So... I've been thinking a lot about the nature of the business I am currently engaged in. Theatre is collaborative, passionate, immediate, and impermanent. This last one is super important. There is an unspoken contract between and artist and an audience.
"What you are witnessing is one of a kind event. This show will never, ever be like this again."
How exciting and dangerous that is! Each performance is a one of a kind, almost bespoke creation for each person sitting in their chair. This culmination of several artists opinions, expertise, experience and passions has been built off of day, weeks, months, years of preparation. It's amazing to think that the several dozen artists working on a production have all of these energies funneled into a story told within the span of a few hours. Decades of cumulative efforts that are passionately brought to brief magical moments onstage. I have been fortunate enough to have been working in the Bay Area Theatre scene for close to ten years (a comparatively small time). Through this time I have had countless conversations with friends and colleagues about moments such as these. These conversations let me know the story behind of the amazing work these artists have done. And gave me a better understanding of just how mush passion and work goes into those moments beyond what an audience gets to see. How fortunate was I to have been given an audience to this insight. And what a pity there wasn't (as far as I really knew) a forum to show and appreciate this work fully. These "talking shop" conversations may not appeal to everyone but I thought they might be of interest to the rest of the Bay Area Theatre crowd. So I did something about it.
I started a podcast.
"I'm B.A.T.man" - Your Bay Area Theatre Podcast
Hosted by me, your Bay Area Theatre Man
So what will this podcast be?
My hope is to bring more awareness of the expertise and sacrifices made by individuals within larger organizations. And I will do that primarily with conversations with those very people.
This isn't a really a review show (although there maybe talk of a critical nature).
This isn't a really a feature show (I hope to serve the artists interests over that of a company they may represent).
This isn't a serious show... actually, it may be serious.
This isn't a silly show... actually, chances are it will be very silly.
It may seem like my guidelines are paradoxical, and I haven't really given myself much of a format...
To be honest, I'd rather not limit what this podcast will be... except "be honest".
I want it to be honest, and fun, and safe for all listeners and guests.
So that's what I've been working on for a while (and I hope to be working on it for long time in the future). You can listen and download new episodes here...
Also.. If you haven't seen "Fun Home" at Theatreworks Silicon Valley, we run until October 28th.
So but your tickets so you don't miss out on magic moments like this...