Steppenwolf Theatre Company Blog – Chicago Theater, World-Class Ensemble

(Stephen is the writer and director of Adore, a part of the Visiting Company Initiative Garage Rep)

American Idol, America’s Next Top Model, TMZ… take your pick. There’s no shortage of entertainment in our culture. But are we really being entertained? Or just distracted? It’s easy and it’s fun and it’s the way that we’re all expected to spend at least four or five hours out of every day, and we’re more than happy to oblige. For me there’s something really great, really comforting about turning my brain off and letting all the noise and the chatter and the pretty colors just wash over me…

Well, I could read that biography I’ve been meaning to start in on, but… I mean… have you seen all the choices I have in 3D movies right now!? I bet all of those probably have stories about a guy who did some stuff too, so… fuck it, whatever… the book can wait, it’s practically the same thing. I’m just wearing a different pair of glasses.

The average American is exposed to something like 5,000 advertisement images a day, every single day of our lives. The truth of the matter is that, whether or not we want to be in it, we’re in the middle of a war. The ADD diagnosis isn’t a coincidence: it’s a symptom, and the people of my generation have a choice: we can either actively fight for ownership of our minds and our time, or we can just become victims to pop culture. But how do we even fight against a sea of Pop? …I have a couple of ideas:

Step One: Shoot the television. Just kill the fucking thing already, It’s your enemy and the people who are in charge of all the things that show up on it don’t like you. They think that you’re vacant and that you can’t think for yourself. In fact, they’re counting on it. No gun? No problem. You could probably just recycle it or something.

Step Two: Repeat step one for all of the other TVs hiding out in the place (the average American household has three, not counting the computer(s) and cell phone(s) also used to access the same trash. I know that I essentially just surround myself all day with a series of increasingly useless glowing rectangles).

Step Three: With your newfound four hours of free time a night, go see a play with a few other smart people, and then go have a conversation over a couple of drinks.

Just like too much candy slowly rots out your teeth over the years, reality TV actually kills your brain. Any amount of time spent with eyes glazed over, mouth half open, not moving, not thinking, is time that you won’t get back. With the short amount of time we have, doesn’t it seem like we should ask ourselves to have a little more ownership over how we think and what we think about it as individuals? That’s what I’ve found that the theater offers me: ideas. Conversation. Knowledge. Experience. Community.

The act itself, the community ritual of the theater, is an important and substantial way to spend your time. You’re participating. You’re interacting with your fellow people and moving the conversation forward.

I can’t wait to see Endgame. I’m so excited I can’t even tell you. Some of the best minds in the business working on what I think is one of the more profound and influential theatre pieces of the 20th century… I can’t wait to see what they do with it. If for no other reason, it’s simply because I can guarantee that it’s going to provide me with a hell of a lot more than an evening with the brilliant minds of Jersey Shore ever could. It’s my time, I’ll spend it how I want. And I choose to use it the best I can. After the play, maybe I’ll go check out some music, and tomorrow night I bet you there’s a free gallery opening somewhere in the city. Spring is here my friends, I’ll see you out on the streets.

This entry was posted by Stephen Louis Grush on Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 at 11:05 am and is filed under Garage Rep. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.