actor/singer/composer-lyricist/musical director/vocal coach
What is it like to live as a theatre artist? Join me as I explore the everyday, behind-the-scenes, real life stories of what it takes to make this journey happen!
Michael contacted me with the theme of Creating/Making, and I thought, “Oh. I don’t do either of those things.” Yesterday, I decided to explore what it means to be considered an artist, when you feel like you’re not.
Read MoreAnyone who knows me well knows that - in all honesty - I’m not very good at telling stories.
Now, I’d like to qualify this a little since - yes - I’m aware that I’m making a career as both a writer and a performer, which are both types of professional storytelling. And when I can provide a narrative in such a structured, prepared, and well-crafted way, I feel totally confident delivering an engaging story.
But as for more pedestrian, real-life stories? It’s been a struggle.
It was first pointed out to me about five years ago when someone turned to me and said:
“Yeesh. I hope you’re a better writer than storyteller!”
Ouch. Harsh, Gretch.
But it was true! I have always loved telling anecdotes from life, particularly the funny or really out-there ones, but I tend to hold my tongue these days because I know that my stories tend not to land.
So I’ve worked on it. I’ve researched (cuz it’s me) how to tell a good oral story and what makes this craft different from a written story, and I think I’ve improved greatly. Huzzah!
But why am I bringing this up now?
Well, if this summer taught me one thing only (and it taught me waaaaay more than that), it’s that people of all walks of life respond to nothing as well as they respond to a good story.
Read MoreMost people - and writers in particular - are drawn to stories about larger-than-life people, figures, and times. Moments and personalities that disrupted the status quo and changed the course of history. The extraordinary.
These are the stories that live on, passed down through facts and records (contemporary and non), as well as rumor, gossip, and anecdotes that may or may not include a kernel of truth.
The people at the center of these stories are some of the most compelling, and they have attracted the attention of people throughout generations.
And writers love them.
Historians and creative writers alike love to tackle these gigantic stories filled with change and drama, as well as mystery and intrigue, and put their own spins on them. But what they never tell you is just how difficult these people and stories are to write.
I too have fallen victim to this type of alluring narrative and - despite this post’s title - I am not speaking about the great historical mystery of Anastasia as adapted by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.
I’m talking about one of Western history’s most debated women from one of English history’s most infamous time periods:
Anne Boleyn.
Read MoreOver the course of my musical direction this past year I have had the pleasure of working on shows that I know well, as well as a couple that I didn’t. But one thing is for certain - you never truly know a show well until you have worked on it.
And once you have worked on a show, it becomes ingrained in you somehow. A piece of your life. A window into a specific period of time or a specific mindset. Perhaps it changed you somehow. Perhaps it was just a great time. Or perhaps it was a less positive experience. And all of this is wonderful and valid, but it’s also not what I’m going to be focusing on today.
Today I come bearing a question. At the end of the day what is more important: an airtight plot, or to move the audience?
Several of the musicals I have worked on in my life have brought me to ask this question, but I have been thinking about this yet again this year. Of the three shows I MDed this school year, 2 of them had “hole-y plots,” yet both seemed to give some sort of emotional satisfaction to the audience. And the other was absolutely airtight in plot, but was ultimately more entertaining than moving.
So which is more important? And can we have both?
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