The Show can wait...the Art must go on

Poet's Return - The Poetry Podcast

Yes we are BACK! Even more than being excited to be in a real studio together, we are glad to reunite in the city of angels after a summer spent on our own adventures, coming back together to create some poetic content for this community! It has been a chaotic three years and we're happy to reexamine our journeys as artists, professionals, and of course, as poets. Ron recounts his summer of traveling productions, and Booey recounts her summer of teaching artistry and writing. Ron: “I am out here with people who don’t have my back. I am out here with people that are out here for themselves…that are not versed in this art but they’re out here doing it because they’re taking opportunities and advantages because we’re just coming back from COVID.” “It went far beyond the artist’s capacity to create in the face of no agreement, and went into a place that was a lot more dark…and had a lot more to do with political posturing than about making theatre.” Ron discusses the "pre-amateur" level, and good companies desperate to hire. Amidst it all, there is still hope, perseverance and compassion among fellow actors and artists, and the collaborative nature of the art form continues to keep it alive despite skewed priorities. Melissa Booey discusses her time spent with teenagers during a grant funded conservatory arts program. Seeing the bravery in her students inspires the artist and the advocate in her: "We are all afraid. If Theatre does anything it teaches you how to articulate that fear, how to face that fear and even embrace that fear, so you can use it instead of letting it use you." Regarding both Theatre and the culture of Hip Hop specifically: "Once you see behind the curtain, you become a custodian of the culture." *Linda Ravenswood de Montano is the name of the poet and writer who translated "The Story of the Cactus" originally told in Nahuatl. *Poetry performed by Melissa Booey from her soon to be published book, "The Calamitous Chronicle of Mr. Livingston and Tiger Lily." Poem featured is titled "BLOODSTONE." --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/poetsreturn/support