The Viola Voice

We’re almost done with A Midsummer Night’s Bootcamp! The girls are doing amazing work, and you should all come to see our final performance tomorrow (Friday), June 27, at City Lit Theatre, 1020 W Bryn Mawr. The performance starts at 3:15pm, free admission. It’ll be a great show, filled with lovers, fairy royalty, clowns, magic, and lots of trickery. I guarantee you will be entertained.

And the shameless plug continues: The Viola Project is adding ANOTHER week-long bootcamp in July! Here’s the info:

The Tempest: An Enchanted Boot Camp

July 7-11, M-F 9am-4pm. $275.

Join TVP in exploring one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays. Find your way to an enchanted island where sorcerers, spirits and monsters rule the land, finding romance, magic and comedy along the way. Students will rehearse scenes and work as an ensemble to create their own version of the play to perform at the end of the week. Click here to register!

In addition, we’ve added a one-day workshop on July 26, our THIRD annual Sonnet Slam! Read on…

A Summer’s Day Sonnet Slam

Saturday, July 26, 9am-4pm. $75.

Love to act? Love to write? Why choose? This one-day workshop, back by popular demand, will combine the performance of Shakespeare’s poetry with a chance for students to write their own. Open to girls 11 and up. Click here to register!

Whatever plans you have for the summer, we hope that you include some summer Shakespeare fun with The Viola Project!

Where are all the artists?

Apparently, not in Illinois. According to a 2003-2005 U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois is home to 79,932 artists. We come in fifth place to states California, New York, Texas and Florida. Our number reflects only 4% of 1.99 million U.S. artists.

While Chicago is home to one of the largest “cluster” of artists- third after New York City and Los Angeles- artists fall relatively short in Illinois compared to the overall labor force: 6,390,213.

This makes me a little outraged. I have lived in Chicago all my life, and feel like this place is teeming with artists. Granted, I have my biases- growing up in artistically diverse Oak Park, in a theatre family, graduating from college with two “arts” degrees and working what I consider two “arts” jobs- I’ll admit I come in contact with a great deal of the 4% of artists cited. However, I still feel as if the number falls short.

This makes me wonder: How does the government define the term ”artist”?

I decide to make a quick check on the U.S. Census Bureau website. Searches such as ”definition artist”, “occupation artist”, “arts”, “artists in Illinois” and just plain “artist” come up empty. I google “what is an artist” and come up with such prolific answers as “Obviously, an artist is someone who creates art, just as a baker is someone who bakes bread, and a plumber is someone who installs and repairs plumbing.”

I don’t feel the answer is as easy as that.

I think of my orthodontist growing up in Oak Park. Dr. Alyward spent five days a week working at a job that, no doubt, brought home a majority of his income. Yet, the man was mean when it came to playing the guitar. While regluing a bracket or changing the rubber bands on my braces, he would talking about the bands he played with, and the songs he would sing. I will always remember him serenading me with “Seasons of Love” during some long, tedious dental procedure that required me not to talk. And have you seen my teeth? I haven’t worn braces for years, and they are still perfectly straight. The man is an artist, in every sense of the word.

I guess I just want to know what the government thinks of me, because I consider myself an artist. At one part time job, I sell theatre tickets. At TVP, I teach Shakespeare to girls ages 8-18. Simply put, I am in education and work in retail. But it isn’t that simple. The government doesn’t take in to account the time I spend reading the various theatre reviews in Chicago newspapers. Nor do they register the amount of Chicago theatre I’ve spent money on so I have my own first hand account. Or my hours reading and taking notes on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, trying to turn the themes and concepts from the play into activities that would interest the average eight to eighteen-year old. Or the hundreds of e-mails I send to Ellie, Reina, Andy, Molly and Alex to prep for a one day workshop or our upcoming benefit.

I wonder how many people in Illinois consider themselves artists in comparison to that 79,000. Less or more? What do you think?

Coincidentally, Amelia just brushed what I thought of to blog on this week: Finding your voice.  Shakespeare found his — made up words, a funny rhyming rhythm and plays that we can all relate to.  I think it’s important to find a voice; your voice.   I don’t mean this in the literal sense. Most of us have been blessed with working vocal cords and all the mechanisims to make them vibrate.  I mean a way to express your thoughts.  Your opinions.  Your own creativity.  Some people are attracted to the solitude and process of writing.  Some love the light of the stage.  Some enjoy the physical outlet of sport or sculpture.  Judging by the fact you’re reading this post, you’re at least somewhat attracted to theatre as your voice.  Use TVP and the theatre as an opportunity to learn and let your creative juices flow.  Be bold and let this be a way for you to create something. My own personal experience has shown me that this outlet can change and grow.  It used to be I couldn’t imagine a life without a play or rehearsal schedule.   Now I can’t imagine one where I don’t get to show that opportunity to others.  Or cook a delicious veggie dinner and practice yoga.   So now is the time to find what you have to say.  I’d certainly love to hear you – and so would TVP.   So that’s a few thoughts for you to think on.    Thoughtfully,           Alex