Sunday, March 29, 2009

Week Twelve / Day One...plus

This was a great week, wrapping up in Perth and the delivery of the first show in which I have had a hand in the full arc of development and production. I had written the concept for this annual event about a year ago while still a consulting Creative from NYC; so, being here to oversee the final few months of pre-production and Direct the show was a welcome opportunity with a healthy subtext of hands-on accomplishment. With some serious re-tooling of what seems to be an accepted matrix or format for these functions in Australia, we nearly doubled the amount realized from the event, Saturday night.

For those of you who've been to the occasional fundraiser, before; we kept cocktails clean of any speeches and established a festive atmosphere at the start...bringing the crowd into the ballroom with a 20-piece marching band (founded in 1898 in Perth), true to the '80's High School theme of the night. As it happens, there isn't a culture of marching bands in Australia - outside the military; so, this component was more an import from my own past. The audience was, then, quite surprised as this group of codgers came marching through all brass-buttoned in their uniforms and trumpeting the theme to "Monty Python's Flying Circus."

Once all were inside, we went right to the meat of the program; presenting a short, very personal and poignant introduction of a new program of the agency. A powerful storytelling moment about the plight of children who are taken into foster care, usually with rapid extrication from a familiar-though-unsafe context as they begin a navigation through foster systems carrying all their worldly possessions in black plastic garbage bags. A very real metaphor for these lives at risk and an effective threat to a child's self-esteem and dignity; the fact of these garbage bags is a profound negative foundation for the rest of a child's life...regularly overlooked in the larger context.

This new program seeks to take these children, on their first morning in this protective care, shopping for their own suitcase and the necessities of life to fill it. Toothpaste, toothbrush, toiletries, washcloths, sweaters/jumpers, shoes, socks, even a lunchbox to take with them to their new school. This is probably the first time these kids have ever actually been shopping and certainly the first time they have been given the power to choose what they want and receive it. Then, when they move from foster home to foster home; they can pack their own suitcase with their own things and carry their lives with dignity to their next home.

I don't know if this is communicating; but, thinking about it, this program can have significant and far-reaching, positive results. This can communicate to these kids that there are adults who care for them, and give them very real ownership of and some control over the way they live their lives. Who knows what effects this may have as they grow into young adults?

So, this was the very first moment of the evening; and, as the story was being introduced in a dark room with one speaker, seated, in a brilliant pool of light, one could feel that moment when a quiet audience becomes a silent audience and all are deeply focused on what is being said. It was powerful. The goal had been to raise enough money, on the spot at $500.00 a suitcase, for as many as 30 kids. In 20 minutes we had enough for over 50 children! Great start to an evening.

That being done, in came the dancers, acrobats and roller skaters to "Physical," "What a Feeling," "Time of My Life" and "Xanadu" and the 80's came alive for a wild evening. These Aussies do NOT do anything halfway; and I was impressed at how thoroughly the entire audience of about 650 participated in the theme. They were ALL dressed to the '80's Nines... 

That is one thing about this culture that is so compelling; nobody is "too cool" to get into something like this. The natural exuberance of the Australian Culture is such that people tend to jump in with both feet when it's time to have fun; and if that means we're dressing like the '80's, we effing dress like the '80's! From CEO to PA, inhibitions (if there are any) were dropped and the entire crowd was fully-themed... Crikey!

We brought the '80's tribute band on between the first and second courses, and the dance floor was PACKED! I'm tellin' you, there is no "halfway" here. 

I saw something else I'd never seen, before, as well: we had a kickass auctioneer for a 30-minute, very fast-paced auction during the main course. This guy was a wacko powerhouse; and, after selling off all the donated/sponsored experience-based prizes, he proceeded to tell the audience he'd planned to bring something personal to auction off, but that he'd forgotten to bring it. So, he was going to auction off "bugger all." He then proceeded to auction...nothing. It was a riot; he managed to get them bidding against one another, starting at $100.00, until he got the figure up to $2,000...whereupon he accepted three, matching bids of that figure...raising $6k for three lots of nothing.

Nice work.

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So, that was this week. A final note on events in Oz, though: my personal/professional mission now includes the eradication of the M.C. In this country, Masters of Ceremony seem, culturally, to be an accepted, "necessary" component of any and all events and ceremonies. IMHO, short of Hugh Jackman, Billy Crystal or Jon Stewart, few things are more certainly guaranteed to protract an evening with air-sucking chatter than an M.C. That's why god invented voice-over! More on this as my mission develops...

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So, all that being said, I am offering a brief visual tour of a few milestones...and looks...from my own past for your personal enjoyment...

1970 - after my relay team's successful four-and-a-half day quest for inclusion in the Guinness Book for longest, unbroken swim. I think we managed to keep the record for about two months...

1973 - At Georgetown's annual Sports Dinner, receiving "most improved"... (I know, I know...the pants...I was so proud of them...a tragedy.)

1976 - The National Cotillion with Miss Ginny Short

1975 - South Coast Repertory production of "Star Spangled Girl"

1978 - Denver, Colorado with my very close friend, Hutch

1981 - San Francisco

So, that should leave you with some laughs, this week. 

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Learned another new term; "getting kip." It means getting some sleep...more, a nap. "Did you get some kip on the flight?"

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Finally, thanks for reading this. I've said it before, but the correspondence and communication amongst us that has been the result of my posting of this blog has been and remains such a tremendous support to me. I am reminded, almost daily, of the quality of friend I am so fortunate to have had and, in many cases, now have again. The fact of you carries me through some very rough spots...