No Other Gods

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me," is a thing a lot of people get taught. I have the ten commandments written on an index card behind my bedroom door. They're a decent read.

Ditto American Gods, which I am currently involved with. Gods of past, gods of present, gods of this "culture."

When I was leaving Vancouver, I had a stress lump in my throat. "I'm on vacation, I shouldn't be this way," I thought. I texted my sister, and she responded, "Responsibilities are gods." True, sis.

I am going to worship gods. It's going to happen. I kneel at the shrine of Mindy Kaling and gym shorts. But I want to choose what to worship. I am not going to be tricked into it! No tripping into manholes of concern.

Ideas are more difficult to be killed than people, but they can be killed, in the end.

Leaving the Last Frontier

So. The final conference gala is in two hours. I've been here for exactly one week. My jaunt up north has cost seven days of my life and a couple thou from the grad and theatre schools' budget. What am I taking home? (A partial list):

-What are we ever taking home--a nice consideration.

-Transactions. Give the characters something to do. Move the stage.

-"Why is this a play?" is a good question.

-It's not hard to make it serious. Make it enjoyable.

-We know the end: we die. So, what's so important in the middle?

-I don't care enough about playwriting maybe.

-I don't care enough about having fun maybe.

-Get personal.

-A stupid idea, written well, is often better than a new idea.

-I can eat a lot of Cap'n Crunch if there is a Sex and the City marathon.

-You can judgit or you can lovit.

-React as if nothing is personal. It actually never is.

-If you don't want to be concerned, don't be concerned on behalf of someone else.

-Pretty much everything can be overanalyzed by some loser as a metaphor about gender in society. And that is me. I am that loser.

-Music.

-It might be beautiful objectively, but it's still okay if you don't like it.

-You also don't have to have a reason to have your taste.

-Or to be you. (Barf, but, y'know?)

-Audiences need some built-in discussion time. I believe this, but I'm not sure how it can happen.

-I need to perform periodically to keep myself unblocked.

-Feel guilty or don't about shutting down when you need to shut down?

-Say the real thing.