Wednesday, October 08, 2008

metaDRAMA: It's My Birthday

Now that I've made it to the big 25 (Allstate's already started calling me and pouring mail down my throat . . . which is great considering I don't have a car, a license, or a permit) and I start looking forward to my next big milestone (48, simply because that's the only thing I may be able to beat my footnoting idol at), I take the moment to look back (akin to how others might atone) and assess what I might do better. Unfortunately, as long as I continue to work a full-time job that's not related to theater (squeezing in blog entries and the occasional capsule review during a lunch break or stray hour of free time), I don't think I'll ever find the time I want to actually write features or interview some of the actors out there. Unless, say, there were some online way to have a conversation with someone, record it, and then save it directly to a text post. (Hm . . .)

As I look into a way to do more than try to canvas as broad a swath of theater as I can (and though I'm behind on reviews of Michael Weller's and Lee Blessing's productions, I think I've done a decent job of shining a light through some of the foliage), I thought I'd open things up to you, the readers. What, if anything, would you like to see more (or less) of? In other words, to all of you fellow bloggers, artists, and readers--the people I'm writing for--what is most helpful, most important to you? Hell, even if it's something I'm not capable of doing on my own, what is it that's still missing from the theatrosphere? (For instance, a Metacritic/Rotten Tomatoes for--at the least--NYC theater.)

I think everyone, as they grow older, fears the silent creep of stagnation. After three years of trying to find my own way (and always fearing the ceaseless but far from infinite tick-tock of the clock), I would love to hear from some of you. Format changes are fine, but I think (and especially given the current political climate, the frightening economic situation, and all the other bogies of the so-called "real world" [as if "real" could be so easily classified]) we all need to be asking ourselves the questions (a) what more can we do and (b) what can we change. Even if it's just starting to think a little differently on something as small and simple as a blog.

3 comments:

Esther said...

Hey Aaron,
Happy birthday! I enjoy reading your insightful thoughts on some very interesting theatre that I'd probably never hear about otherwise, like "Southern Promises." Just wish I lived in New York so I could see all of it!

jimlantz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jimlantz said...

Hey Aaron,

Happy Birthday! ... I'd like to see you do more 'meta' stuff ... draw more connections, look for emerging trends and common threads (however thinly they may connect) between shows. Good luck! You're super talented at doing what you do ... I hope you keep doing it for a long time!