Sometimes the work isn't as important as the community formed to make it. This weekend I saw two thoroughly pedestrian plays and attended a memorial for director/playwright Andre Lancaster. On Saturday, the play was the thing. Two mediocre, self-indulgent white gay works of nonsense. I walked out of the first one at intermission. I had a playwright friend with me. I asked him at the break 'do you mind if we leave?' and he said 'OH THANK GOD!! YES!' Once outside we talked about what he's been going through and other things on our way to the Drama Bookstore, where we ran into another theatre person there. They connected, I continued on my journey and walked over to Signature Theatre to read and I ran into 2 more theatremakers in the lobby. We talked for a while, and then I headed to the last theatre where I ran into 2 more play people in the theatre lobby. The conversations and run-ins between the shows were immensely more satisfying and nourishing than the art itself. But in pursuit of these two plays, I got out into the world, organized my day, met a lot of people. Art (even bad art...especially bad art sometimes) brought me into contact with hundreds of strangers today, a dozen friends, and some new colleagues. Granted, I could have just stayed home and watched Netflix for free. I could have negated a large part of the daily hassle by watching shows at home. But then I would be negating the most important parts of art: the journey and the people I meet along the way.
On Sunday I went to Andre Lancaster's memorial. It was great to see so many friends from UT Austin, CMS, Freedom Train, and all the different spokes in the wheel of his life. It's truly remarkable to see so many people come from Texas, Philadelphia, upstate NY for a simple gathering that became endowed with food, song, dance, and memories. Andre was not perfect. We had many arguments, fights, and disagreements for various reasons I choose not to share at this point in time. But he was difficult, prickly, passionate, bold. He was an auteur. But a man is more than his output in life. He can be measured by the friends and colleagues who came together for the journey. And what a journey it has been with Andre.
On Sunday I went to Andre Lancaster's memorial. It was great to see so many friends from UT Austin, CMS, Freedom Train, and all the different spokes in the wheel of his life. It's truly remarkable to see so many people come from Texas, Philadelphia, upstate NY for a simple gathering that became endowed with food, song, dance, and memories. Andre was not perfect. We had many arguments, fights, and disagreements for various reasons I choose not to share at this point in time. But he was difficult, prickly, passionate, bold. He was an auteur. But a man is more than his output in life. He can be measured by the friends and colleagues who came together for the journey. And what a journey it has been with Andre.
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