[NoHo Arts District, CA] – This month’s Soaring Solo blog talks about “They say the show must go on … but must it?” especially during the recent L.A. fires.
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” – Viktor Frankl
They say the show must go on… But must it?
A handful of my clients were given Encore Awards after having phenomenal performances of their one-person plays in the Soaring Solo Studios SOLO STARS Series at Zephyr Theatre in December 2024. Their encore performances were scheduled to hit the stage January 16-19, 2025. Those of you living in California, or simply tuning into the international news, know that there were raging wildfires hitting Los Angeles during that time.
West Hollywood, where the shows were slated to perform, was not directly hit by the fires, yet the entire City of Angels was certainly feeling all of the fear, turmoil and grief that permeated the atmosphere.
The question then became, do we reschedule these shows or do we continue as planned since many parts of LA were still business as usual in most respects? For some, the answer might be an obvious “hell yes! Cancel the shows! There’s a crisis brewing! How can you even think of sitting or performing in a theatre at a time like this!”
Yet, for others, the question of should the show go on or not? was not quite so simple.
One of the solo artists posted her show flyer on social media and was immediately met with, “that’s really tone deaf of you” by one of her friends. She felt shame and embarrassment and came to me with this feedback inquiring what was the right thing to do in the circumstances.
In that moment, my mind reflected back on the Covid-19 pandemic and how theatres were shutting down, canceling shows, and going out of business left and right. It was a terrifying time for people in performance art who made their living on stage, yet wanted to ensure the safety of everyone, including themselves.
It was through a stroke of serendipity that a theatre I had been directing at for many years prior to Covid already had been in the practice of livestreaming their performances long before that crisis hit. I met with the theatre owner virtually and we found a safe way to keep the theatre afloat and provide a great creative offering to the community, by livestreaming solo shows. Afterall, it was just one person on stage performing, the technician was safe in the booth, and the audience was safe at home.
During that time, I was often told by actors and audiences alike, how absolutely lifesaving this theatrical offering was to them. Whether it was being able to tune out the horror going on in the world by escaping into another reality, or offering the gift of inspiring stories to people sitting alone on their couches who desperately needed a great big dose of hope, we were bringing value to our community in the way that we were uniquely positioned to do as solo artists.
Now in 2025, as my client sat waiting for my response on what she should do, another critical moment where art was displayed ran through my mind. I recalled the famous story of the musicians who continued to play as the Titanic sank. I am sure there were people screaming at them to throw their instruments overboard and try to help in some other way. However, that was their way to help, to cope, to serve in their unique capacity. And I trust that there were souls on the deck of that ship that night who took solace in the musician’s choice to play on as the water rose.
Taking all of that into account, I had to really ask myself what is the true value of art? Why do we share our stories from stage on a typical Friday night, let alone during natural disasters?
And is it tone deaf to do so?
There is not one right answer in my opinion. This is not a black-and-white issue. When we are dealing with trauma, catastrophe, loss and grief, there is not a one-size-fits-all all solution to deal with such calamaties. We must suspend our judgment, be of service to others in whatever ways we can, and take care of ourselves in the best way we know how.
So, how did I answer my client?
I told her everything I just expressed in this blog and she decided to proceed.
Did the the Encore shows go on?
Well, two out of the six performers decided it was too challenging and harmful to think of performing when the city was burning around them. I understood this decision and supported them in postponing. Yet, the other four solo artists opted to carry forward and give their proceeds to various organizations helping with wildfire relief.
None of the six solo artists were right, nor were any of them wrong. Each performer checked in with themselves and did what felt good to them, and I respected each of their decisions.
And what was truly awesome is that we had over a hundred people come to the theatre that weekend, and together as a creative community, we raised plentiful funds to help California recover from this tragic loss. Not only that, but the audiences throughout the weekend laughed, cried, thought critically, and received the invaluable gift of story.
So, must the show go on? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. As with anything in life, ask yourself what your “why” is. If your “why” is compelling, inspiring and is of service to yourself and others, go forward in that direction, whether that’s on stage or off.
I hope today’s blog helps you remember the power and value that art has especially in times of crisis. Please continue to persist along on your solo journey. It may not be easy, but it is so worth it!
Jessica Lynn Johnson
Founder & CEO of Soaring Solo LLC
SoaringSoloArtist@gmail.com
www.SoaringSoloStudios.com
Enjoy these Solo Theatre Resources to further guide you on your solo journey!
Tune in and Support the Soaring Solo Community as We Share Our Stories from Stage!
Award-winning director and developer Jessica Lynn Johnson hosts a slew of powerful solo show script readings and full staged productions addressing various impactful and inspiring topics.
This enticing lineup can be found by CLICKING HERE FOR MORE INFO.
Start Writing Your Own Solo Show One Freewrite at a Time with “FREEWrite Friday!”
Join BEST NATIONAL SOLO ARTIST WINNER Jessica Lynn Johnson for FREEWrite Friday!
Utilizing thought-provoking writing prompts, Jessica will lead you in writing exercises that are sure to assist you in the development of your solo show.
A one-person play is not typically written in one fell swoop. Rather, the Soaring Solo Methodology teaches that the creation of solo art is much like that of creating a Mosaic…one beautiful piece at a time.
All that is required to attend this inspiring event is a willingness to explore, having a pen, paper, or some other means of capturing your thoughts, the ability to access Zoom, and signing up on this page as your official RSVP.
We look forward to having you join the Soaring Solo Community in this event because your story matters!
CLICK HERE TO RSVP and obtain the Zoom link and password.
Attend the Soaring Solo FREE One-Person Play Development Class ONLINE!
No matter where you are in the creation of your solo show, idea phase, curiosity phase, full draft written, touring the festival and college market, BEST NATIONAL SOLO ARTIST and founder of Soaring Solo, Jessica Lynn Johnson, will meet you where you are at and take you to the next level! All that is required to attend is a willingness to explore, a pen, and some paper. No previous writing or performance experience necessary, and no need to have written anything to bring to class. Each week Jessica will guide you in exercises to help generate and stage NEW material! So come and meet other creatives in a supportive space for expression and exploration! The class is ongoing and so you may pop in and out as you please as long as you RSVP BY CLICKING HERE for this FREE ONE PERSON PLAY CLASS.
Online Coaching Consultation
Schedule an Online Coaching Consultation with Jessica Lynn Johnson to discuss the possibilities for your solo show!
Jessica brings her 15+ years of solo theatre expertise to work privately with solo artists from all over the world on an as needed basis.
A 1 on 1 Consultation is for you if…
-You are curious about creating a solo show, but you need writing prompts to help you generate material.
– You are tossing around ideas for your solo show, but you need some accountability and encouragement to commit those ideas to the page.
-You have already written some material, but you need expert feedback on editing, story structure and play formatting.
-You have a great first draft, but need guidance on how to utilize multimedia and solo theatre technique in order to make your show a dynamic piece of solo theatre.
-You already premiered your solo show and now you want some tips on how to tour colleges and festivals, and garner accolades and great reviews!
-You have heard great things about Jessica’s work and you’re curious about hiring her as a Director & Developer for your solo show, but first you want to feel her out and see if she is the right fit for you and your project.
Wherever you may find yourself on your solo journey, Jessica will help you overcome whatever immediate obstacle stands between you and your solo success.
If you resonate with many of the things on this list, then take the next step by emailing SoaringSoloArtist@gmail.com for more information.