We Are All Artists

Now that rehearsals have started and all of the fall shows are in swing (except Equus, which auditions this week at Tremper! See the KUSD Theater Arts Facebook page for details), Lets talk a little bit about why what we do matters. We're more than a nice box you can tick off on your college aps, friends. But you know that. You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't find greater value in the arts.

It is sometimes difficult to explain to others, people who believe they reside outside of the direct influence of the arts, why we do what we do. For young artists it can be the classmates and even friends who think its "gay". For college students its the ever present contingent of "How are you going to make a living doing that?" and for adults, it can be "Yeah, but that's not a real job". It can be hard to answer those critics, or work through the sea of "it doesn't mean anything" or for us worse, "Its just high school theater". But don't be silenced by these voices. Be an advocate for your art. Those voices are loud, how we can start to have those conversations?

We are not subtle storytellers, theater people. We don't sneak our stories under the radar or hide them on your cereal box. We are very bold. We want to tell you this story and we're going to do it in this place at this time. Come see it. We make conflict on purpose, for the sake of telling a good story, because even the simplest stories have conflict. What we learn by doing this is, in the process of creating and solving these conflicts, is that we can, in fact, solve these conflicts. Actors learn to question and choose and create answers to those conflicts. Then, without even realizing it, they leave rehearsal and step out into their life, which is likely not very much like a scripted story, and they start looking at the conflict in their own life differently. Perhaps they start to make different choices because they have practiced, in a very safe place, making different choices. Actors can see that they are in charge of their own story. How empowering, at age 15, 16, 17! To know you have it in you to change your story and to have had the opportunity to practice making the choices.

Art requires interaction. It takes at least two people to create conflict, it takes at least two people to create art. You need an artist and an audience. This goes for any art, of course. Written, spoken, played, seen; there must be an interaction, a conversation. When we go see a play, a movie, a musical, even a dance performance, we open ourselves to the conversation. Often, this means opening ourselves, intentionally, to being uncomfortable with what is happening in the story. It might not seem like this, but I promise you, there were some very unhappy little princesses in the audience when King Triton blew up Ariel's grotto. But we had to have the conflict, to be uncomfortable, for the story to advance. And as simple and silly as it seems, many adults have seen themselves or their own parents in that scene and discussed it with their children. Disney may seem like child's play on the surface, but really, these stories are ages old for a reason. The conflicts and the desire to solve them speak to us, regardless of age. The need is there, only the perspectives change. Artist are prepared for those conversations. We create them, it is our job.

No one lives outside the influence of the arts. The arts, performing arts, visual arts, art period, touches every single aspect of our lives. It is on every television, every screen, in every console or PC game we play. There is intentional art and design in the cars we drive, the food we eat, the ambiance in the restaurant where we eat. Every sales pitch is trying to bring you into its story. Art speaks to us, through music, whether the carefully selected streaming station we curated ourselves or the background music at Target, the magazine you picked up while standing in line to buy the shoes that "just scream you" or even the print on the newly minted twenty dollar bill you just paid for it all with. There are no accidents there. It is all designed to create a story around you, and for you.

We are all the audience in our everyday. But we can all be more. We can all choose to create, to ask questions, to solve the conflicts, to change the story. We can all be the artists who create the world. So don't be afraid. Speak up for yourself and your art. Go ahead. Start the conversation.