Delphinus, in the Northern Sky
James H. Burns (written 9/10/2012)
Some time after 9/11, I wrote this note, for our friends who work on
Broadway. I believe it may still have relevance, revised here, on our
eleventh year since....
I have a great many problems with this date, as I'm certain so many of
you do.
(And it's impossible to write about this, without perhaps sounding at
least a little trite, so forgive me.)
But something pleasant, easy to ignore:
It's eleven years later, and we're still here. Still able to perform, or
write, or otherwise create, or, also wonderful, to be able to embrace
those passions.
I was just thinking of the guts it took for the actors who resumed their
places on the stage so soon after that day in September.
'Remember the courage it took, for some of us, just to walk down the
street. And these folks were resuming one of the toughest challenges, in
the arts.
For some, no doubt, it was a blessed respite. A chance to escape the
horror, as they inhabited a character, or sang and danced in a chorus.
For others, the first steps into the theatre had to be like walking
through quicksand.
A surrealism, upon surrealism, as it were.
But there was also a certain degree of grace, from whatever one's
mindset was, in braving those boards, again.
I remember the marvelous story a friend of mine in the cast of "Kiss Me
Kate" related: The producers gave free tickets to many of the relief
workers, and police and firemen--
And how extraordinary it was for the cast, in those days, to try to lend
some comfort by their entertainment, to those who were working so
hard...
It was overwhelming, AND wonderful, for them, to be able to meet some of
the rescue workers, and others, afterwards, at the stage door.
What ALL of New York's actors, and musicans and stagehands did in those
days helped shed some light.
Maybe not a big thing, in the big picture.
But a really big thing for those whose hearts were touched.
Like always.
James H. Burns
(Originally published as "Grace, And Remembrance.")
You can reach Jim at jameshburns2006@gmail.com
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(James H. (Jim) Burns, a writer/actor living in Long Island, has written
for such magazines as GENTLEMAN'S QUARTERLY, ESQUIRE, TWILIGHT ZONE and
HEAVY METAL. More recently, Jim has made several contributions to
Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, and written Op-Eds or features
for NEWSDAY, THEVILLAGEVOICE.COM, THE SPORTING NEWS and THE NEW YORK
TIMES.)
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