Four Down - Dream in Motion

Dear Reader,

I finally got out there today and in Florida-like summer temperatures and humidity delivered my first four portfolio packages to arts organizations here in New York City. My package to each organization included: my three page resume, my artistic resume, a DVD with video samples of my work and a CD containing a comprehensive PDF portfolio documenting my ten years of professional and scholastic experience as an event manager and theatre professional. All of this was assembled professionally using very theatrical, yet professional graphics (thanks to Joey Gomez).

Putting fashion in front of function, I wore a sleek, all black outfit as I journeyed through the city. Not too bright for a day such as this! I dropped packages off to The Julliard School, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York City Opera and The Public Theatre. I have several more packages to submit. Some are for positions organizations are filling and some packages are just going to organizations of interest. Now, mind you, I have no idea how much time I have this fall to devote to a job or internship. I may be getting ahead of myself, but its all part of the big picture so . . . I'll keep on keeping on.

I did get a call today from LaVie Productions (www.lavieproductionsllc.com) offering me an internship. LaVie Productions is a theatre production management company. Some of their clients include In the Heights, Sweet Storm (the show I worked on for a couple weeks back in July) and the New York Musical Festival. If LaVie Productions can offer me something that will help further my goals it may be a great opportunity. Again, time limitations may dictate just how much is too much.

I thought a lot today of what I wanted to write here. Traipsing through the city taking another step in the right direction brought about some important feelings. By no means will this blog be a day by day account of my life. That would overwhelm me more than balancing any job or internship with full time graduate school work. But my mind has started racing around material I am eager to share. As it pertains to this blog, I felt today's activities relates directly to my efforts to minimize margins.

I have been preparing these packages for over a week now. They are retools of what I submitted to New York University as my application package. Nonetheless, each package takes a considerable amount of time. After a lifetime of feeling like a person 'like me' - gay, not a great test taker, immature, irresponsible, remedial, etc., - all the labels assigned to me over the years by those who were oppressing me, I was ready for this step. Now, I could still fail. I could get zero response from any of these organizations. But I realized the same effort I have put into avoiding my dreams in the past pursing activities that did not fulfill my life's vision was the same as what I channeled into this project.

I did feel nervous at first as I dropped my first package off at The Public Theatre. And as I acknowledged the fear that is now part of my past, I walked in, calmly and deliberately and delivered my package, knowing I am good enough to be there. I was there and therefore, I belonged.

None of this post is to written to counteract a crippled ego. I don't write out of self pity. I share this experience because it has its rightful place on this journey. It is an important step to saying 'yes'. Though my road traveled may vary and I may not end up exactly where I think I will my sights are set where they should be and it just feels right.

Thanks for reading.

Alan L. Bounville