A few years ago I found myself becoming burnt out on the lifestyle of a performing artist. Working three jobs in between rehearsals, auditions and performing was becoming overwhelming. Having limited time and little energy to enjoy the few minutes of performing that I was actually doing all of this for, was causing me contemplate if this was all worth it. After a rough phase of particularly grueling Broadway auditions where one waits around for six hours or so only to be typed out immediately, or partaking in auditions where one is asked to bounce around and giggle or act like a goofy Disney creature, I often found myself muttering under my breath “I went in debt to get a conservatory education to do this?” It was definitely time to take a break and re-evaluate a few things.
I started researching volunteer opportunities specific to artists. I knew I needed to get away, and I knew that one of the aspects of auditioning and performing that was bothering me was that I was only encountering performance opportunities that felt selfish and shallow. I ended up applying to an organization operating in Ghana, west Africa, that used dance-dramas based on traditional west African dance to create lecture demonstrations and depict social scenarios that provide education about HIV/AIDS. The artists would perform in different villages, and schools performing and providing resource information.
What I found fascinating about Ghana, was the fact that art and culture was truly apart of everyday life. Watching a neighbor performing back breaking work chopping endless amounts of wood all morning, all while singing a cheerful tune was amazing to me. How many of us would be muttering and cursing under our breath instead when faced with the same task? The children were constantly dancing, recreating dances they’ve seen or making them up on their own, often with an accompanying song. I thought about many of the children I’ve taught or known, too shy or self conscious to openly sing and dance as these children gallantly did. It seemed as though the church services were done as an operetta or even a rock concert. The church was several blocks from our compound, but you could hear them loudly singing for hours well into the night with the gusto of a Black Sabbath concert. And though the actual lecture-demonstrations were clearly quite amusing to all when watching the white “obrunis” attempt to have natural rhythm in West African dance, it was clear that the message we were trying to deliver was being presented in the right language.
While this experience did restore my faith in the role that the arts can play and the power that it can have in delivering a message, it did, and still does, make me question whether there is still a main stream place for it in western culture. Our culture buzzes to the tunes of our ipods, not necessarily the rhythms of life. While we are brimming with talented creative people, how many of us use it for more than to seek celebrity? I hope to seek out and connect with the people who still believe the arts can play a more vital role in our society than just entertainment. For my own role as an artist, I am ready to audition again. I am ready to contribute and perform. I hope to be able to find and participate in projects I feel proud to be apart of, that I believe in, and that I feel have value not only to me as the performer, but to those who will experience the work. I believe choosing my auditions wisely, valuing my time, and not taking just any opportunity to perform, will allow me to find a place for me to continue a life in the arts in one way or another.
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