The Business of Friendship

            Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend my first Helen Hayes Awards in Washington, DC (I say first because I’ll be back…and I’m going to win one eventually, mark my words).  While there, it became apparent how incredibly fortunate I am to work in the arts, surrounded by passionate people.  As much networking and business talk happened throughout the evening, what was clear we were not just celebrating with coworkers, but with friends.

            This is an industry full of talented people who could apply their skills and minds to other fields if they wanted, but it is the passion that drives them to work in theatre-if you were under the impression we did it for the money…I want to know where you are getting your information.

            Every industry is all about your relationships.  Talent and skill, no matter the level, will always go that much further if you are a person whom others like to work with.  Not only that, but you will be happier yourself, to be able to share your work with others who care about it as much as you is an experience I wish for everyone I know.  It did not occur to me how much of a difference that makes until I was in a lobby talking to friends, and every time I saw a familiar face from an old project, I was genuinely excited and interested to know what they were doing, instead of faking a smile and nodding along.

            Now, it is true that you will not get along with everyone.  You will butt heads and have bad experiences, and that is a risk you take when passions and ideas converge-they don’t always mix well.  However, I encourage you to never back away from those fights.  Always commit yourself to your views and ideas, and see conversations through to the end.  I’m also not saying you have to approach every conversation as a fight, because that attitude will also not benefit anyone.  Be honest and advocate for yourself, do not be afraid to upset someone in the pursuit of a better idea.  It is my belief that as long as the goal of a conversation remains about the idea or project, and does not devolve into something personal, then you will gain more respect from, and for, the other person. 

            We work in the business of crafting passion and abstract ideas, and if you fully commit yourself to every project you are on, and engage those around you with the intention of creating the best outcome, then when the dust settles, you are all going to be happy for the whole process as you admire your work over a few beers at opening.

            This is inspired on a personal level because I will also soon be moving, relocating to Austin, Texas to get my MFA from University of Texas in the upcoming fall.  And when we look to the future, it is inevitable that we look back with “graduation goggles” (to borrow a term from my favorite sitcom, ‘How I Met Your Mother’), and I can honestly say that I have been truly lucky to have met and worked with so many people, and made so many friends in the DC theatre community.  It is not a question of ‘IF’, but “WHEN” I will return to work them all again. 

            That said, I do still have at least two more productions in the area before I go anywhere, so I should probably postpone the sentimentality a little bit.

The 28th Annual Helen Hayes Awards at the Warner Theatre