Lately I have had the (dis)pleasure of understanding what The President of the United States most likely struggles with on a weekly basis; he gets the privilege of making important decisions that affect a lot of other people's lives. Many times he doesn't have the luxury of taking into account all the aspects of those decisions because things must get done and there isn't time for a committee. It's a blessing a curse; it's a blessing in that you don't have anyone you really have to answer to to answer on behalf of the people; it's a curse because if the shite goes down, there's no one else anyone will look at to place the blame nor is there anyone above you to let you know what you're doing is the right thing. It's what being an Artistic Director is like :)My theatre company Salsation recently had it's 2nd successful fundraiser. I am only now soaking in what a feat was accomplished by the group as a whole. For one thing, we had inexperience in putting together fundraisers in general; granted, we had done one last year at the same place but the logistics of this one were different. Not only did we need to repeat everything we did correctly last year with a great raffle, pre-sale ticketing, and food & drink for our guests, we had to expand on those items and add new things. We added our own performance to the night's events, booked disparate supporting acts, provided lights and sound for the performances, instituted our first photobooth", hired photographers, videographers, and DJs, and had to decorate and manage the event. The logistics were incredible for such a big undertaking.
Last year we decided to not perform or rehearse and instead focus on getting our fundraiser off the ground. This year, we actually were rehearsing and performing improv up until the fundraiser executed. We also had our first all-hands meeting in a long time to try to get everyone on board and heading in the same direction. Getting 20 people to all agree to follow my lead was a big undertaking when I myself wasn't 100% sure how all of the ambitions of Company members were going to be forged into a performance season. However, I threw it out there into the Universe to provide a way for it to all happen.
The fundraiser was a our first major event this year after our Sketchfest 2012 appearance and it worked out well thanks to the dedication of almost all members involved. It's been a long time since I had seen such a level of support, comradary, and sacrifice from a group of people who basically believed enough in the Company to pull this thing off.
The "haterade" that has been dumped over our collective heads for a while has lessened a lot. My belief in the Company is so strong that I am fueled by the naysayers' taunts and publicly unspoken, under-the-breath comments. To watch this Company succeed when many thought it was over is awesome, and to watch it grow stronger is breath-taking. Unfortunately, I am not above letting disrespect of my Company run it's course. At the same time, I don't typically retaliate directly. I come back at it by succeeding and surpassing expectations. We're doing it - one day at a time.
Even with the amount of awesomeness that has occurred, we still will face challenges in the months ahead. I am proud of where we've gone in the last few years and look forward to setting this year and next year up to be even greater!
