Try to Remember the Kind of September

Once again summer has flown by and we are all facing that wonderful month of September. It is a month of beginnings. School is beginning again. The theatre seasons in Chicago are all starting over. The weather is changing greeting us with an early autumn crispness that seems to have been the theme for the summer itself in Chicago.

Ghostlight has been a little lax as my day-job has moved to new offices and I have been in charge of managing that move. One of my co-workers who once-upon-a-time spent time in the theatre asked me if I had ever been a Stage Manager. The theatre truly influences all aspects of our lives and can be seen by those we com in contact with.

This new season will be a challenging one for theatres across the country. While the economy has felt the effects of the recession for over a year now, the charitable world has not yet. Giving cycles are a year behind and as theatres start to apply for new grants and donations they will find that budgets have been slashed in this fiscal year. The weather is not the only thing that has been cold.

But we need to stand up and continue to create our great art. Creativity spans far beyond the ability to spend a large budget well. The main spark of creation is being able to create something out of nothing. That is the challenge - to move the spirit and the spirit alone. Examine the story you are telling, strip away everything but the essentials and I guarantee you that you will survive the new season.


Happy Birthday: Ned Allyen (1566-1626)