Our lives have been irrevocably changed. We aren’t sure how or when things will revert back to normal or if they ever will There are things we know. We must stay inside. We cannot gather in groups. We must stay six feet apart when we go outside. We must wash our hands. We must not go to the emergency room unless absolutely necessary as our health care systems are overwhelmed. That is all we know.
As theatre artists, we rely on coming together as a group to participate in a shared experience and now we can’t do that. So where does that leave us? I am here to tell you I have no idea. But I can also let you know that I am doing okay. Perhaps I am doing okay because I have weathered more change than most, founding En Garde Arts and producing site-specific shows in the downtown New York theatre for 13 years, running a global division for Disney for 9 years while based in LA, and then returning to New York to relaunch En Garde Arts for a second time. And then there were 5 miscarriages, donor egg procedures and twins.
I’ve decided to start a blog. It’s a way to reach out and I hope to hear back from you. I don’t want to repeat grim statistics. Perhaps we can take a hopeful tact in the midst of this shit show.
First, Let’s talk about the good:
- You can work in your pajamas
- You can finally learn how to cook.
- You can imagine a different life other than the one you have and see what appeals to you about it.
- You can check in with friends and loved ones and families. For the first time I have gotten both my children who are seniors in college, my husband and I, to connect once a week over zoom. It took a pandemic but it happened.
- You can be philanthropic. Give to Trickleup — http://www.trickleupnyc.org/?action=index&controller=storefront%2Fpages. This is a great way to support your fellow artists.
- You can support your local restaurants and beauty salons by buying a gift certificate.
And in closing, here’s a wonderful quote I ran across:
“Pandemics can also catalyze social change. People, businesses, and institutions have been remarkably quick to adopt or call for practices that they might once have dragged their heels on, including working from home, conference-calling to accommodate people with disabilities, proper sick leave, and flexible child-care arrangements.” — Ed Young, Medium
That’s all for now. Stay safe and well.
—Annie
One more issue is that video games are usually serious as the name indicated with the key focus on learning rather than amusement. Although, it has an entertainment element to keep your children engaged, each and every game is usually designed to improve a specific skill set or programs, such as mathmatical or scientific research. Thanks for your publication.