Kindness Within The Community
I had a really cool experience this past month. I was trolling Twitter and saw an informative and non-judgemental post (which is rare on that bitchfest machine) by Broadway Spotted. Now, like the UK’s West End Producer Twitter account, Broadway Spotted is an anonymous poster. I responded to “Spotted” and got a very kind response. We tweeted back and forth for a bit and then I got a “do you need any help promoting anything you’re doing?” Well, yes! I did! I mentioned the INSPIRED Benefit Concert Series and was met with such support for the cause (animal shelters) and the concert premise (musical theatre writers performing songs that inspired their work.) Two days later, free of charge, I was blabbering on about the concert in front of a video camera in a conference room at Davenport Theatricals. (Randomly, Ken Davenport and I have known each other since we were 20 years old and interns at Maine State Music Theatre, singing and dancing away in Whorehouse, West Side Story and Cabaret. Oh, and he produced the Intern show that I wrote and directed!).
NON-SPOILER ALERT: This post will not reveal BroadwaySpotted’s top secret identity.
When I got home, I sent a thank you email and was met with the following response: “More than happy to do it! It’s all about the community, right? Let me know what else we can do.” I haven’t had someone in this biz say that to me in ages!
I share this story as a reminder that we are indeed a community. We should be helping each other, supporting each other, driving each other to do our greatest work. I don’t care what anyone says: it’s not a competition. As a former varsity hockey player at Yale, I know what competition is…art is not competition.
So next time you are ready to hit the Enter button on your negative, sarcastic, judgmental Facebook status, think twice…think three times. Next time you are at an audition and want to talk sh!t about a fellow community member, don’t. Do something productive instead like focus on getting the job you’re auditioning for. Open a door for someone, both figuratively and literally. And be grateful for what you have. And just BE NICE! As Plato so brilliantly put it: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
And this is the link to the Broadway Spotted interview! THANKS BROADWAY SPOTTED!!!
http://www.broadwayspotted.
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