Life of a Theatre Wife

Chicago Storefront Summit Breakout: Gender and Equality

Life of a Theatre Wife

Written by Jennifer Adams Wednesday, 16 December 2009 21:43

Chicago Storefront Summit Breakout: Gender and Equality

Join members of the Chicago theatre community, women and men, in discussing the impact of gender on the Chicago theatre scene. This discussion will bring theatre community members together to find common ground and determine next steps. We invite any who are interested in this topic, be you a theatre company representative or freelancer, to participate.

We hope you'll bring your own ideas and questions, but here are some questions we've been thinking about:

* Is there a disparity between opportunities for men and women, and if so, at what level does it start? Do women in storefront theatres in Chicago experience the same challenges as women in larger and Equity houses?

* Do the same challenges exist across the board artistically, or is it different for playwrights, directors, designers and actors?

* Would a gender equitable Chicago theatre scene look different from the current one and if so, how?

* What can each of us do to change the status quo? Are there opportunities for group action or collaboration?

Please give us your input on a date for the first in a series of discussions. Tell all your friends. On Monday, December 21st, we'll decide the date and location. If you have any questions, or want to help with planning, get in touch. We want your input!

We hope to see you soon!

Jenn Adams                                       Margo Gray
Halcyon Theatre                                 Prologue Theatre Co.                        
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it                     This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Twitter: @halcyonjenn                        Twitter: @margogray Add a comment

Does the Economy Hold my Heart Hostage?

Life of a Theatre Wife

Written by Jennifer Adams Wednesday, 02 December 2009 15:35

Who am I?

I am not my kids or my marriage or my theatre company or my job.

What is left? Who am I?

I had the afternoon recently while the kids slept, and didn't know what to do. Didn't want to waste precious alone time. Didn't want to work or do something "necessary" or "meaningful." I ended up doing laundry and watching America's Next Top Model. How dumb is that?

Tyra, Goddess of the Model Mind, kept saying "Bring yourself to it."

I kept thinking, "Who is 'myself'?" I don't even feel like I know how to find myself, never mind bringing it to the table. It has prompted a lot of heavy sighing, through both nose and mouth, when I try to come up with an answer or a tangible solution.

I've been doing a lot of Soul Wading lately (soul searching would involve more time in the pool) and I'm realizing that I really need to get more art in my life. Now you might say "But you run a theatre company!" Yes. . . and that's very fulfilling.  But talking about the art, and how to make great art, is not on the same stage as doing the art, is it?

Ongoing difficulties at my day job have been a big factor in this is. Those of you who know me know that in the seven years I have been there, the cycle of happiness has always been like a Big Bi-Polar Hot Air Balloon. It goes in a circle: from ecstasy--feeling like what I do really matters to people; to crying on a toilet for ten minutes--being treated like I am the pee you see on the sidewalk. Like an irritating and useless puddle, that's not worth taking the time to clean up or think about for more than the time it takes to walk past.

The problem is, the air balloon is getting smaller and tighter; the cycles of crying are closer and closer together. I like the things I'm doing: the layout for the monthly newsletter-- I VERY excitedly taught myself InDesign, (with lots of help from Tony:); creating the email blasts; creating the numerous and glamorous flyers that melt the hearts of our members with their beauty and accessibility; and most recently, communicating with Chicago media to send press releases, announcements, etc., and keeping track of it all. It actually is really fun. I have a great direct supervisor. She understands how I work, and I think we work really well together. The issues don't have to do with what I do, they have to do with a general lack of respect, and a growing inability on my part to brush it off.

I keep thinking of my father, and how unhappy he was at his job. I always use to say, "Quit, Dad! It's making you a miserable person! No one should have to be that miserable!" Now I understand why quitting isn't as easy as it sounds, but after all these years, I still feel like a hypocrite that I can't follow my own advice...

So... what to do? The thought of doing another day job where I am expected to care, and yet am not cared about, does not appeal. The idea of having a day job that I don't care about goes against every fiber of my being (and my Zodiac sign, I think)... I am a person who needs to be passionate about her job. I really want to spend more time with our kids, but the idea of losing half our income does not seem like the responsible thing to do to us, our kids, or Halcyon. . .I would love to watch kids to supplement our income, but how many kids would I need to watch to do that, and still have enough in me to be a mom?

Now, stop me if you've heard this before, but...

What I really want is to have my day job be my Art...I love working really hard. I love having a job where I work long hours, and work nights, and attend meetings, and Ilove loving what I do and what it stands for. I have great ideas for our education programming; I love our mission and our ideas for working with refugees; I love to teach acting, to work with actors on their craft, I love directing, I love introducing theatre to people who don't know what it can hold, and to bring theatre to people of all ages. I really love working with actors who already know their stuff and are excited about getting even better. I would love to teach college, or classes through Halcyon for actors of all ages. . .

Here's the catch, right? I don't have a graduate degree. Nor do I have three years and tens of thousands of dollars to get a graduate degree...

I was looking on the DePaul website about their grad programs. . . The Theatre Admin. program looks good. . .it's really cool that you get to work at Chicago Shakespeare full-time as part of your degree (cool for CST as well, I imagine) but your salary is basically the cost of your tuition. . . so. . . again, that losing half our income for three years with two kids.

The Directing program looks. . . great, if you're 25 and right out of college with an acting degree...I looked at their curriculum..  . I've basically already DONE all of it, in the real world, for 10 years... and I think I do it pretty well. . . so, wouldn't I be taking time away from doing the art to learn what I already know about doing the art?

However, my work has all been rather... insulated? Not sure if that's the right word, but I have done it all on the down-low. Independently--I guess would be a better word. What I mean is, I didn't go the route of assisting for bigger directors or going to an undergrad or grad program where you got to meet and work with those people. Is anyone going to know who "Jenn Adams of Halcyon Theatre" is? . . . Enough to let me teach their kids? . . . or hire me to teach? (even though, of course, I would truly rock as a teacher or acting coach) :) :) :)

DOES THE ECONOMY HOLD MY HEART HOSTAGE? I know I'm not the only one out there with the feeling of not being able to quit because "You're lucky to HAVE a job." But is it a blessing or a curse not to be free to exert your worth or feel great about what you do?

Anyone experiencing these things, or does anyone have suggestions or a success story on breaking into teaching here in Chi-Town?

Add a comment

COUNTDOWN #FAIL

Life of a Theatre Wife

Written by Jennifer Adams Thursday, 08 October 2009 14:15

Tony is always telling me that before we send anything out, a blog post, an email blast, an appeal letter or anything else, we HAVE to make sure we are LIVE on the website. That way, when someone is inspired to find out more they can go to the website for all the correct info. If everyone else is like me, which I'm sure they are (except of course for my unique charm and brilliance...), the moment of inspiration happens instantaneously after being "Hit Up."

If I know this, the people behind "Countdown with Keith Oberman" must know this... it's a no-brainer, right?

FAIL

Keith Oberman did an incredible, hour-long, special commentary on Health care that ended with a Call to Action. Here it is if you want to watch the whole thing...http://bit.ly/4kLrUZ http://bit.ly/4kLrUZ

And I was inspired to go to the website and donate... not much, but a little... and when we did, the box on the lower left where we would find our information read as follows:

"Check back in this space for details..."

WHAT??????????

So, I wrote them this letter-

So, I listened to the whole hour last night on Countdown. I was inspired, I was impressed, and I went to the website to donate. Not much, $20, but with 2 kids and non-profit that my husband and I run in addition to our day jobs, it's all we have...

Check back in this space for Updates?????? You do a HUGE Call To Action like that, and you don't have the website set up in advance? I understand that it may have been a decision made late in the game to do this special broadcast, and that Keith has been caring for his sick father, for whom I am so sorry, but where are his people?

This Call to Action went from a Serious Call to a Serious Fail in a matter of minutes, and it is too bad. It is rare that the media takes such a stand, that anyone takes such a stand, and now it's as if it never happened, and that is SO unfortunate...

Disheartened in Chicago,

Jennifer Adams

I am NOT a very political person, although I have grown MUCH more so in the last few years... but I HAD to wonder what the HELL was going on over there?  How could the ball be dropped so badly? WHERE WERE THE PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT AFTER HIS MAJOR CALL TO ACTION, THE WEBSITE WAS READY????  BLAAAAAAARRRRGH!!!!

Add a comment

It's all about the Experience

Life of a Theatre Wife

Written by Jennifer Adams Monday, 05 October 2009 14:01

Previously I wrote a post about two dates that I had in college, and how they related to theatre and what we at Halcyon try to do today. I've been thinking about it some more, and I think that it really is the experience that matters.

One of our supporters made a comment a while ago about how disappointing it is when he goes to a show, brings a group of friends, and when the show is over everybody just goes their own way. He commented that AFTER a show is when the audience wants to hang out; they want to meet the actors, they want to have a place to stay as a group, they want to feel that they continue to be a PART of what just happened...his suggestion was to make sure the lobby was very inviting, with flowers and candles, and invite the audience to stay and hang out after the show. Have the actors there to talk to them...

It was a really great idea, and one that was executed at... meh... maybe 70% for our last two productions... when our supporter came he was excited by our taking his suggestion, but I think we could have done better...

I think for our next project (Alcyone 2010, the work of Maria Irene Fornes, plug, plug) I would like to make sure that we take it a step further; including in our pre-show speech EVERY TIME that people are welcome to stay after the show; asking the artists to stay and mingle; making sure the coffee is fresh for AFTER the show as well as before; making sure that Tony and/or I and other company members interact with the audience members one on one.

If we are going to have actors out before the show getting ready with the house open, embrace that and ask the actors to embrace it, not just tolerate it... I felt like the pre-show for The Other Shore was too internal- the actors had a great time with each other, but the audience wasn't really involved. For THAT show, I should have made sure to tell the actors to INTERRACT with the audience as well as each other. In general it just feels like a great concept that we need to work on defining. That will add to the audience's overall experience at our shows...

There are some theatre companies that believe that the important part of their mission is that they do theatre that is great for the artists. It is an oft-seen idea in Chicago storefront theatre...a couple of people have bad experiences or bad processes and decide to start their OWN company as a way to do better. I understand that idea... my last theatre company had that as their mission's key goal...  Halcyon Theatre, and Tony and I, really believe that we are doing theatre for the audience and for the connection that is created between the audience and the artist; knowing that the creation of a piece of art involves the people who view it and wanting the most people to see it and have as good an experience as possible doing that)... I think most of the time we succeed... I think we have a long way to go in the way of CONSISTENCY... next time you come to one of our shows, let us know what you think and if it is working... Add a comment