Lots of interesting things to respond to.
If it isn't what it 'used to be', it's the fault of those who aren't participating and making it better. This is a totally valid point, that sitting around and lamenting it isn't action to change, but in thinking about it, I keep coming to the feeling that it's kind of like one of those double-sided scales these days. The few of us from "those days" that are left could try, but I don't know that we wouldn't still be (or at least feel) consistently outweighed and taken over by the stuff that's driving us to participate less. It'd have to catch on and re-infiltrate, and I don't know how realistically I see that happening. In my mind, maybe it's time to just sort of sigh and agree with whoever said simply that nothing can ever stay the same. I felt that maybe it is for a long time.
In my nearly seven years here, BroadwayWorld has always had its ebbs and flows; so sometimes I think that's all that's going on. But it's been a while for me since I've seen more than tiny hints of the reasons I found such a home in this place. I can't exactly ignore the fact, either, than back in said "good old days," I was really, for all intents, a child. I had different standards, different things impressed me, amazed me, drew me in. But I can't blame it all on that, because I still do know that this was a different place then, too.
There is definitely a part of me that misses posting all of my "reviews," casual as they often were on here. For those who weren't around, I used to post about almost every single show I saw. For years. Somewhere in the abyss, there are dozens. I loved then, and still do, to write things down and talk about them -- and foremost, to document my experiences. I sincerely do credit BroadwayWorld as the place where I learned to write, because it gave me the freedom to try out my hand at it, and get tons of open feedback. That was invaluable to me. I've stopped posting them here for a lot of reasons, partially because I began writing somewhat professionally and felt I should stick to one side or the other. But I also kind of feel like interest in that kind of discourse has faded; like somebody said, somewhere there was a shift and now a "review" is constituted by something that is three sentences long, and then includes a "review" of the stage door activity after. Granted, I remember writing add-ons in some my posts about who I met and things like that, but the lack of distinction where it becomes
part of the review is tellingly disturbing to me. It can be part of the experience, absolutely -- but it's not a part to be included and evaluated in your "review." It's not THAT kind of part of the experience; and it's sad that some people think it is.
I had something else I wanted to say, but I can't remember it not. Must be my old age.
A work of art is an invitation to love.
