Today Ghostlight Chicago celebrates its first birthday. Although we may have been a little hit-or-miss over the last month, his milestone will give us a chance here to refocus and recommit to creating dialogue about theatre.
Think back over the changes that have happened over the past year. When this blog first started, Barack Obama hadn't even been selected as the Democratic Party's nominee and no one knew who Sarah Palin was. No only was no one thinking of the tough recession that we are now facing, President Bush's economic stimulus check hadn't even been issued. The world we are facing now is much changed that what seems like both a short and long 365 days ago.
Personally things change too. If you count the day job that I held at this time last year, well I'm now on job number four - and lucky to have it.
Seasons change and art struggles to keep up. Now theatre, when it may be more important than ever, is having trouble justifying its expense to the patrons. When people have to make the choice between the mortgage or medical bills or even food, superfluous expenses like art often will take a back seat. There have been enormous economic stimulus bills passed by the new administration that many of us normal folk haven't seen the impact of. I'm told that the Republicans and some Democrats were upset that the bills included money for the arts and artists - so far I haven't seen any of that capital.
It's a daunting world. Much is uncertain but we struggle on. Some theatre is providing important insight - some is providing entertainment and escape, and some... well some is ceasing to exist.
Times are tough.
Happy Birthday: Richard Kiley (1922-1999)
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