[Ed note: I realize that this post is a little dated now that Goldfish and Mrs. Whitney have closed, but I thought this was too good not to share. Apologies to anyone who doesn’t “get” Ryan’s special sense of humor.]
When we reach our early 40s, sometimes–no matter successful and accomplished we are–we hit a rut. We go through a dark night of the soul. Sometimes, it takes a young man to push us to the next stage. Am I talking about Angela Bassett and Taye Diggs? Perhaps metaphorically:
But I’m also talking about Magic Theatre. Last year, we came through a storm. We didn’t just survive the worst economy since the Depression while making a complete artistic and managerial transition, we managed to thrive. With a little help from our friends (think Whoopi Goldberg), we came back from the brink with two great successes: American Hwangap and Mauritius. Call that our trip to Jamaica.
So when we started this season, we were looking for that next spark, someone to be our Taye Diggs and take us to new heights of theatrical excellence. We found John Kolvenbach:
John may not be the man for Stella, but he’s definitely the man for us. I mean, he writes world-class plays that look deeply and hilariously at the human condition and what it means to be in love. We swooned.
And so, we were jolted into our 43rd season with a double-bill of Kolvenbach: Goldfish and Mrs. Whitney. They were great successes and our now being shopped around New York.
And that is just one of the many ways that the Magic got her groove back.
More posts from Ryan, please!
What a clever metaphor! And what’s more, I’m so happy about the success of the Magic’s 2009 season so far and the promise of Kolvenbach’s plays in New York. I hope NY picks them up!
[...] questions in a typically less-than-serious fashion (longtime readers might remember his infamous Magic Theatre/How Stella Got Her Groove Back comparison). Whatever his actual responsibilities, Ryan is a breath of fresh air in the office and a joy to [...]