122. My Humble Takeaways From TEDxBroadway 2012

I had such an incredible time at the TEDxBroadway conference!!! Soooooo inspiring for the future of Broadway!

(For more info about TED conferences go to ted.com, see my post #114, or check out Howard Sherman's LiveBlog of the event for alllll the nitty-gritty details.)

Every presenter at TEDxBroadway addressed the following very important question...

What's the BEST Broadway can be in 20 years? 

No conclusions were made...but that wasn't the point. The POINT was to relish the question and explore all the GLORIOUS possibilities, all the fantastic OPPORTUNITIES that the future could hold for Broadway...if we're willing to work together to help CREATE that new reality. AWESOME!!!

Mostly, I just sat and listened and observed and let it all soak in. But I was moved to take a few notes to share with ya'll. So here were some "take-away's" from some of my favorite presenters at TEDxBroadway. 

I hope that this post will help inspire YOU to want to be a part of creating a thriving future for LIVE theatre on Broadway and everywhere...from sea to shining sea!!!

The following are my humble takeaways from the many super-fantastic speakers that shared their hearts, insights and crazy-crack-pot-genius with all of us. (Please excuse me if these quotes aren't word perfect...It was dark and I was writing fassssst. Did my very best to stay true to the intent of the speaker's message.)

"The timeline to 2032 will be written by some of the very talented people in this room. We create ideas and ideas create the future." - Ken Davenport 

"We must ask: why is this LIVE?" - Jordan Roth

"No one sets out to create something unremarkable...If it falls short, it doesn't change the original intent and good will." - Jordan Roth

"Theatre can become part of the social fabric of people's lives." - Randy Weiner

"This show is so incredible that it doesn't need a marketing budget." - Randy Weiner (referring to Sleep No More) 

"We are poised for another renaissance and creative forces will lead the renaissance." - Patricia Martin

"This generation experiences truth as emotional truth. They believe what they can feel." - Patricia Martin

"Forget an out-of-town try-out. What about an internet try-out?" - Matt Sax

"Great customer service is about creating that total experience. Don't miss out on the opportunity for human connection in every interaction." - Frank Eliason

"How you treat your employees dictates the quality of customer service they will give." - Frank Eliason

"Drive change by storytelling, not by numbers." - Frank Eliason

"Create the future and let other people adapt to you." - Kara Larson

"Is this really the right audience?" - Steve Gullans

"Broadway is an idea factory...We open hearts and minds." - Damian Bazadona

"Expanding the exposure of Broadway is the way to grow." - Damian Bazadona

"We must increase financial opportunities to attract great talent and innovators to Broadway." - Damian Bazadona

"...Cooperation..." - Barry Kahn

"I'm in. Are you?" - Vincent Gassetto

"How can we upgrade?" - Juan Enriquez

"Does Google equal immortality?" - Juan Enriquez

"We are all self-created voyeurs." - Juan Enriquez (referring to Facebook)

"What kind of humanity do we want to create?" - Juan Enriquez

"Put all the pettiness aside and think about the good of Broadway." - Joseph Craig

"Don't be the turkey." - Greg Mosher

"We must ask ourselves: What business are we in?" - Greg Mosher

"Read The Innovators Dilemma." - Greg Mosher

"You can't Google a broken heart. That's why we need Shakespeare." - Greg Mosher

And my favorite takeaway from the entire day...

"How are YOU going to take what theatre does best and reinvent that tradition in the future?" - Juan Enriquez 

Big huge thanks to Ken Davenport, Damian Bazadona & Jim McCarthy for organizing the event.

And thank you to the generous co-sponsors:

Jujamcyn Theatres

Broadway.com

...and the supporting sponsors:

Google

BroadwayWorld.com

Audience Rewards

CareerBuilder

You can follow @TEDxBroadway on Twitter...if you're into that sort of thing.

And...word on the street is...there may be another TEDxBroadway next year!!! Whoo-hoo!!!

Here's to the future of live theatre on Broadway! Let's make it AWESOME! 

Loves,

Virginia

Yes, it's true...I actually had business cards made with the blog address on it. I KNOW IT'S SILLY! But I love this blog sooooo much, I couldn't help it!!! They came in handy too...I actually gave out a few at the event. LOL! So weird to introduce myself as an "actor-blogger." But, if the shoe fits...  :-P

  

114. TEDx Broadway

TEDxBROADWAY

Monday, January 23, 2012, 11:00am

New World Stages, New York

Get your tickets on Goldstar.com.

I love TED!!! This is my first opportunity to attend a LIVE event. Sooooo exciting! Come with me! I am a HUGE long-time fan of TED and this one is specifically focusing on Broadway. How cool is that!?

I think that exploring ideas for innovation and rethinking the established "norms" of how we approach Broadway is a valuable pursuit to ensure a thriving future for the theatre.

How can we innovate? How can we stay relevant in a culture inundated with sooooo many choices for inexpensive entertainment? What can we do better to capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences for generations to come?

If you don't know what TED is...check out the website or read below. This was taken from Seth Godin's Blog. I couldn't think of a better way to re-word it. So I figured it's better just to quote direct. Seth is brilliant.

The TED Imperatives

• Be interested.
• Be generous.
• Be interesting.
• Connect. 

In that order. If all you can do is repeat cocktail party banalities about yourself, don't come. If all you're hoping for is to get more than you give, the...event is not worth your time. If you're not confident enough to share what you're afraid of and what's not working, you're cheating yourself (and us). 

These aren't just principles for TED, of course. They're valid guidelines for any time you choose to stop hiding and step out into the world. It would be fabulous if people who were willing to commit to these four simple ideas had a special hat or a pin they could wear. Then we wouldn't have to waste our time while looking for those who care about their work and those around them. 

[TED is a conference that started small, got big and then spawned more than a thousand local versions [LIKE TEDx BROADWAY]. Mostly, it's a culture of connecting interesting ideas and the people who have the guts to share them. Sometimes people at TED even follow these imperatives].

Q: How did I hear about this TEDxBROADWAY event?

A: First read about it in a great post on Ken Davenport's Blog, The Producer's Perspective. He's one of the brilliant visionaries helping to produce the event. He's made a name for himself as an innovator and industry leader, here in NY. His blog has become super popular and his passion and vision for the future of Broadway is infectious.

Cannot wait to hear the speakers, participate in the discussions, and see who else shows up at this awesome event! Hope to see you there.

Loves,
V

P.S. Did some extra credit monologue work just for myself today...in my kitchen...whilst doing the dishes. I've been working primarily on my 4 required monologues for grad school auditions, but I've heard many-a-story about other folks getting asked for other alternative pieces. And since I've been doing this monologue-auditioning-thing for a while...I do have several other monologues that I COULD do. So I decided to take the opportunity today to brush up a few alternative monologue options. Such that, if I was asked to pull something else out of the air, I could do it...without freaking out and thinking..."DAMN, what the hell is the first line of this monologue...Or worse...What's the LAST line of this monologue...Yikes!" I mean, honestly, if the auditors are asking you to do something that's outside of the requirements that you've prepared for the audition, then they're definitely going to be giving you some extra brownie-points for going-with-the-flow and being brave enough to just go for it and throw something out there! So I've dusted off 4 other monologues that I could throw-down on a moment's notice. Soooooo that's 8 monologues total. I doubt I'll need more than 2, but if not...I've got 6 others in my back pocket. Now, is that ridiculously over-kill or what? My need for a sense of safety and preparedness knows no bounds. Good thing? Bad thing? Depends on your point of view, I suppose. Me? I think it's a bit much. But, it's how I operate. So I just gotta accept myself and go with it. 8 monologues. Stop there, Wilcox. You don't need any more than that. Don't go crazy.

94. What Does Freedom Mean To You?

"There are thousands and thousands of people out there living lives of quiet, screaming desperation who work long hard hours at jobs they hate, to enable them to buy things they don't need to impress people they don't like." - Nigel Marsh

Ahhhh, consumerism. Why do we buy into you?

Accumulating things does not lead to long-term happiness. It's so disappointing. The momentary pleasure of getting something NEW is soooo fleeting...and then you're left with mounting debt and mounting regret.

DEBT FREE. Let's all get THERE.

Here's some inspiration... Watch this.

I have to say...Life is all about EXPERIENCES. And the experience of attending grad school will be one I know I will NEVER regret investing in.

That's why I am 100,000% willing to give up my "cushy" day-job with retirement package security in order to be able to live the life of a working actor and do the thing that I am most passionate about. That makes me want to jump out of bed in the morning! That is my idea of FREEDOM. The freedom to fearlessly do what I love: act (and get paid).

Now, I must say...since I am writing a post about debt...that I am very aware that grad school is not FREE. And NYU and Juilliard are both veeeeery expensive, even with financial aid.

Yale, however, is a different story. I must give kudos to them on the money issue. The financial aid package at Yale is beyond wonderful. And by wonderful...I mean, you can graduate with veeeery little debt... (They're not as enlightened as schools that actually pay YOU to study there, but nobody's perfect.) When they explained the details of the financial aid opportunities at the Yale Visitor's Day, I audibly gasped with JOY! don't want to quote actual numbers for Yale, because I know that I'll probably get it wrong, but let's just say that their financial aid package puts NYU and Juilliard to shame.

I know NYU is making an effort to endow more scholarships every year, so they're getting there. I've gone to a couple of their fund raising events and they are making progress! The faculty and administrative staff are keenly aware of the stresses of the financial burden that their recent graduates are dealing with daily. And I am sure that Juilliard is doing their best as well, though I am not as familiar with the financial assistance opportunities they offer for MFA students since this is my first time applying there.

But Yale...WOW...they have got it figured out. They really make an Ivy League education affordable...and that's really admirable. Because debt is REAL. Those student loans are NOT going to pay themselves off.  Yale's financial aid package allows people (such as myself) that don't come from money and have had to pay their own way...the freedom to be able to consider Yale as a viable choice...regardless of economic background. Bravo, Yale, bravo!

(Please do not take my word for it...when it comes to all this financial stuff. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid at each school for detailed, accurate and current information.)

Anyway, I look at grad school as an investment... an investment and a life experience that will forever transform me. So...no matter the cost...I know it will be worth it. And I'll pay off the debt eventually. But less is more in this arena...for sure.

Be free to do what you love and love what you do. Never fear. Money will come.

Abundantly,
Virginia

P.S. If you ever want to make a social situation reeeeeally awkward, just start up a conversation with someone you hardly know and ask them about their MONEY. That'll make them uuuuuncomfortable. Talking finances is the new TABOO. "Shhhhh! Don't talk about THAT. We can talk all you want about sex, but money? I don't think so...that's personal." Ever encounter that attitude? The logic escapes me... Just makin' an observation... Our society is weird.  ;-p

"Riches, when they come in huge quantities, are never the result of HARD work! Riches come, if they come at all, in response to definite demands, based upon the application of definite principles, and not by chance or luck." - Napoleon Hill, Think & Grow Rich