A Moment of Gratitude

I told my husband I’d write once a week. And I was trying to figure out what I’d write about, when I read Juan’s blog… and it got me thinking about our company members, and how the work we do now now relates to work I’ve done in Chicago in the past.

I know I’m bias, but I have to say I am constantly impressed with Halcyon’s company members and artistic associates. Because of their talent, yes; but more than that, with the level of commitment to the company, and the excitement they have about our mission.

I’ve been in Chicago for a long time now, and even though I tend to do theatre the way I live (I stick to my neighborhood, i.e. I spend most of my time working for the company I am a member of) I’ve talked to a lot of other artists in the community. And I have to say, with other companies I've worked with, there has always been an underlying current of “the mission is just to help us get grants.”

When I read Juan’s post, it reminded me again how committed the artists of Halcyon are to our mission, and how that guides our work by entertaining audiences by performing great stories from across our many cultures; bringing people together. Committed to an extent that it shines through in the little things: working concessions on a night off; monitoring auditions; watching our son so we can attend a strike. It’s empowering; when I get exhausted with all the work there is to do, I think about how much help Tony and I have to make this company work and this dream a reality.

Their dedication comes out in so many ways that I haven’t experienced before: Offering to call colleges and groups to let them know about upcoming shows, without us bringing it up; an offer to help with our financial data entry or to teach the other members about grant writing; the willingness to help with fundraising. These things may seem like a no-brainer, but those of you who have been part of a company know that it is not always easy to get EVERYONE on board at the same time, especially when they are not necessarily getting the lead in the next show. Usually, in my experience, one person burns out, and another one steps up to pick up the slack, and then that person burns out, etc…

Anyway, I’ve been feeling very grateful to our artists, and Juan’s blog really brought it home for me. You are only as strong as your weakest link; I feel the strength of the company growing leaps and bounds every day.