My kids are gone. They have packed up this morning to head to the Florida State Thespian Conference in Tampa. The school, the halls, and especially the Blackbox is a much quieter place. It is spooky. I am very familiar with the Florida State Thespian Festival in that I lead the organization for 18 years as State Director – taking the organization from a few hundred to a few thousand – from bulk mailing to the organization’s first web page. Although I have been away from this organization for a few years, it still holds many great memories both of programs, teachers, and most of all students. It is easy for me to sit here at school and pine for the old days – but it became time for me to move aside so that new energy could lead it forward.
One central question that followed me throughout the tenure of my service to Florida State Thespians – was those damn trophies. Over the years THOUSANDS of dollars were spent on plastic figurines on wood-stained blocks. Most of the figurines looked a lot like the figurines on the Academy Awards which was likely a violation of copyright – and certainly NOT the right art form. I made efforts to remove them. Do you really need a THING to tell you that you have learned about the art or achieved some success in sharing it? Do you really need a thing?
And the answer is YES. Unfortunately you DO need a thing. So many schools around the state have a big ol’ trophy case right there in front of the school that greets any visitor and flanks the office of the administration. Anything and everything of merit exists and is memorialized in this case. If you cannot put something in this case, you have done nothing for the school. Extra time, extra money and extra priorities are given to those who can put the most THINGS in this cabinet. Hence, theatre needs THINGS – if theatre wants to survive in most schools – an unfortunate reality for sure. Do we do it for the thing or for the story? I sure as hell hope we do it for the story. But the trophy tells the world we are good in the way that the world of high school can understand.
Good luck to all my peers and students at State. I hope you bring home lots and lots of stuff. I will be dusting out the cabinet and moving things around to give you a clear space for your things.
5 comments on “Trophy for the Case”
I think this is where it comes in handy to learn about the difference between the ego and the real “us”.
A thing can be USED as a form of motivation. To make us FEEL as though we’ve achieved something. In this context, it can be exciting.
It’s when we depend on that thing – base our worth on it and confuse our value for our achievements that it becomes a problem.
And for most of us, it’s way too important because it encourages too much emphasis on external circumstances and little on the journey – which is where the magic is.
So to answer your question, it’s never about the thing. It’s about what the thing represents and how we, the observer, use it. It can work for or against us. It’s always up to us to decide though, and our level of consciousness is the deciding factor.
Brilliant reply, Dana. I totally agree!
🙂
Michael, I hope you’re not too lonely hanging around the school dusting out old trophy cases. I know what you mean about the insanity that seems to develop around those massive cases that want to “prove” that something worthwhile must have gone on. Seems that after awhile, the only thing that gets proven is that the place is getting overly cluttered. But the tradition will go on – probably won’t change anytime soon, although I can envision digital picture frames and a slide show instead of a 20-foot glass cabinet. Maybe that will play a part someday. 🙂
Unfortunately (or fortunately – I’m not quite sure), all talent and success is determined by something measurable, whether it be how many trophies you’ve won, or how many running medals you’ve won, or how many goals you’ve scored in a match. I guess humanity just likes was to measure success. Though it’s great to win and achieve these “things”, you’re right, the most important thing is the passion and the story. If you haven’t got that, then the “things” almost seem pointless, and lose their value. I think in most cases, they go hand in hand, if you love what you are doing, then you generally do it well, and achieve/ win awards, or “things”.
Personally, I live for the stories and the experiences – because, that is life! But, then I don’t exactly live the most “normal” life. I don’t tend to put a high value on “things”, (unless it does have a story behind it). With that being said, I do keep all my running medals, but I think the photos from the actual day holds greater importance for me, but the medals I nice too, but the tshirts are even better, because they serve a purpose. Would I still run the race if there was no medal at the end? Absolutely!
I think it’s only natural for people to collect trophies. Murderers collect souvenirs, do they not? That’s supposed to be funny.
Anyway, I hear you, but I also think it’s awesome when you can take your kid to a high school and show them grandpa’s basketball trophy. I mean, why not? It’s fun.
Yes, it does take up a lot of rules, and yes, we should remember that not everybody who makes a contribution will have a trophy on the shelf, but it’s human nature to collect junk. Might as well be junk that celebrates something. 🙂