Hostages of the Government (And the NFL)

America likes football. I know I do.  I would desperately miss the 2011 NFL season. Fortunately, it looks like its going to happen. Players are supposed to vote tomorrow and approve the deal on the table.  Which is great.


Go Packers.


Anyway, I was reading this article on ESPN and I think it's amazingly level-headed. (Probably due in part to the fact that ESPN writers have no obligation to be partisan.)


Like this section:

Sitting here in the corner with the wool pulled down over our eyes, listening to strangers whisper urgently about money and what desperate things they'll do if they don't get it, it's easy to feel like a hostage. Being held for ransom is now the normal state of things for the citizen-consumers of America.

Whether we're talking about the National Football League or the national debt as political football, we've long since surrendered ourselves into the abject care of madmen.

 My point here is that Jeff MacGregor, the author, is right. For the most part, as citizens, we seem to be held hostage by the politicians and businessmen of the country.  I think the responsibility falls on us though.  We need to be more active in day to day operation of our country. Because right now, this quote rings remarkably true:

In what can only be called history's worst case of Stockholm syndrome, not only do we continue to believe deeply in our captors and the institutions and fictions they represent but we go so far as to pay our own ransom. Again and again and again.

It's a brilliant article. Read the whole thing. 


Then help me figure out how we start to wrestle back control of our collective future.   

 

Google+

Why I'll Be Investing More of My Social Media Efforts Into Google+. And Why You Should Too.


I've been thinking about Google+ for a while. Occasionally talking about it with people.  Jesse could tell you a little about our conversation which was accompanied by various efforts to explore the functionality of this new social network. I didn't quite get it at first (which is a problem Google is going to have to address).  


But today, I think I've started to understand.  Google+ is an evolutionary step above its big rival, Facebook.  Quite frankly, I think it's a brilliant invention for those of us who are a little tired with the sheer amount of time we spend on Facebook, getting next to nothing accomplished, but still appreciate the communal nature of social media and the ability to SHARE information over the various platforms at our disposal.  


If I were a diligent blog writer I would find my source here, but I'm not, so trust me when I say that I once read something about Facebook and its effect on our spare time.  In addition to myself, I know many friends who spend a lot of time "on Facebook" which has this ability to make us feel like we're accomplishing something without really doing anything at all.  The reason behind this, I think, is the wall.  The Facebook wall is this odd place where all of a sudden interactions between individuals became public knowledge.  Addicting? Yes. Productive? I don't think so. 


I know that I have found myself suffering from what I am calling "Facebook Fatigue" which results from spending too much time looking at nothing of real importance on the King of Social Networks. I get bored and frustrated but sometimes have a hard time finding something else to do.


Recently, I've found a different and (I think) better and more productive use for social networks: the sharing of ideas and information.  Twitter is great for this, and I repeatedly defend its use to those who claim to "Not Understand."  Google+ might be better though.


First, I love Google+'s emphasis on "Sharing" Look:

And because of this "Sharing" emphasis, it can be done anonymously, like Twitter, so you don't have to know someone personally to take advantage of the information they share publicly. BUT, you don't have to share information publicly, you can share it with Circles, or with specific people. This might be the most control over your information granted by any social network. (That I know of)

Secondly, there's no wall!  Which, admittedly, I first saw as a downfall, but now view as a great evolutionary jump in social networking. Finally, I don't have to see what every one of my friends is saying to every other one of my friends.  I can start to wrestle my free time back away from the futility of Facebook!  Hooray! 

This is also why I want all of you to start using Google+.  You can still "Share whats new" so you'll be keeping me posted on your life, which I still appreciate about social networking. And, we can use Hangouts, which actually, I think bring a little more of the "Social" part back into social networking.

So in review: 

• Sharing. Which is good. We're spreading knowledge, which is a great feature of social networking.  
• No Wall! Finally, the details of everyone else's personal relationships becomes a little less public. I don't think anyone should have a problem with that. Don't get me wrong, knowing these things about people is interesting, it just gets in the way of me doing something more meaningful.
• Hangouts. Which I think might be one of the defining elements of Google+. Now I just have to try it.

Join Google+, the social network for people who want their real lives back.

Italia...

Sitting in tech tonight for Man of La Mancha at the Hangar, I kept finding myself thinking about Italy. Yes, I was only there for three weeks, but man did they make an impact.

It's funny, the three weeks I was in Italy were definitely fantastic, I just don't think I realized how fantastic until about a week or two ago. It's hard to comprehend the difference in experience between actually being there and looking back on the trip after its been over.

I don't feel like I regret not doing anything in Italy. In fact, I feel like I experienced more in the 20 days I was there than I have in the entire rest of my year.

I guess you could say that the famed "travel bug" has bitten me. I understand now why someone like Dr. Lees, who took us, for those of you that don't know, wants to go back every year: to relive all the experiences I will just cherish in memory for now and not know when I'll make new ones like that. The food, the wine, the amazing places older than any building in the U.S., and of course, the people who treated us so well. I want to go out again with the friends that I made, especially because I feel like I just got to know them right before we left.

I discovered last summer, before I knew that I was coming back to the Hangar again that one of the hardest things to do is to leave something or someone behind without knowing when you'll have those experiences again.

Right now, I'm having those feelings about Italy, especially the towns and people of Perugia and Montagnana. I don't know when my finances will be at the point where I can make the trek back to Italy again, but I will be back, and I can't wait.

Meanwhile, once again, I'm trying my best in Ithaca for another summer. It's fun, pretty different than last year, but still fun. The living situation has made it harder to make new friends besides the ones I already have, but I am still doing it. its just taking a little longer than last year. However, my summer antics are a topic for another post.

I promise to post part two of my future ambitions later in the week. The italy stuff was on my mind so I decided to write it down before I forgot. Until next time...

My Plan: Part Two

You've read Part I. It was essentially focused on my past, how I got where I am, and what I think about the theatrical environment in Dubuque. Now, let me move on to my actual plan. I strongly believe, especially if the city of Dubuque continues on the cultural and economic paths it is currently on, my dream of a professional theatre in Dubuque is very realistic.

Here's my plan to start this theatre. Dubuque is in a great position geographically for professional theatre artists. Chicago and the Twin Cities, two very large theatrical towns are both a comfortable days drive from Dubuque. This is important because I believe that in order for a theatre billed as "professional" to be successful, it needs to be under the artistic supervision of working professionals. It is my goal to work successfully in Chicago or another nearby city for several years before and after graduate school, making professional contacts, which will be helpful in bringing theatre to Dubuque. A successful professional theatre needs to have a large national network of professionals to draw from, and I believe Chicago and the Twin Cities could provide this opportunity.

I envision this theatre beginning as primarily a summerstock adventure. Even though Dubuque is growing, I fully expect there to be an empty warehouse somewhere in the downtown area where a theatre space could bee made. Perhaps this theatre could start simply, 99 seats, found scenery, lights borrowed from other Dubuque venues, etc. I'm sure there are a lot of complications I don't know about yet, but hopefully the time working in professional theatre would bring up and answer some of those questions.

There are a couple of other issues that this new theatrical venture would need to deal with in order to be successful. First, it must offer material for a range of people and this includes educational programming. Second, it must be accessible, meaning, anyone who desires to see a production must have the means to do so. This responsibility falls to the theatre, not the patron. Finally, this theatre must be connected and in touch with the community. To accomplish this, it will be important to bring in native Dubuquers to work as administrators of the theatre. A connection to the people, artists and, for better or worse, money of Dubuque would be a valuable product of local Dubuquers running the administrative and outreach wings of the organization.

Finally, I know I am not the only theatre person from Dubuque. My summary of the large theatrical population in Part One illustrates that fact. It is possible that someone will beat me to the punch when it comes to establishing professional theatre in Dubuque. In fact, with teh Dubuque Art Theatre, the process may already have begun as a group of young theatre artists attempt to produce extremely accessible theatre to the community. To them and to all the community theatre groups in Dubuque, I say that no part of my plan is diabolical in the sense that I want to create the dominant theatre company in Dubuque. The ability for local theatre enthusiasts to create their own work must never be extinguished. I simply want to provide a strong artistic home for regional, and someday national, professionals to practice their craft, and perhaps, unite the many disparate theatre groups in Dubuque under one banner. I want to do this in my hometown because I love Dubuque, and I believe there is real potential in the area for this undertaking.

Thus begins the multiple year process of planting the seeds for this endeavor. This plan will not be successful if I just blindly jump into it. The idea will take years of foundation laying to have even a chance at survival. As of right now, I know I have friends who are planning on staying in Dubuque for the long term, and to those people and anyone reading this who finds themselves in Dubuque, please tell me what you think of this idea, because great things are born out of honest discussion. So I ask you to simply imagine...



Imagine...picnicking on the riverfront on a Saturday night (sans fishflies of course) then strolling to a warehouse which has been transformed into a modern, refurbished, comfortable theatre, witnessing a performance which makes you think about some aspect of your life, or simply moves you in a new way. You leave the theatre into the summer night with a new perspective, walk slowly along the Mississippi River Walk to your car thinking about what you just saw. You stop, gaze out at the river and think about how lucky you are to have such a venue in your hometown. The possibilities are truly endless.

My Plan: Part One

Here is the first part of a rather lengthy blog entry I am writing. I was going to publish it all at once, but figured I would get better readership if I split it. Enjoy this part, the second is coming in the next day or so.

I think it's important to have some sort of goals in life. Over the past year or so I've been giving thought to a growing life goal of mine: bringing professional theatre to Dubuque, Iowa, my hometown. Please bear with me, to tell this story properly is going to take a while.

Essentially since sophomore year, maybe even the end of freshman year of high school, I've wanted to do lighting for theatre. I loved doing theatre and lighting in high school and for much of my time at Dubuque Senior High School theatre and lighting we're an activity I could claim as my own. Before too long, however, it was time to think about college and I had convinced to look in other places for a career. Nothing really fit though, and so I went to the University of Northern Iowa to do the "theatre" thing and see what happened. Freshman year was a little confusing but before too long I had figured out that theatre was the right place for me. Luckily, I still absolutely feel that way.

Part Two: I grew up in Dubuque, Iowa and spent most of that time convinced I would never want to come back as an adult. This is certainly no longer the case. Maybe it's some manifestation of homesickness or maybe I just have increasing love and respect for the town which shaped me for 18 years. A big part of that shaping was getting involved in theatre. I have been surrounded by it for a long time thanks to my parents, especially my dad, who acted so often in community theatre. When the second chance for me to get involved in theatre came (I missed the first in 7th grade) in 8th grade, I joined the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Program at Washington Jr. High. In May of that year, I ran my first light board and haven't turned back since. Theatre has been a big part of my life since age thirteen thanks to the wonderful programs in Dubuque. The great thing is, these programs don't just exist in the schools. There seems to be a huge passion for theatre in Dubuque. Off the top of my head I can think of seven community theatre groups which have produced in Dubuque at one point. Many still do, in fact. This is not including the local colleges which also have quality programs. The point that I'm trying to make here is that live theatre is a really big deal in Dubuque, however, to me, it seems far to spread out. I want to fix that...

Snapshots

So I've left this blog alone for a long time. I started it as a theatre blog, but I have since moved that over to my website which I also need to update. So, since I've been reading blogs by some friends I've decided to start this one back up, albeit with a different focus. I've yet to define that entirely, but I'll probably put up lots of pictures (hence the new title) and probably some semi-regular "snapshots" into my life.

Here we go with the first new post. For those of you that don't know, I am again in Ithaca for the second summer in a row working at the Hangar Theatre. Look for some pictures of the first opening night in the new theatre this weekend. Its a beautiful place, the theatre, the town, and the people. Just not where we're being housed, but I'm slowly getting over that. Anyway, tonight I took some time to walk around the Ithaca College campus, take some photos, then edit them a little. Here are a few of my results:

The ones that require explanation I'll explain. I don't think this one needs much.

One of those sweet reflection pictures.

I just like this one. Good Colors.

College

One Last Tree Shot.

Well, I hope you've appreciated these. Sometime soon I'll give you a picture into the current happenings with me. There's not too much happening right now besides work, which is a little interesting, but that's for later. Let me know what you think of the photos and the new blog idea!

Moving On!

I'm transferring this blog to the website I'm working on. I hope whoever follows this, follows me there! Heres the LINK!

Thanks!

Rounded or Focused?

I have always been on the lookout for skills that would compliment a degree in theatre. More specifically, what classes could I take now that will benefit me in the future, specifically with an eye on lighting design. I have always understood that making it as a lighting designer alone is damn difficult and with that in mind I started a business communication minor at school with the idea that it would help me communicate and give a business/management background which I could apply if I end up working for a lighting company some day.

It turns out business classes and books are mind-numbingly boring. I probably could have guessed that going in, but decided to try anyway. I guess my main question involves what skills and/or knowledge should an undergraduate theatre major, in search of his B.A. so that he can eventually become a lighting designer look for?

A lot of my curiousity on this issue stems from the graduate school research I've done. When looking at grad school websites, they are often very specific about the materials and qualifications one must present in order to be a successful applicant. However, in interviews I've read and personal discussions I have had with grad school representatives, they emphasize possesing a wide range of knowledge about various subjects and say they can teach you what you don't know, so long as you present an eagerness to learn. So the question arises, which do they prefer? I suspect as with so many things in life, its best to aim down the middle, which is probably what I will try and do.

The next step is what to do about this minor? Should I stay with it, hoping that it will provide me knowledge which could help me some day? Or, perhaps I try my hand at a general communication minor and stay away from the business portion, which is what is currently turning me off. OR, for a third option, and one that sounds really appealing at the moment, abandon a minor all-together and take classes that I view as genuinely interesting which will expand my knowledge in a lot of different areas. Personally, I really like that idea, as it allows me an opportunity to become more well-rounded and well-read. I can focus in during grad school, why spend so much time and effort as an undergrad limiting myself by taking classes I don't find interesting. I will mull this over and surely talk to some professors but if you are reading this and have some input, please leave a comment, I would welcome it!

Thats all for know and I do hope to update this more regularly in the future!

Theatre as an Intellectual Art

This post is less about current happenings in my life, and more about general realizations I've had over the past year regarding the art I practice. When I first started college, I became disenfranchised with theatre for quite some time. Suddenly, the thing I thought I wanted to do just didn't feel right any more. However, I decided to stick with it based on some friends motivation and the feeling that if I gave up theatre, I would be giving up a huge part of my life.

Fortunately, sometime at the beginning of the '08-'09 school year, I think I went through change in my viewpoint. I think I came to college expecting theatre to be something similar to high school and in reality this is very far from the truth. For whatever reason, it took me a long time to realize this and then make the necessary changes to the way I interected, so to speak, with theatre. A major turnaround point for me was my Playscript Analysis and Interpretation class, which although extremely challenging provided an intellectual look at theatre in a way I had never before been aware of. Never before had I realized exactly how much goes on in the text of a play and what it meant to me as an aspiring designer. Since then I have not looked back.

Recently I have been sort of scouring the internet looking for designers and other's viewpoints on design, especially lighting. One of the most interesting things I've read is a lighting designer who believes wholly in lighting based on the text above all else. I really enjoyed reading this perspective and completely agree with what he says. I know that I have had the tendancy to pay close attention to what stage directions might say in a script but if we pay those too much attention we can get distracted from the real important material, the words the characters are saying. It is the words from which the real meaning of a text comes from and as designers we have a responsibility to shape worlds based on our reactions to those words.

In this age of ever increasing technology, which don't get me wrong, is wonderful and amazing and fantastic, I think we, especially young designers, have a tendancy to try and create something "cool" and "exciting" before considering whether "cool" and "exciting" fits with the text of the play, musical, opera, etc. being designed. As I go forward into my third year of college I really hope to impress upon people my belief of designing for my reaction to the text, within the context of the entire design team of course, for it is with this belief in what truly good design is that I hope to build my future, and I hope that by expressing it here and through word of mouth I can open up opportunities for myself with others who share this philosophy. Thanks for Reading!

A New Thing to Try!

Hello to the Blogosphere! My name is Michael Brown and I am a Theatre major at the University of Northern Iowa. My primary interest is in lighting design and I've created this blog to express my observations about the field, display the work I am currently doing and hopefully connect with other theatre people in the future. Here's to hoping it goes as I hope.

This first blog post finds me in Ithaca, New York, working at the Hangar Theatre as an electrician. We are finishing up the second show of the season, Once on This Island, today and going into changeover into November tonight. As with every tech process it will surely be exciting and long and stressful, but as always, rewarding come opening night. Stay tuned for pictures as we progress through the process.

I also plan to use this blog to post information on all the new projects I am working on. Hopefully I can use it as another way of documentation about my process.

Hopefully I will keep up with this on a regular basis and you yet undiscovered readers will be able to provide feedback to this young designer and technician as I grow and progress through the early phases of my career.

Thanks for Reading and Happy Fourth of July!