Last blog post, Adrienne talked about giving birth to a Fringe baby. Well, if this baby was just born, the little bugger is sure growing up fast.
Why so fast, I thought to myself today? Why do things feel like they are coming to fruition faster and more furious this year than ever before?
It's a good question, and I think it comes down to the concept of CONNECTION.
I have not hid the fact that the last 6 months I have treated Fringe as a second job. I've been hightailing it everywhere to get things done. And, unlike, say, coding a new computer program, or generating pages of manuscript, most of my "things done" have to do with meeting and talking with people: staff at the Alderman's office, friends and acquaintances in Jefferson Park, artistic associates, potential board members, my professional mentor, independent contractors, new staff....I'm not even sure that list is exhaustive, were I to give it more thought.
See, connecting people is not only something I've worked hard at over the past 6 months, but also something that just, well, happens. It's natural. I guess I could say I'm good at it. It may just been my only real gift :) For more on connectors and their importance in the world, see Malcolm Gladwell's complete treatment on the topic: http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/tp_excerpt2.html. I recommend most of his writing.
Now, I know I am often connecting. But the enormity of it--and the speed at which things are now happening--is something that does not always occur to me. But that's exactly what happened just over this weekend when I met with Fringe's board president, Justin. Now, our board of directors does not officially meet more than quarterly, and so I typically see the Board less than I even see the staff (which is not nearly enough). This meeting was supposed to be with a potential recruit for the board, and unfortunately Justin and I got stood up. So what do two fine gentlemen do when they get stood up? They have tea, of course. And as we began catching up, something funny happened. My mind started to race telling Justin about the things I had been doing over the last 6 months. Interestingly, though, it was racing not because it was just a lot for me, but because I began to see what it meant for him. I started making connections. Connections everywhere! I had so many introductions to make--so many meetings that had happened and information that needed communicating. I had this feeling that I was simultaneously ahead of schedule and far behind! I had to take those connections apart one by one and decide which were important to share with Justin and which could be left out.
It was an enlightening experience for me, reflecting back. Like the plot line of a movie that starts in disparate places but ultimately ties together, I was starting to see (or maybe better stated: oversee) how all of these pieces that I've set into motion are coming to a head.
I've said before and I will say again that Fringe's tremendous power is made possible by our ability to work together. I'm really proud of who we are in that regard. I'd never be able to set things into motion if I didn't have capable folks within Fringe that I could trust to take the reigns. I connect outside of the Fringe circle, loop those connections into our board and staff, and hope the connection takes on a life of its own.
Connection, connection. It all starts with connection.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
IT'S A ... FESTIVAL
I have three babies.
Two of them are flesh and blood people with definite personalities. The other is this Fringe Festival that I
helped found. I love all three. I worry about all three. I care about how all three are growing
up. I want all three to be in the best
hands at all times.
Now the Chicago Fringe Festival is moving to Jefferson
Park. Every year right around the time
of the lottery, it feels like taking a pregnancy test (when you’re trying to
have a baby, not when you had a drunken one-night-stand with that guy you only
met the one time at the dive bar). There’s
the anticipation, nervousness, fear, excitement. And then you see that plus sign and the fun
really begins. Each year is a different
experience. A different pregnancy, a
different birth and a different baby.
And this year, Jefferson Park is our midwife. When I tell people that I had midwives
deliver my kids, 90% of the time I’m asked if I had a home birth. My answer is usually a variation on this: No,
I had both kids in hospitals; midwife care really means just having more
options. Home birth can be one of those
options, but there are so many others. A
midwife is a partner with the family.
She provides guidance and a nurturing environment. She acts as cheerleader, tour guide and
mentor and ultimately, she gives the mother a list of choices and lets the
mother decide how she would like the birth to be. Midwives work to ensure that the mother has
the best possible birth experience and the happiest, healthiest baby
possible.
So, when I say that Jefferson Park is our midwife, that’s
not something to be taken lightly. We
have placed our unborn fourth year in the hands of a new neighborhood. We are trusting in the guidance provided by
this community. We are
looking to them for our options. And we
are excited that we have them in our corner, cheering us on. We fully anticipate that this year will be an
easy delivery based on the encouragement we’re already getting from them. And on August 29, when the fourth Chicago
Fringe Festival opens, we know we will have had an easy labor and a perfect baby.
With a mother's love,
Adrienne Guldin
Business Manager and Staffer most likely to answer when calling for "Mommy"
Monday, March 4, 2013
Quick and Dirty Lottery Results!
Local Artists*:
- (re)discover theatre
- The League of Miscreants
- Jonathan Baude
- Jennifer Olson
- HartLife NFP
- Blueshift Theatre Company
- Sea Beast Puppet Company
- Spartan Theatre Company
- Troupe Strozzi
- Jonathan Kitt
- Lynn Royale
- Jason P. kelleher
- Teatro Luna
- Abraham Werewolf
- Rebecca Kling
- Genesis Ensemble
- Christine Hands Choreography
- Stephanie Weber
- Lee Benjamin Huttner
- Cock and Bull Theatre
- Laura Force
- Adam Seidel/ Lone Wolf
- William Goblirsch Jr.
- Kristin Davis
- Robert Chionis/ Daniel Wolfsbauer Productions
- Smart Comedy
- MamLuft&Co. Dance
- Spoken Life Productions
- Neelima Raju
- Schedule C Productions
- NOCO, fresNO dance COllective
- Randy Noojin
- DaVida Chanel Productions
- Barbara K. Asare-Bediako/Keoni Gurrl Productions
- The Neverland Players
- The Adventures of Les Kurkendaal
- In Bocca Al Lupo Productions
- Schex & Galeetz
- Circadelix
- Nell Weatherwax
- THEATER IN ASYLUM
- Judy Lombardo
- Rati Gupta
- Nobody's Sweetheart Productions
- Astonishing Productions
- R. Jim Stahl
- Valerie Hager
- The Theatre Elusive
- Howard Timms
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