More than 15 summers, or 15 years ago, I finished my studies at theatre school with a big end of year show, obviously. In fact, it was called the Great Show. Our graduation project was a group piece directed by Carlos Marquerie. I have very fond memories of it and I had a great time. It was a very performative, and its other title was "What a Dumb way to Die". For the past few years I've had to direct end of year shows in workshops and schools. This is the first year I?m not doing it; I don?t want to, I don?t feel like it. But I can?t quite break free from the obsession. Even though I don?t have to do a show this year it still seems like there?s something to prove at the end of the academic year. Even if you've hit 40, you still have to answer the eternal questions: what are you doing? what have you done? what will you do after the break? It's all about being active, never stopping, showing the world that you?re useful, creative, wonderful, brilliant, and that you're doing something with all those things that are happening or not happing to you, that you're worth it, and you're going to prove it.
Which is what artists in general always have to do. Doing nothing is frowned upon. So I automatically tend to take on lots of tasks and end up stressed so I can feel like I'm doing something. As if living and surviving, which are not the same thing, were not enough.
My summer picks in the following videos are inspired by the superficiality of beach bars, by potato chips and tinto de verano; because come late June, with or without an end of year show, I'm tired. Tired of all the questions I have to answer, or not, every time I come across somebody from the theatre world... I think the year should end in June and begin in September, and that the time in between should be a time of official non-existence, of doing nothing. Oh, I can?t! I forgot, I live in Spain, where there's never any bloody money. The expression ?...what a dumb way to die...? is stuck in my head, so my summer picks are end of year shows, dumb deaths in silly films, and silly love.
Because I want to be silly for a day and stop trying to be smart; because I want to laugh, I don't want to be a superwoman who deals with everything and knows everything; because I want to watch these videos and do nothing, including not watching them.
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End of Year Show: The perfect mix
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More end of year action and fun
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Momentous questions
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Flying among ladders
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I want a jacket like this one, tough enough to resist anything, even me
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While I try to do nothing
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SUMMER HOLIDAY BONUS TRACK
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SUMMER HOLIDAY BONUS TRACK II
End of Year Show: The perfect mix
After months rehearsing the dance steps I can show the world how great I am.
More end of year action and fun
YouTube is full of videos of this synchronised swimming act, all of them different. For years I?ve racked my brains trying to be original, creative, brilliant, in every end of year show. What we never learn ? at least in my case ? is that we?re always creative, it?s impossible to avoid. After repeating an action a few times, not many, perhaps the second time we repeat a gesture, we introduce an innovation. The hard thing is to not innovate. The problem comes when we try to fulfil those ideas about being brilliant, being geniuses, coming up with some amazing innovation or discovery that will change the world. When we want to be the new Leonardo Da Vinci or Marie Curie. We forget to have fun. I think the search for my brilliance, as in this video, lies in enjoying what I do.
Momentous questions
Momentous questions as I imagine myself having another tinto de verano on the way to work. Why is it that the guy who?s home wears Cuban heels and the one who comes in wears a jacket and goes barefoot?
Flying among ladders
What a dumb way to die...!
I want a jacket like this one, tough enough to resist anything, even me
While I try to do nothing
While I try to do nothing, I find this video where journalist Andrés Oppenheimer presents the ?slow? movement in an interview with Carl Honoré, who looks like Charles Aznavour. In their conversation about the ?slow? movement and the philosophy of ?mindfulness?, as Oppenheimer talks about doing nothing, a nice blue text box keeps flashing up his achievements. My favourite is the one that contains the word ?cowinner?.
The bit I enjoy most as I stuff another potato chip in my mouth is when they?re joined by a man who looks like he hasn't eaten breakfast that morning and isn?t happy about it. And it?s cool when we see them all framed in separate squares, like Bert and Ernie.
SUMMER HOLIDAY BONUS TRACK
Inspired by my esteemed and admired Cris Blanco, who I share laughs and tears with, here is a film that promises to be the perfect companion to a good siesta, on the sofa, under the heat of the sky.
SUMMER HOLIDAY BONUS TRACK II
One of the silliest love songs that I like to sing to myself as I watch the wasps drinking from the puddles and eating my watermelon full of sand in the reservoir where we are forbidden to swim.