I'm a big fan of gratitude. Or maybe it's more accurate to say I don’t care for resentment. Either way, I appreciate Thanksgiving Day as an opportunity to highlight the many reasons that VetRep (and I) have for gratitude.
So let me start with a story.
It was backstage just prior to a performance of October’s What the Butler Saw, when one of the actors commented on my son sitting backstage, watching movies as he often does. Someone wondered what he might be taking away from watching our gregarious, hilarious actors warming up. And that innocent, off-hand comment got me thinking of my experience watching actors up close and developing an appreciation for live - and intimate - theater. It was Christmas…sometime in the mid 90s. Our family was gathered at my aunt’s, post-dinner, and, as happens when you have more than a few actors in the room, we were reading poems, Shakespeare, Dylan Thomas to mark the holiday. That particular year, though, was the first time I’d met the actor Charles Keating, a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He read Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales and quite simply, transformed the entire room with his off-the-cuff performance. It didn't hit me until I was chatting about this with our Parlor actors that those holiday living room readings were probably the actual genesis of our Saturday night Parlor performances. They instilled a love in me for intimate, off-the-cuff, transformative performances that truly change the air in the room. Until that moment backstage at the Parlor, I hadn’t fully grasped how significant those moments were - and how different they were from the theater lovers who first fell in love with big sets, large casts, lavish musicals, or star-heavy productions. I hadn’t fully appreciated having a different view of theater than what you would get sitting in a 1000-seat auditorium with a proscenium stage staring back at you from across the room. But that moment in the mid-90s was the first time I remember thinking how compelling it would be if more people could have been packed into my aunt’s living room, eating plum pudding, sipping decaf and been absorbed by Charles’ performance.
There was another idea that percolated in me that day. I remember thinking how transformative it would be for Charles as an actor and for members of my family as actors and writers, to be platformed in such a perfect setting where their talent could be best appreciated. You see, Charles was a very accomplished actor. He’d been nominated for a Tony on Broadway for his starring role in Joe Orton’s Loot. But he was from a peer group that included Ben Kingsley, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, to name a few, so comparatively, he was a nobody. I couldn’t understand why, but a germ of an idea was planted that night. One that is at the heart of VetRep: one of the great pleasures of this job is finding undiscovered talent.
That certainly applies to our veteran playwrights who are all diamonds in some amount of rough. To be able to give grants to talented writers and produce the work of our resident artists is a privilege I don’t take lightly. That’s why I take the time to read every single play that's submitted to us - which since the beginning of VetRep consists of over 1200 plays. It's why I appreciate the chance to sit down on our Savage Wonder podcast with professional veterans in the arts and learn about their process and their stories. And for our actors - there is nothing more thrilling from a casting perspective than to find someone who audiences deserve to see more of. And all of this is why I'm deeply appreciative of our audiences that give us the feedback and support that makes every one of our efforts worthwhile.
As many of you know, I always like to say we are not here to help veterans, we are veterans that are here to help theatre and the live performance arts. But I can’t pretend that it doesn’t mean a lot to me to help our talent find a platform that allows their voices to be heard. So on Thanksgiving this year I am most appreciative of you - our audience - who allow us to have a platform. You care enough to read this blog every day, listen to the podcasts, see the shows, and support us in any number of ways. This position is truly a privilege. When you've spent years toiling in the darkness it means a lot to find a little bit of sunlight. But it means even more to share it with all of you.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Chris
Thanks, Chris. Glad to see Joe Orton plays referenced- one of my favorite farceurs and included in my dissertation on The Royal Court theatre. ( long ago). Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving 🧡