Inspiration by the millions
Having almost no original thoughts to start this blog, I decided to peruse various avenues of research, as I often do, trying to catch a start or anything to prime the old pump. I mostly avoid anything trending on Facebook, Wal-Mart, Twitter, or Wiki because if I am going to steal a couple of words I want to make it difficult to catch me. “Brainy Quotes” however often provide the impetus to get me rolling on a thought. Today’s quote is from Maya Angelou “If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.”
Well, everyone knows that Maya wisely and succinctly spoke of the common man and woman in the big picture, yet in this situation I think she might have rounded up her math a bit. The point I take from this is that to dream is not a waste of time. A fantasy just might be the thing to get you beyond an uncomfortable reality or to enhance a comfortable one.
Many playwrights, a term that does not mean a play writer but a play constructive worker, often start with a fantasy. They then construct that fantasy into a story. They might use strong characters, a significant point that can only be sung, a conflict cleverly solved, or an ending that inspires. Live theatre is to see that story play out with us as audience members being a crucial part of that construct. Heavy ….I know!
When you think about it, as obviously I am right now or I wouldn’t be writing about it, fantasies sometimes are seen as a waste of time and brain. Try Googling the word and see what you get. Then again no, don’t do that! Be they about aliens from outer space; lovers with saucy dispositions; zombies from, well I have to admit I don’t know where zombies come from; or a chimney sweep singing from the rooftops, no one fantasy has less value than another.
Quincy Community Theatre just closed MARY POPPINS. It was a familiar story, yet to many it became a new story every night. Again, to that author it started out as a fantasy that transformed somewhere under a million realities into a story. If we have to learn life’s lessons, what better way to do it than from a great chorus, a singing nanny, magic, along with a dancing chimney sweep? I sat back in awe, as I often do, as a million volunteers put this story together and presented it on QCT’s stage. The actors, the musicians, the directors and managers, the front & backstage crews, and the audiences reconstructed that fantasy into a bright, colorful, soaring, musically inspiring story!
Well done, us!
Dan