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Too many shows, too little time
My friend Mary Ann and I have sweatshirts we bought years ago when we were trying to balance our adult lives with raising kids. The sweatshirts read "Too Many Books, Too Little Time."
I need an updated version of that old sweatshirt: "Too Many Shows, Too Little Time."
I ambitiously set out 2 1/2 weeks ago to attend six area productions and write a review on each. This on top of the 40-plus hours a week I already put in in the newsroom editing copy, writing obits and covering theater for print.
I'm convinced it was an admirable goal, if a tad unrealistic. I did make it to all six shows – "Some Girl(s)," "Goldilocks on Trial," "Red Hot & Cole," "An Experiment with an Air Pump," "Prelude to a Kiss" and "Hedda Gabler" – but when it came to writing the reviews, well ...
First, one of my co-workers cut back her full-time schedule to two days a week, so I inherited more tasks around the office. Next, my husband totaled one of our cars. I thank God he wasn't hurt, or worse, but that complicated life for a few weeks. Last, a former leader in the first Bush administration died. A lot of time went into his obituary, and rightly so.
I wrote two of the reviews, but the others kept getting put off ... and off ... and off. Not because I didn't like the shows, but simply because I didn't have enough time to collect my thoughts and write.
Hindsight is 20/20, as they say, and looking back I realize I can't attend three shows in a single weekend like I did a week ago, and write reviews that are helpful or fair to anybody.
Wouldn't it be nice if all these plays didn't open at once? Back in October it was the same thing -- too manys shows, too few weekends. I know there are lots of reasons, from cast members' schedules to a shortage of venues. But it's difficult for theater-goers to see all the shows they'd like when so many are in production at the same time. There's this big flurry of openings, then there's nothing much for several weeks.
I plan to continue to see as many shows as humanly possible. And I'll write as many reviews as I can – but probably no more than one a week. To fill in the gaps, I invite anyone who has seen a show of area interest (could be in Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria, D.C., as well as Fairfax) to write about what you saw, whether or not you liked it, and why.
We have terrific community theater here in Northern Virginia, and the more of us who can get the word out about it, the more we all benefit.
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