No Shame.

[prufrock451]

The 20th anniversary of No Shame Theatre.

I used to have fantasies about this, back when No Shame was a big chunk of my life. "I will be invited to perform at the 20th anniversary show," I thought to myself. "I will be on that stage with John Smick and Carolyn Space Jacobson and Todd Ristau. Because my writing and performance will be remembered."

Comments

[samwisegangee]

My original plan was to visit Iowa City during early/mid October. That was always my favorite time of year in that town. That was always Iowa City at its most resplendant. For various reasons, the imminence of this trip has been cast into doubt, and this reunion has only complicated things further.

I miss No Shame. I miss it despite the fact that its quality has always been wildly inconsistant. I miss it despite the fact that I hated it throughout the last year of my involvment with it. I miss it because I did love it for a long time, for all of its flaws as well as its beauty. I miss it because I haven't had an outlet anything like since the time that I left. But I can't say if that alone is enough to drive me back for a week full of it.

This festival is not a regular No Shame. It isn't reliving the past, exactly. As I understand it, nobody is required to perform pieces from prior shows. If you feel your current work is that much better than your No Shame cannon, I don't see any reason why you couldn't write something new. Novelty and change are inherent in the form. Regardless of how they are composed, all of these shows will be something that no one in attendance will have seen before. They could all be terrible, but No Shame has always been a gamble. They will be interesting, and that alone may make the trip worth it. Also, Jeff Goode will be there, and I for one, like to hang out and talk with Jeff.

There is a part of me that really wants to go. Yet there is another part of me that dreads the idea of returning to No Shame. I can't really place the feeling, but I do know that No Shame has no place in my life these days. New, old, or somewhere in between, No Shame will still be No Shame, and I don't know if I really want to be a part of it anymore.

I will never attend a high school reunion. Ever. But in the end, I will probably go to a No Shame reunion, even though the two were almost exactly the same in a lot of ways.

And that is that, and I am late for work.

[prufrock451]

I haven't had a chance to hang out much with Jeff, although Todd Ristau plays a mean-ass game of pool.

I am totally excited that you are considering going, because as I've already mentioned in a response that wasn't ludicrously delayed, the more people do show up the better it will be.

[al_angel]

Well. I'm going. I think.

I decided for certain a while ago, but everytime I say to myself, "yes, I'm going back," I get those second thoughts all over again.

But. I'm going. And you're going to hold me to that.