3 Things My Dad Taught Me About TheaterMaking. Vol 3: THEATER ISN'T THE ONLY ART FORM
Apr 13, 2022
Welcome to part 3 of this series of advice my Dad gave me about TheaterMaking . . . even though he wasn’t giving me advice about TheaterMaking. :-)
As a recap . . .
Volume 1 was about my Dad’s persistent effort to get me to show face.
Volume 2 was about my Dad’s obsessive hours at the library.
Volume 3 is about . . . realizing that the theater isn’t the only art form out there.
And how observing, learning, taking in other artforms, can have a massive impact on your TheaterMaking.
See, my dad was obsessed with the opera (it crushes me that I never got him to the Met before he passed). He had giant art books on his coffee table, kitchen table and nightstand. Classical music was always playing on his radio.
He urged me to get to the opera. And when I did, it opened my eyes to how to “scale” an idea.
He urged me to get to The Museum of Modern Art. And when I did, I realized how color could evoke an emotion in an audience.
He gave me books of poetry. He got me tickets to the ballet.
And all of it . . . even the stuff I didn’t love . . . taught me something.
The theater is an art form that includes so many other art forms. Especially musicals. Musicals are mashups of more singularly-focused art forms.
That’s why you’ll be a better and more robust TheaterMaker the more you expose yourself to other forms.
So this week . . . get thee to a museum or read a piece of literature . . . or indulge in any other art form that strikes your fancy.
And get ready for it to expand your mind and your TheaterMaking.
P.S. Last year I started a scholarship in my Dad’s name . . . and you can see the inaugural winners of that scholarship here! Since then, thanks to donations from people like you as well as my own giving, we’ve given away 5 more scholarships to TheaterMakers, as well as individual grants and more.
If you’ve enjoyed my Dad’s advice, and want to help in his and my mission to encourage people to make more theater, click here to learn more and make a donation. It means a lot to me, but more to the people we’re encouraging! Click here and thank you in advance!
