Angels in America: Part One, Millennium Approaches has begun performances at the Repertory Theater of Saint Louis, as the start of the company’s first season under new Artistic Director Hana Sharif. While the play is now nearly 30 years old, seeing it again reminded me of its continued resonance and its power to explore those deeply American themes that, in the end, make it timeless. This essay is a less a review and more a reflection rediscovering why the play today very much still maters.
At a time when words matter more than ever before, Baltimore Center Stage recently announced that a key staff member would be promoted to a new title: Director of Learning and Social Accountability. In unpacking the potential meaning behind that title, I explore the evolution of the language we use to talk about how we impact communities and how we talk about our goals to create representative communities within our organization - as well as explore some recent data about representation in the arts across disciplines.
Simple ideas can unfold to carry profound meaning - meaning that may apply far beyond where you started from. Three books I have come to love work from that very premise: Invitation to the Party, Love is the Killer App, and The Power of Habit. They are all engaging reads - learn more about the simple ideas at the heart of each of them and why I’d you add them to your reading (or re-reading) list!
These days, we are surrounded by so much data it can be overwhelming. Often, we find ourselves collecting data thinking that it may be useful, but if we never turn it into something actionable, what was the point? If you’re swimming in data, take a deep breath, step back, and consider these three measures as a new starting point to understand and grow your audience.
When arts organizations work within communities on specific projects, there is always a risk of swooping in when it’s convenient for the organization and swooping out once the project has come to an end. This idea of “helicoptering” is harmful for both your organization and the communities you hope to serve, as it essentializes a community into being no more than part of a specific transaction (worse, a transaction you have defined rather than one they have). Once this has happened, are there ways to repair the relationship? And are there structures you can create to help prevent the situation from happening again?
Over 15 years, I visited all 50 states and all 50 state capitols. The journey was enriching and taught me a lot about this country and how deeply varied the communities and regions across our nation see themselves, their communities, and their histories. In part one of my reflections on those travels, I look at what I learned about becoming a “super fan” through that experience - and how that learning can transfer over into how we might think about marketing within the arts and culture.
How many languages do you speak? English? Spanish? Arts? Sports? Finance? Public Relations?
We are chronically guilty of speaking less languages than we need to speak to navigate our work, our life, and our travels. Making an effort in earnest to expand our vocabulary and comprehension outside of our comfort zone takes work, but pays off - whether it’s a matter of learning to speak German before traveling to Berlin or leaning to speak education or production to more effectively partner across departments. But the effort is worth it.
