How Lucky We Are

We can learn a lot from the theatre. We learn from our experiences as audience members by absorbing and reflecting upon the adventures, connections, and struggles of the characters who inhabit the story on stage. We also learn through the process of creating art; I’m fortunate to work in a field where I get to see students transformed by their experiences creating, rehearsing, and performing original theatre works. And this past Sunday the entire world had the chance to learn from the passion and compassion of theatre-makers on the Tony Awards.

I “grew up” in the theatre. My first experiences were performing in elementary school plays, but it was in middle school when I really connected to it. I’ve written about this before, but I feel that the opportunities I had in the theatre as a kid saved my life. James Corden’s effusive opening number, “That Could Be Me” (at right), was so poignant: that young, dreaming child in the song WAS me. It was many of us who have made a life in the theatre.

There’s a joy and wonderment in the work that we do and many of us “theatre people” are just so thankful to be able to do what we do. I saw that sense of thankfulness and a level of compassion and encouragement in the speeches given by just about all of the Tony winners. My friend, Braden Bell, wrote a beautiful blog post about that this morning. (So, while I initially wanted to post this on Monday, I’m glad it was delay so as to include Braden’s words.) Also, the Broadway world used these moments to lift us up in the wake of that morning’s horrors in Orlando. (See the LA Times for a collection of these.) I particularly appreciated the statement by Hamilton producer Jerry Seller speaking about a vision of America that “embodies the best values, the best impulses that make our nation a beacon to the world: inclusiveness, generosity, ingenuity, and the will to work hard and make our dreams come true.” He finished with a repeated phrase from the show: “Look around. Look around. How lucky we are to be alive right now.”

The Tony Awards had a difficult job to do. How can we possible celebrate in the face of danger and uncertainty? This is a time when it is easy to feel defeated. Horrible things happen around us, and to us, but we have a choice of how to respond and how to move forward. It is fascinating to hear the characters of Hamilton sing about how lucky they are to be alive in a world that is turned upside down, but that’s the perspective we need to keep moving ahead. If I’ve ever questioned how something so lighthearted as musical theatre can be relevant in difficult and important times, the answer is now quite clear. Theatre is not an escape from the world (as some might argue), but an answer to it. (Or at least a suggestion.) What was said and done at the Tony Awards on Sunday put that idea on display for us all to see, and feel, and reflect upon, just as any work of theatre is supposed to do.

How lucky am I to be alive and working in the field right now?