Winter is for Theatre

We are past the shortest day of the year down under, yet we are still in the thick of winter.

Never fear!  I have a suggestion of top quality entertainment that is way cheaper than the movies, and if you go, you will not only be entertained, enlightened and excavated out of your winter burrow, but you will also be supporting local talent and going to an event that's never been created before. Consider yourself a pioneer patron and get down to the Courthouse Hotel's WINTERFEST 2015. For the first time ever, the Courthouse Hotel will be playing host to comics, musical theatre stars and improv groups across a 3 day theatre festival. 
More details are here and here too


But why theatre? 

Well, since it's the industry I'm trained in and the most passionate about, I'm pretty biased........ 

But I think going and being entertained by people's stories, characters, and creativity in a live environment is an experience that just can't be replaced.

Take when I went to a friend's show in the Melbourne Cabaret Festival last week (another example of the many things going on in Melb that means you probably didn't know it was on) - I was sitting in the audience and she came singing through the audience to a terrific live band. There were lights in my eyes and a huge smile on my face. Not just because my friend was absolutely killing it, but because I was experiencing the brilliance of the talent at close range with about 50 other people. We were sharing in a magical moment.

"Television is a medium of entertainment which permits millions of people to listen to the same joke at the same time, and yet remain lonesome."

T. S. Eliot

You won't be lonesome at the theatre.
You can hear other people laugh. You can feel them stiffen in their chairs when things get tense. You can, God forbid, talk to them at intermission. You can be carried away as soon as the houselights dim. Through the characters learning more about themselves as their story unfolds onstage, you can learn more about yourself. See and hear and feel music performed live without auto tune, editing or ads. 

Do yourself a favour and get down to the theatre. It's more live than the movies, less intense than a sports game, and has an abundance of interesting people. Plus it's warm and serves wine. 

The show must go on, but this blog post must not. 

fin.

***exits stage right

Jj

Something more poignant to ponder

"I can tell you from experience; the effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is. Because everything you gain in life will rot and fall apart,and all that will be left of you is what was in your heart."
- Jim Carrey

(see the full video for his uplifting valedictory speech here.)

I am a firm believer in the saying that people aren't going to remember you for what you do, they will remember you for how you made them feel.

Last week, I had an interaction with someone who made me feel pretty crappy.
Last week I had another interaction with someone who I made feel pretty crappy.

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew harm was done. I managed to reconcile the situation somewhat and believe it was actually the knock back I needed to reflect on how I was coming across and how I was making people feel.

We often get told "you're amazing" "you are so smart" "you are funny" "you are so determined" "you are so tough" and so on.
It's not as frequent that we get told " you make me feel energetic" "you make me feel weak around you" "you make me feel special" and so on.

I understand, it's not like you are having a txt conversation with your friend and they ask you to download Orange is the New Black season 3 for them and they respond with 
"Thanks, you make me feel cherished."

But when I cast my mind back to the people who have had the greatest effect on me, be it teachers, friends, family or even someone I met waiting in the portaloo line at a music festival, it's not what they said or did that had the greatest effect, but how made me feel.

This idea as been steeping in my mind over the past few days and I thought I'd share it with you. It can be hard when our job involves teaching or leading in some way to teach/lead from a place of light; sometimes to maintain authority we feel like we need to revert back to archaic methods of discipline, decorum and drilling. 

BUT to reignite creativity, innovation and learning, we as teachers, leaders, parents, friends and lovers must remember that if the effect we have on people makes them feel ashamed or afraid (or embarrassed or intimidated, to use less dramatic words) then they will disengage. The sparkle that is your smile, your time and your empathy is what engages them, so you can all 'sparkle' together.

Over the last couple of days as I've been chipping away at this blog, seeing through these glasses makes things more beautiful and balanced. 

I share this blog and I share this idea with you. Let me know what you think and maybe you can try it too.

Jj

I dream of Jean(ie)

Alas, it is now officially Southern Hemisphere winter. It's the season for scarves, mulled wine, pale skin, chapped lips and jeans.

Get excited. 

I marked the beginning of winter by purchasing some from Dejour Jeans. If you are in Melbourne, this place in Brunswick is a must as they are a tiny candy shop with stacks and stacks of jeans in various colours and fits, and they tailor them to you; shortening the legs, taking in the waist or getting rid of crinkles around the knees all with a flick of their tailor's chalk and sometimes within the hour. 

My new black high waisted skinnies from Dejour fit like a second denim dreamskin. They are shaped and hold all the good bits in. They require me to do a wiggly dance to put them on and give me a red mark around my waist that looks like I have had a caesarean if I eat too much. I also got some green corduroy skinnies which are super cool but I have no idea what to wear with and when I tried them on at home I had that "these don't belong on me" feeling that you get when your eyebrows are dyed too dark or you are wearing shoes that are too big. Don't get jealous now.

Re-adjust your waistbands and slither into you slacks: here is a brief Jean-elogy.

17th Century- Jean and Dungaree were crucial textiles from the working class people in Italy, France, England and India as they were so robust
1800- Massena's troops entered the town a with uniforms cut from blue cloth called "bleu de Genes"
1871- Jacob Davis called them "Blue Jeans"
1873- Blue jeans were patented by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis
1950- James Dean wore them in "Rebel Without a Cause" - wearing jeans was a symbol of youth rebellion and was banned in theatres and restaurants
1960- Both men's and women's jeans had the zipper down the front, generally fit quite loosely, much like a pair of bib overalls without the bib. Until 1960, Levi Strauss called its flagship product "waist overalls" rather than "jeans".
1970- Jeans were general fashion for casual wear in the US- Flares in particular
2011- "Jeggings" enters the 12 Edition of the Oxford Concise Dictionary
2015- with the popularisation of Normcore, Mom jeans are back in fashion, as are ripped jeans with perfectly symmetrical rips in the knees, and yoga pants being accepted as normal pants to wear everywhere, regardless of whether you actually do yoga or not.

"Do your jeans ride low?

Does your muffin top overflow?

Do we see that part of your butt that you're not supposed to show? 

Do you change in to your jeggings

That aren't jeans, they're just pretending, do your jeans ride low?"

If you answered yes to any of these, I knew your pain once. Avoid the breeze around your kidneys, detest the trend for the factory distressed, and take the time to find the fit that makes you look fit. Be it mid-waist or bootleg, show some taste and avoid the jeg.

Winter is tough. It's dark when you wake up, it's dark when you get home. Your feet get wet, your skin gets dry and your nose gets crusty like a cracked nipple from blowing it too much. But find yourself a hard-wearing winter essential (that requires you to do a wiggly dance to get into to warm up) and your legs will be laughing.

Jean-uinely.

Jj