More NOT about theater

Today was a day off – well, our last day off really. I ventured out to explore this wonderful city with snow. Now, I know this blog is meant to be about Noises Off and not about politics but I had an experience today that I just have to write about – hell, it is my blog. If you are offended or not interested skip ahead please. Let me just say up front that this is MY opinion and is NOT the opinion of Arena Stage. Those at Arena may have their own opinions but I want to clarify that I am not speaking for them but just myself. So, if you want to send hate mail send it to me – NOT Arena. Okay, here goes …

I headed downtown on the Circulator Bus only to have it be put on a huge detour as the driver said there was some sort of rally going on and he couldn’t cross the Mall. I got off and was surrounded by thousands of people covered in Pro Life stickers and waving Anti-Abortion signs. Huge pictures of fetuses – both healthy and aborted – and giant banners against Roe v Wade. I called a friend and was informed that today is the anniversary of Roe v Wade and that is what this was all about. Now, I happen to be Pro-Choice (not Pro-Abortion as they would have you believe, but Pro-Choice) and would never in a million years think that I had any right to tell a woman what to do with her own body – but, it is a free country and people can believe what they want to believe. However, what got me so upset was seeing hundreds and thousands of children ranging in age from teenagers to much much younger covered in stickers and waving signs as well. I don’t know why I had such an emotional reaction to this but I just felt that it was unfair to parade around children who haven’t yet even begun to figure out what they believe in. Parents forcing their kids to have their beliefs and parading them around with these violent and bloody signs … I don’t know … it just got me quite upset. I decided I needed to get away from it and see something beautiful so I went into the National Gallery of Art East Building and was able to escape and enjoy some beautiful works of art for a bit.

When I was done and ready to leave the museum the rally seemed to have quadrupled and I seemed to be directly in the middle of it. I pushed through the throngs and escaped to Olsson’s book store and had a latte. By the time I was done there it all seemed to be over and the streets were littered with their signs and banners. Oy.

I then went to the movies and saw Babel. A wonderful film full of complex issues and politics with an incredible international cast. Really enjoyed it.

I then had some dinner in Chinatown and headed back to Olsson’s to hear the restaurateur Danny Meyer speak about his new book Setting the Table. I had seen it advertised earlier when I was in the store and hoped it would work out for me to go. Danny started Union Square Cafe in NY and now is a thriving businessman with many restaurants and companies to his credit. The reason I wanted to go was that though I had never met Danny Meyer, several years ago he was very kind to me. I was working on a production of the one-man play Fully Committed, which is about an out-of-work actor who works taking reservations at a four-star restaurant in New York City. In it I played over forty characters, including the entire restaurant staff and all the many patrons who will do ANYTHING to get a seat in this restaurant. Before I left for rehearsals in St. Louis, I heard through a friend that Danny Meyer was originally from St. Louis and was a big fan of the play when it played off-Broadway. So, I wrote him a note asking if I could possibly sit in and observe the reservation staff at his restaurant. He responded almost immediately and I had an incredible and invaluable evening at Union Square Cafe sitting with the reservationist and learning all the behind-the-scenes secrets of her job. They invited me to sit in on the staff meal that night and I got to chat with many on the staff. The show was a huge success and the director and I actually headed to Vienna, Austria in 2005 to do it there as well, also to great success. So, long story short – I thought it would be cool to see him speak. And it was. A very bright and charismatic man with some incredible ideas about how to run a company with a happy staff, happy customers and happy investors. Really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the book.

So, quite a day – from politics to coffee to films to food. Tomorrow it’s back to work to begin our final week here.

-Jay