An echo in your head.o

An echo is a reflection of sound. A memory could be a reflection of anything. An echo is a present reflection of a past occurrence; a degraded version with a quality that diminishes with every return. A memory is just the same. 

“How could I ever forget?” Words laughed while gathered and sharing memories.

How could I ever forget?

It is easy to forget how easy it is to forget. 

This is a blog post for the alums who have forgotten. I am an alum from 2012. This year is MXTW’s 30th year anniversary. Which means there are alums out there who have had plenty of more time than I have had to forget. Like all alums, I carry my experimental memories near and dear to my heart but memory is a tragically delicate and unfortunately unreliable thing. Not that this is a depressing blog post or anything. What I want to do here is inspire. I want to inspire reflection (maybe some new old memories will resurface) and inspire action. Here’s the thing: GET UP AND MAKE A SHAPE!

That’s what I did today, along with everyone involved in this years workshop. And it felt great! I had forgotten exactly how great it felt to be doing what I was doing. 

This is from an exercise we did where we began as seeds that grew into beautiful flowers thanks to the wind, sun, and rain (carried to us via Jim’s voice). After wilting and dying due to the harsh Kansas winter, we grew again (with a vengeance) as ugly, malicious flowers.

This was my first dive back into the MXTW waters. To the person reading this: I encourage you to give this exercise a try! Go be a seed that turns into a flower. Close your eyes and take your time to really feel the elements. You can choose how you will bloom! To be shaping again made me feel feelings I cannot even put a name to. I bet you will feel those same feelings.

The thing with echoes and memories is that new ones can be created. Even before I was recruited to help out with this year’s workshop, MXTW had been often on my mind. My soul was aching for it. I had forgotten how it felt. I even felt like I had forgotten how to do it, which is a scary thought to entertain, and also not true.

To reiterate: GET UP AND MAKE A SHAPE! If you feel like you have forgotten, know that you have not. Create new echoes in your head. Create new memories. And come see the 30th production of the Manhattan Experimental Theatre Workshop on June 15 and 16! Give these future alums your support.

Shaping alone is enough to free your mind, but shaping with others is where the magic really gets going. There will be a special session held on June 16 for alums to move and groove together from noon to 3pm at the MAC! Get ready, get set, GO mark your calendar!

dontcha wanna make jim this happy????

• Another super cool pic. This could be you!

• Get to growing!