A Sojourn to Sojourn Theatre
The other day I received an unusual invitation. Michael Rohd, the Creative Director of Sojourn Theater, asked me to participate in a public conversation with him. The stated topic was, “What is the morality of gain in a world where some have more and some have less,” or put another way, “What would you do for a million dollars?”
I accepted, but when it came time to join him and the assembled audience on Saturday afternoon I was regretting my decision. It had been a long week and to work it off I wanted to be on my skis rather than doing something that I saw as being work related. My conscience got the better of me. I went, and am I ever glad I did.
The creative process works in many ways, but if Sojourn’s critical acclaim is any evidence their methodology and passion seems to yield pretty exceptional results. As part of their exploratory process they engage in public conversations with people whose lives may shed some light on the play they’re currently developing. In this case, the play they’re working on is called “Good.” Apparently it’s about a very good woman who doesn’t have a lot of money. As a result of her goodness the angels have taken quite a liking to her. So, like any good angels, they decide to give her the Wentworth Subaru dealership on East Burnside in Portland. They give her the gift because they think she deserves it, but they also want to conduct an experiment: Will she retain her goodness in the face of her newfound business success?
Great question. Does one’s character inevitably change in the face of material acquisition or under the pressure and demands of a business enterprise? Do power, privilege and success begin to define us in ways that leave our goodness in the dust??
Oh yeah, the play will open on June 10th in Portland. The angels have worked their magic and found the perfect venue. It will be performed at the Wentworth Subaru dealership on East Burnside.
This entry was posted on Friday, June 1st, 2007 at 4:46 pm and is filed under Personal Reflection, Positive Change. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.