiatus…
It wasn’t that I didn’t have a sounding board or soap box, it was more an issue of feeling like I was shirking responsibility. (The only solace I had, was that I was sick as a dog… and so I couldn’t bring myself to leave the apartment in the rain for computer access.)
Since when is sickness solace? Who finds comfort in this?
It wasn’t comfort — nothing about the situation was comfortable! I found being sick was more of a reason, a justification. And now I realize, maybe it was a gift… The universe enforcing my temporary solitude.
This blog has become so much more than just a means for me to reach out, it has become a sounding board for my readers as well… You hear me say the things you might not know how to say, or might not have even known you were feeling until I wrote it here.
Through this blog, I’ve come to realize that I’m not just traveling this path alone… you’re all traveling with me. And though I hated feeling so cut off from the world for a few days, I’m grateful for the gift of this realization.
–Sue
April 6th, 2009
One of the best things about being a playwright is that I hear so many people’s stories. I could sit and listen to people telling me their stories all day!
The problem is, I sometimes internalize the stories of others, especially those who are close to me…
Making someone else’s story your own is different than pathos or empathy… it’s seeing the world through that person’s eyes.
For a short while, it can be beneficial. For extended periods of time, it can be hurtful.
Today, I realized that I had made the stories of others my own, to my own detriment. I chose to let their fears become mine, and therefore I have been unconciously pushing away opportunities, possibilities, and abundance.
Today, I chose to let go of that story and write my new reality.
Post your new reality at practicalintuition.com.
–Sue
April 1st, 2009
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