So after posting a lot recently, I've come to realize that I've really started to develop a taste for the kind of theatre that I like.
It used to be that I liked all theatre: I enjoyed musicals, comedies, tragedies, etc. Chicago was my absolute favorite. And I loved Wicked, even though I had to make a point of separating it entirely from the book.
But I've come to accept that there are, in fact, things and performances that I don't enjoy ... and that's okay.
It's hard for me to not like a play. It's difficult for me to be critical because I know how much work and effort is put into a production, so I typically make an effort to try to like a performance, and I avidly look for positive things to say and feel about it. It's also part of my ethos as a person: I try to see the good in you, even when you give me reason not to. In fact, when I get a bad first impression of someone, I often catch myself playing devil's advocate with myself and reminding me that there are any number of reasons why a person could have been in a bad mood that day.
But there have been productions I've gone to lately that I just haven't enjoyed. And when that happens, I make a point of separating out the parts from the sum and focusing on the parts that I like.
But the fact of the matter is that the more plays I go to, and the more discretionaty my income gets, I'm bound to become more selective.
I've also grown to be critical about plays with subject matter I'm familiar with (e.g. Shakespeare and Greek mythology) - mainly because I can't help but to formulate expectations about them. (This is actually the main reason why I'll try to see the movie before I read the book: that way I maximize my experience, enjoying the movie and feeling like I'm getting more in-depth, insider's access when I read the book.) But this is okay as well. I didn't study these subjects extensively and write plenty of thoughtful essays on them just to relinquish my opinion.
So I need to learn to be okay with the fact that there are going to be productions with people I love in them that I ultimately dislike - and that's okay. Because that's art. And the same piece can't possibly mean the same to everyone.
So it's okay if I don't like Les Mis (yes, disgruntled imaginary readers, I can hear your non-existent gasps from here), and it's okay if I haven't liked a few plays lately. Especially because I do, in fact, like most of what I see, and I can't always bet on the right horse ... right?
It used to be that I liked all theatre: I enjoyed musicals, comedies, tragedies, etc. Chicago was my absolute favorite. And I loved Wicked, even though I had to make a point of separating it entirely from the book.
But I've come to accept that there are, in fact, things and performances that I don't enjoy ... and that's okay.
It's hard for me to not like a play. It's difficult for me to be critical because I know how much work and effort is put into a production, so I typically make an effort to try to like a performance, and I avidly look for positive things to say and feel about it. It's also part of my ethos as a person: I try to see the good in you, even when you give me reason not to. In fact, when I get a bad first impression of someone, I often catch myself playing devil's advocate with myself and reminding me that there are any number of reasons why a person could have been in a bad mood that day.
But there have been productions I've gone to lately that I just haven't enjoyed. And when that happens, I make a point of separating out the parts from the sum and focusing on the parts that I like.
But the fact of the matter is that the more plays I go to, and the more discretionaty my income gets, I'm bound to become more selective.
I've also grown to be critical about plays with subject matter I'm familiar with (e.g. Shakespeare and Greek mythology) - mainly because I can't help but to formulate expectations about them. (This is actually the main reason why I'll try to see the movie before I read the book: that way I maximize my experience, enjoying the movie and feeling like I'm getting more in-depth, insider's access when I read the book.) But this is okay as well. I didn't study these subjects extensively and write plenty of thoughtful essays on them just to relinquish my opinion.
So I need to learn to be okay with the fact that there are going to be productions with people I love in them that I ultimately dislike - and that's okay. Because that's art. And the same piece can't possibly mean the same to everyone.
So it's okay if I don't like Les Mis (yes, disgruntled imaginary readers, I can hear your non-existent gasps from here), and it's okay if I haven't liked a few plays lately. Especially because I do, in fact, like most of what I see, and I can't always bet on the right horse ... right?
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