It’s been 19 weeks, that’s 133 days since we closed the Actors Workout due to the shelter in place order of the Corona virus. That was on March 17th.
I was confident and told my team, staff, classes, students, and production partners, that we should be back by June 1st, and worse case, July 1. Well, we’re going into August and no opening in sight as of this writing. We have moved our classes on line and that is going quite successfully. Our productions are still on hold, and we have started virtual programs, performances and gatherings. More on that next month. For now I want to talk about survival.
Much of the conversation I’ve had with actors over the past few months has been about surviving our sanity, deepening our artistry, and digging further into our artistic journeys.
I’ve been reading books I don’t usually read, exercising differently as I can’t go to the gym, watching things I don’t usually watch, cooking things I don’t usually cook, fixing things I don’t usually fix, having conversations I don’t usually have, and talking to people I don’t usually talk with. I guess as I look back, I am doing and finding new things in my life that without this situation, I might not have experienced.
I recently found a poem that spoke to me. It’s getting a lot of viral sharing by people like Deepak Chopra, radio stations in Australia, Oprah Winfrey, on instagram, twitter, and Youtube. I can see why and would like to share it with my readers here in case you haven’t seen it. It touched me and I think expresses hope, compassion, growth, insight and possibility during this time. All of which we need.
And the People Stayed Home.
A poem by Kitty O’Meara.
And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal. And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.
I hope you’re staying well, safe, and doing things that feed your soul so you continue your growth in your artistry. Till next time, take care.
Fran Montano