Headlines in the Arts: On Fair Wages and Culture Wars

So I thought I'd share some recent articles I've posted on other platforms. Don't know if this will begin happening regularly, but for now, I hope you find the following articles compelling.

Hashtag Fair Wage in the Offices Near the Stage, HowlRound, 12/16/16

Recently, one of the largest non-profit theatre companies in New York City (and in North America) put up a job posting for an Assistant to the Director of Development with a listed salary of $30,000-$35,000. There were no additional benefits specified. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any, nor does this posting mean that someone will be getting $30,000 per year. It would be reasonable to assume that they are just posting the $30k scenario so that when they make an offer that’s slightly higher, the young, hungry development officer will be more likely to take the job.

Read on


‘Alt-Right’ Trolls Are Targeting DC’s DIY Music Houses, Washingtonian, 12/19/19

The Washington area has a long and mostly proud tradition of houses that lend themselves as venues for up-and-coming bands. But in the last few days, some residents of those houses have become guarded after discovering their homes’ names and addresses targeted in online message boards populated by members of the white nationalist movement known as the “alt-right.”

Read on


Trouble ahead for New York’s museums, Apollo Magazine, 12/19/19

There are few fans of Donald Trump among the management and boards of New York’s cultural institutions. Personal distaste aside, they are the beneficiaries of the trends that President-elect Trump has railed against: globalisation, and the unequal distribution of wealth that it has pulled in its train. They have been served well by the policies pursued from Bill Clinton’s presidency onward, of the liberalisation of trade and financial deregulation – policies that Donald Trump identified so forcefully during the election as responsible for the assault on middle America that he (ostensibly) and his voters (genuinely) wish to reverse.

Read on

Curious to hear what you think. Please leave a comment!

Artists and members and dues, oh my!!

Hey there,

So after procrastinating for a bit, I finally renewed my Theatre Communications Group membership today. I had an individual membership, which had lapsed, and which you can find more information here.

And how much was it? $35.

Part of my impetus to renew was personal, as theatre artist in general. But part of it had to do with my role as a Grant Manager at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, handling the individual fellowships for the performing arts and literary arts. And so in addition to wanting to take advantage of resources for myself, but I also want to be a resource for the individual artists who will apply and eventually be awarded.

So that means staying involved and informed in the artistic disciplines I and the fellows are trained and work in.

And that took me to sign up for an individual membership with Dance/USA. Again, just as much for myself, as I received my B.A. in Dance from the University of Maryland.

Membership due for a year? $100. But as the membership year begins in July, the due which is..."due" when you sign-up is prorated quarterly, so it only cost me $50.

And in case you were wondering, yes, I am a bit of a triple threat. I sing with Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, and it was actually the performing art I started out with soonest. I was a Washington National Cathedral chorister, singing soprano in 5th grade.

And so of all the music membership organizations that are out there, it seemed to make the most sense to sign up for an individual membership with Chorus America.

To be a singer member? $20.

In case you would like to see what other service organizations there are, if you're involved in the performing arts, check out the Performing Arts Alliance Member Organizations.

And last, but definitely not least, I updated my Fractured Atlas membership. And while the Individual rate is definitely affordable, at $9.50 a month, if you don't need to take advantage of their fiscal sponsorship or insurance, the community level membership provides you all the other benefits of the individual one, and for free!!

Sooo...all my membership dues at the end of the night? $105.

And let's say I did take advantage of the full individual ones for Fractured Atlas and Chorus America, as well as signed up at the beginning of the year for Dance/USA? That would still only be, let's see... $95 (CA) + $100 (DUSA) + $95 (FA) + $35 (TCG) = $325 total. Less than $1 a day.

Me with contact staff

Anyway, I say all this to suggest that no matter how busy working arts professionals get, that they maintain connected, informed, etc. with their discipline's service organization(s), whether it's local, regional, or national. Make the time, budget the money.

Side note: I'm going to see if, as an added benefit to being awarded our fellowship grant, we (at the local arts agency level) can actually take care of the fees for each artist's respective service organization and offer them a membership for the duration of the grant cycle.

We shall see.

Anyway, that's it. Just thought I'd share. Anyone have thoughts to share? Other tips for other artists? Challenges and/or solutions to taking advantage or even just finding resources like these?

Any questions?

Please leave a comment,

JR

Busboys and Poets: A DC Institution

Hey there,

So...Busboys and Poets (B&P). While the title of my post says it all...I'm a bit stumped as I sit here, at the 5th & K location, trying to further elaborate.

And I stated the whole "DC Institution" thing as someone who was born and raised IN Washington, DC.  So while I wouldn't necessarily call myself an authority, I'd like to think that a lifetime perspective (of almost 33 years, as of the time of this post) adds a bit of context that is unique in what is perceived by many as a transitory city.

But I digress. I guess a good place to start might be B&P's 'tribal statement' (from their About page):

Busboys and Poets is a community where racial and cultural connections are consciously uplifted...a place to take a deliberate pause and feed your mind, body and soul...a space for art, culture and politics to intentionally collide...we believe that by creating such a space we can inspire social change and begin to transform our community and the world.

A bit of a disclaimer...having been recently exposed to and involved in the Burning Man community and its Ten Principles (which I'm producing a Capital Fringe show about this summer, more details to come later), this tribal statement resonates with me on a number of levels.

Another good place to start might be their Art page.

Personally, one of my favorite memories here, which I would say is a great example of the intersection which B&P provides on multiple levels, was an event co-presented by then Social Media Club DC (now Digital District) and TheatreWashington: #DCArtsUp. You can read about it in a great wrap-up written by one of the organizers, Jason McCool.

So Culture? Check. Community? Check. Cuisine? DEFINITELY Check! My personal favorite dish is the Rustic Pizza.

And as I'm writing this blog, I am waiting for An Evening of Inspirational Music at 7:30pm, with SongRise, an all women social justice a cappella group.

Because if that doesn't say DC, I don't know what does. And if you're on Twitter, yes that is their profile/header picture, and you should absolutely follow them and/or subscribe to their events email list.

Sign up here for info on our upcoming performances: http://t.co/tXSV0fy4lv
— SongRise DC (@SongRiseDC) February 14, 2014

And speaking of community, life imitating a blog imitating life, I just ran into a fellow DC thespian, Connor Hogan, who is in the middle of rehearsals as director a production of "As You Like It" with Half Mad Theatre, playing at the Shop at Fort Fringe in March.

So it's almost 7pm, and several friends are about to arrive. On that note (no pun intended with tonight's event), I believe I'll wrap up this blog post. One thing I'm not saying is that this intersection or model is necessarily unique to Busboys and Poets as an institution, either in the area, around the country, or the world. But I would say that it is one of the best ways that this model has manifested itself in DC and become a nexus of sorts for the area's multitude of communities.

That being said, any thoughts about Busboys and Poets, for better or for worse, let me know in the comments. Especially your thoughts regarding B&P as a 'DC' institution.

JR aka Nexus

Furloughed deals in the arts in DC

Hey there!!

After seeing the Washington Post start a list of Happy Hour Specials during the government shut down around the city, I thought I'd start compiling a list of all the arts specials, prompted by one post this morning.

Here they are!!

Time sensitive deals:

For 10/3 & 10/5

Post by Atlas Performing Arts Center.

For 10/6

#Furloughed? We're offering $10 tkts to @jalcnyc perf.@kencen to federal employees Code: FED10. Valid only w/ Fed ID. http://t.co/q2T9tRJBNm
— WashPerfArtsSociety (@WPASinDC) October 2, 2013

Deals until the government shutdown ends:

Post by Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design.

Last updated: 2:40pm, October 3, 2013.

Any others? Let me know, either in a comment below or an email at a.way.of.life.0@gmail.com. And thanks in advance!!

- JR

Behind the scenes of My Big Fat Gay Wedding

Hey there,

So just wanted to do a quick behind the scenes blog about tonight's Gay Men's Chorus of Washington concert, My Big Fat Gay Wedding.

It goes without saying that the title and topic itself is certainly relevant. Just search Google News for "gay marriage".

That aside, I got to sit in on last night's final dress rehearsal and loved the concert. It's a wonderful selection of showtunes, but hearing it performed by an all-male chorus certainly adds a different quality to most of them, like this selection from The King & I.

And although presented in concert format, with my fellow chorus brothers arranged in white chairs, as attendees to the actual wedding that will take place on stage, the order of the concert definitely gives an emotional narrative, if not a literal one.

In addition to full chorus numbers, there are a wonderful number of solos as well, including this patter number from Company.

The chorus also has a guest artist joining us for this concert, the vocally stunning Matt Alber.

I practically melted in my seat, when he ran through his first number. And he's very personable. After the dress rehearsal was finished, he shared a musical moment with us, which we got to capture through photos and videos. Here's mine.

So that's that. While I'm certainly stoked to be doing Xanadu, our other spring show coming up in March, I'm definitely bummed that I won't be joining my fellow GMCW chorines on stage for this concert.

If you are free tonight, I highly recommend you check it out, playing one night only at GW Lisner Auditorium, tonight at 8pm,

- JR

The Les Miserables movie as arts advocacy?

Hey there,

First, the term arts advocacy means many things, both what it actually is, as well as the call to action. I actually wrote my thesis at American University on how working performers in DC defined "arts advocacy", as well as "community", but that's definitely a subject for another post. For the purpose of this one, while there isn't necessarily a call to action, if the movie functions as incentive for audiences to see more theatre than they did before, then I'm using that as just one example of arts advocacy.

So, ever since I first heard about the Les Misérables movie, the arts manager in me immediately begun to wonder not only if people who saw this and don't normally see live theatre regularly would be motivated to do so...see more live theatre, particularly musical theatre, in this case.

Yes, this is also the first thing I wonder anytime I ever see any artistically driven movie, which is to say a movie where art, particularly the performing arts, are a major element and/or plot-device. I wondered this with other movie adaptations of musicals, with the Step Up series, if seeing it inspired more people to see and maybe even take dance, and I especially thought this with Pitch Perfect, in terms of individuals seeing more concerts or even joining a vocal ensemble.

But I digress. When I realized that this was partially a knee jerk reaction, my interest and excitement subsided for the most part.

And then I saw a Regal Cinemas first look at the movie:

Mind blown. I mean, maybe I heard about it and then dismissed it because I didn't really understand. But that the are recording their sound, their vocals LIVE as they're filming. Even for non-theater folk, the difference can be pretty obvious, to the detriment of the piece.

I can't even count how many times people have complained about how over-produced (sorry, I really don't know how else to describe it, maybe someone with more audio/music/studio experience?) the sound on Glee is, and the glaring disconnect between what is heard versus what is scene on screen.

So, will this production of Les Miserables not only introduce people to real-time singing/acting (as real as a movie can get), but get them to want more of that in real life?

I'm obviously not the only one wondering that, but this post was inspired after reading a friend's comment about it on his Facebook page today. Here is Billy Bustamante's comment in full:

Sooo... In place of a Les Miz movie review status I will affirm the lesson the movie taught me: 

For every person who hated it there will be someone who loved it. 

For every person raved about it to your face there is someone who trashed it behind your back. 

But in the grand balance of things, the scale's, for now anyway, tipped a bit more in our favor because we as musical theatre artists are a bit more visible in the world's eye. And if there were a few people who see the movie and decide to one day buy a ticket for the real, live thing, then bonus points for us.

No, he doesn't necessarily mention the bit regarding the recording methods. That's my own bit of value added. But he touches on the basic issue, in terms of the movie at least raising the visibility of musical theatre, both the art and the artists.

And as someone who certainly inspired me as a performer when I first started pursuing it professionally a decade ago at Montgomery College, who went on to study at the University of the Arts in Philly, and who's also currently an awesome photographer based up in New York City now, he is a person who's had his pulse on things, through his own work and those he works with, and as such, his insights are informed and thoughtful.

Fun fact: he took my first set of headshots YEARS ago about when he first started. And even though I thought they were great, he has certainly come a long way in continuing to refinie his style, look, and technique.  You should definitely check out his website, because his work is amazing.

Anyway...digressing, again. Regarding Les Miserables? Let's see what happens. I personally share Billy's sentiment. That if this movie even leads to one more person buying a ticket to a live show that might not have otherwise, it's a win for us. I certainly don't think that this movie will make anyone who normally sees shows stop seeing them, if they don't like it.

But if you disagree, please leave a comment about why. If you agree, or even if you're not sure, please leave a comment as well.

And did you see it? What'd you think? Do you normally see live shows? And if you don't, do you think you might start?

Curious mind wants to know :-)

- JR

Holiday Flash Mobs

Hey there,

So I have to thank Azie for this post. I was inspired after she shared a vocal holiday flash mob and thought I'd look up some others.

I'm personally fascinated by flash mobs as an artist and arts administrator because, there's just something delightful to see these community (and sometimes commercial) acts of art in public spaces.

That being said, here are 12 videos to help count down the 12 days of Christmas.

And of course the first one I find is a dance one. Lovin' it.

And here's another dancing one, which happened at an airport I flew into this summer!!

And now something more song and less dance.

But now back to some more dance.

Did you see those kids rockin' the sprinkler? And now some adults doing a flash mob for their students.

And here's a flash mob that happened somewhere near my own stomping grounds of DC, at a mall in Columbia, MD.

And now a litte more song, again. This one's just adorable.

Back to more dance.

this one's from a dance and fitness studio.

and one in central park, another marketing one.

This one, a friend shared and it's pretty phenomenal, a Hanukkah flash mob in Israel.

Finally the one that started me on this journey, which Azie shared on Facebook:

So that's that. Do you have a favorite? Have you seen any others that you like?

Share 'em in the comments, and happy holidays!!

- JR

Singing in GMCW's "The Kids Are All Right"

Hey there,

First, just wanted to start with my own personal background on singing. I actually started singing when I was a soprano, in the Men & Boys choir at the Washington National Cathedral.  I went on to do high school musicals, before High School Musical was one, and eventually pursued a professional career in the arts, which I continue to do today.

Which leads me to singing with the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, one of the most professional ensembles I've had the pleasure and privilege of being a part of, in skill, in artistry, and with the bonus of family. And at this point, I just have to share the latest iteration of a meme that's been floating around on Facebook, which if you're on, you can find it here.

This Saturday, GMCW will be presenting "The Kids Are All Right". In this concert, we'll be presenting a musical adaptation of Oliver Button is a Sissy, with guest narrator Candace Gingrich-Jones. We'll also be joined on stage by Dreams of Hope, "Pittsburgh's only arts-focused, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allied (LGBTA) youth (13-21) organization".

At this point, I can't really provide any information that isn't already up elsewhere. In fact, there's a great piece in today's Washington Blade, Message in the Music. And, again, if you're on Facebook, you can RSVP at the event page, as well as follow GMCW on twitter.

I will say that even rehearsing for this concert has brought me close to tears. While I was fortunate to have had a supportive environment in high school at St. Albans, so much so that I felt comfortable enough to bring my boyfriend at the time to my senior prom, my bf did not. Almost daily, I would hear about incidents at school where other students would use slurs, and he would get in trouble with the teachers for speaking back. He would be physically harmed with his own backpack in the restroom, and hit so hard that sometimes he would actually get knocked out and come around because of the sound of the bell ringing.

Unfortunately, I know that was just the tip of the iceberg, not just back then (I was the class of '99), but especially now.  Rolling Stone recently had a thoughtful and heart-wrenching article, One Town's War on Gay Teens. Lately it doesn't even seem like a week goes by without hearing about another youth lost because of ignorance and intolerance. And we have prepared for and will perform this concert acknowledging, remembering and honoring those who are gone too soon.

Yet, more and more, communities seem to be coming together to raise awareness and address these issues, to foster safe spaces and attitudes. Not even two weeks ago, Montgomery County held a symposium on bullying, and the panel include representatives of the Gay-Straight Alliance of Walt Whitman High School (the link is a .docx file of their mission statement). GMCW even has an outreach program dedicated to youth outreach, GenOUT, which was mentioned in the Washington Blade article, in a quote from Jeff Buhrman, our Artistic Director:

"“(Saturday’s concert) is designed especially to serve the mission of our GenOUT program,” Buhrman says. “We are specifically reaching out to youth for ‘The Kids Are All Right."

I'm actually hoping to volunteer with the program, and am stoked to have the opportunity to further give back to an organization that gives more and more, to me and the rest of the community. So, if you know of any youth, families, and allies who would like to join us, I (and I'm sure the rest of my fellow chorines) would love to see you all there. Because everyone in the chorus, a long time ago and far, far away, used to be kids, too.

- JR