Oh boy.. I just got a survey from REDCAT, the Music Center adjacent arts center hiding under the Disney Concert Hall. They want suggestions regarding our current state of affairs.. But! Before addressing that situation, I realized today that the Shoot from the Hip attitude that many folks I know when posting of Facebook often do can be rude and intrusive.
Today, Amie Hill, a friend from Renaissance Faire days, posted a memory that included a photo of some old pals: Sandey Grinn, William Barrett and Jeff Briar, fondly recalled as Cock and Feathers. They enacted bawdy and some pretty amazing shows on the Main Stages of both the Northern and Southern Faires starting back in the early seventies or maybe even earlier. Talented and audacious, they were! Grinn and Barrett did their own routines later that were groundbreaking and gut busting. What I forgot was that Amie Hill's memory was to heighten and celebrate Cock and Feathers contribution to the Faire. Another celebrated Faire guy, Robert Shields, the well known mime from Union Square in San Francisco, posted a tribute to the C&F boys that was heartfelt and kind. I was surprised to see that he was even on FB and I followed his tribute with my fond recollection that it was Robert who first treated me to the Northern Faire. Of course, it was Cock and Feathers's time to shine in Amie Hill's memory and thoughtlessly, I just added my own memory.
Having known Sandey, William and Jeff for many years and having contributed to one serious accident for Sandey and then, a boon.. and having enjoyed the friendship of Mr. Barrett and his family for a long time and appreciating Jeff Briar's work and his support for a fund raiser we cranked out several years ago.. these guys deserve their time in the spotlight..Amie's spotlight!And, though I had no intention of spotlight bombing them, I was brought to task by Sandey and though I've deleted my brief note to Robert Shields, the sting is still embarrassing and this is to apologize again.. in my own forum. Here.
We are in the Hard Times now. It's a lousy excuse to remind us that we are all under the gun, classic confinement, no end in sight, depression.. but we are.. and I feel its weight every day a little like the addition of a pound or two that is more difficult to bear up day by day..
To that end.. I write.. because I have no theatre reviews to write..this personal stuff helps to lighten the load. There are other personal issues to discuss, but that's for later.
To Jeff and Sandey and William: apologies. I'd be happy to insult you to your faces in the spirit of good humor, but it was never my intention to be an interloper on Amie's sweet tribute to you on Facebook today. And, I'm really, really sorry about the sliding glass door!
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If you are still with me? Today I got a survey from REDCAT, the local arts venue. They are making efforts to bring back their art to Los Angeles. The survey is pretty standard. They asked about our degrees of comfort should venues re-open. There was no real space for an expanded opinion about our current dampanic going on. So, I got some of my frustration out by sending the following letter to whomever composed the Redcat survey:
To REDCAT:
Your
survey may be helpful.. but.. what human beings need right now is
nourishment for the Spirit. It won't come from streaming or any other E
form of 'entertainment'. The human experience comes from being with
human beings.
Entities
like Redcat and The Broad and MoCA and the Music Center and LACMA and
every playhouse, large and small, in the Los Angeles area ..must.. we must find a
way to come together and reawaken. Our human element is dying..
literally.. Art understands that the human spirit withers when
confined or locked in solitary confinement.
We
are all confined, even when with our bandanas pulled up and washing our
hands.. we can no longer look at one another.. we are embarrassed and afraid.
We may smile with our eyes, but in some cultures to even make eye
contact is forbidden or impolite, thus.. we are masked intruders: eyes
widen as in the market an older Hispanic woman quickly sidles as far
away as possible. On the street a neighbor veers away and adjusts his
mask.
It is the absolute duty of
The Arts to find ways to bring humanity and the warmth of applause in
an auditorium: the Sanctuary of Art.. again to life. It is the absolute duty
of The Arts to find a way to usher patrons through an art museum where
that amazing photo of two little girls in awe of a Rothko at MoCA was
taken.. so that we can, once again observe each other stopped in our
tracks by the art.. or stroll on by with that often asked question about
how THAT got into the friggin' art museum.
It
is the duty of established arts institutions like Redcat to sit down
and bring us back to sanity... because these days ..each day.. is more
and more insane as the Fear Factor is crammed down our throats with telecasts interrupted by public officials. What they might be doing is
encouraging us to be practical and responsible. The statistics are so
vague. The threat of death.. the Plague.. is on us, when..in fact, as
serious as it is, it is a situation that will find its way and leading
the way should fall to the Arts.
This
is not to casually dismiss the seriousness of our sad state, but
finding a way to not condemn the naysayers, and either just avoid them,
or ease them back to the fold may be done with Art.
As
reasonable folks we must find a way to elect an intelligent and
thoughtful president.. move forward to #46 who may still have time to
begin to make us care enough about one another and to bring our whole
culture back to an even keel.
The Ship of State is listing.
Art must
find a way, and shall, when we respond to the challenge and behave again like
human beings.
Michael Sheehan
