As the TV weatherfolks built drama for the FIRST BIG STORM OF 2010, I checked my e-mail box Thursday morning and found that the opening of the Emily Kennerk gallery show at Christopher West Presents on Mass Ave. had been postponed a day. "Stay safe and warm" stated the friendly note.
So much for the planned first stop on my Thursday evening.
To make sure that part II was still in place, I called Dance Kaleidoscope and found out that, yes, there would be a performance.
Turns out the highways were clear and the downtown roads were very manageable. I even got a street parking spot just an intersection away from the Indiana Repertory Theatre.
The orchestra section seemed about half-full, but that's not surprising for a winter Thursday. But I checked with Jan Virgin, DK"s executive director and found out that, for the evening show, 205 people either canceled or exchanged tickets. Things were rougher for the matinee, which lost 129 of 228 patrons, understandable since that included five retirement and nursing homes and five school groups.
What is surprising, at least to me, is how little is said about the impact of the over-dramatization of the weather conditions on arts and entertainment groups.
This week, for instance, a new group is opening a show at the Indy Fringe, Theatre on the Square launches a local premiere, the aforementioned Emily Kennerk show is opening, Beef and Boards officially opens its winter comedy, the ISO offers Tchaikovsky, and much more. The artists themselves don't seem to be afraid of a little snow. They understand that, in most cases, you just need to put away the cell phone, keep both hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road, and allow for a little more driving time.
The patrons, though, seem to be more reactive. I'm guessing many potential audience members will be on the fence about going out this weekend not because of the actual conditions but because of the hype.
So are we just cautious or are we wimps when it comes to Indiana weather?
Your thoughts?
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If weather and road conditions are truly dangerous, then yes, of course, people should stay home.
But...
Last night after work it took me a good fifteen minutes to clear the snow off my car and de-ice my windows...but all anecodotal reports from customers had been that the roads weren't bad, so I thought, "Why shouldn't I go ahead and go to Beef and Boards?"
No reason.
I went, and I had a great time, as did everyone else who was there, I imagine. (I'll post my review of "The Foreigner" on my own blog later this weekend.)
However, it was the smallest audience that I had ever seen at B&B. I wondered if that was usual for the first Thursday night of a run, or if the weather had made this particular audience smaller than usual.
Director Eddie Curry came over at intermission to "not-schmooze" me, but we got to talking about the show and I forgot to ask him about the effects of the weather on the box office.
After the show I drove home, mentally preparing myself to shovel my driveway by starlight so that I could get my car off the narrowly-cleared street...and I found that some ANGEL had shoveled my driveway for me!
So the moral of my story is: when in doubt, don't be a wimp - go to the theatre!
Hope Baugh
Indy Theatre Habit
P2S2 - I know I didn't really answer your discussion prompt, Lou, but thanks for letting me tell my snow day theatre story anyway.
Hope Baugh
Indy Theatre Habit
Snow is relative to location. A flurry in Washington paralyzes our nation's capital. Several inches over time in St.Paul is just another winter day.
My wife and I are going to ISO, but dressing more warmly than usual.
I certainly hope you're not calling the nursing home facilities wimps for risking the lives of many in buses.
Let's not forget our city/state has had it's fair share of issues with street cleaning and plowing. Even those living in Center township can be pratically paralyzed in their streets b/c of how slowly we plow secondary streets in the city.
And let's talk about this assumption that because one has 4-wheel drive they can drive as fast as they want b/c they can get "traction". Let me tell you, as the child of a state trooper, nobody makes a perfect stop on ice. NOBODY!
To get back to the bigger picture. Let's not forget the aging issue of Indianapolis arts organizations. It's not surprising to see low attendance at certain arts performances.
I'd rather people be cautious and stay home then risk their own lives and the lives of others when on the roads.
Enough said...
As a business owner, I must have gotten 20 calls/requests to leave early yesterday to miss all the trafffic. For anyone that stayed, they found the roads clear and traffic just slightly slower than normal.
Does the snow make us yearn for our younger years when we could stay home, play in the snow and feel like Mother Nature just gave us an excuse to pretend we're 15 not 50?
Thanks for contributing to the conversation.
To clarify, in the original post I said it was "understandable" that senior citizen groups cancelled.
Lou
I also admit that if I am home when temperatures plummet or when it starts to snow heavily, I would rather stay home and read for fun. This is what I do if I haven't already promised to see and blog about a show somewhere.
So I guess I am actually a wimp. Huh.
2. By the way, I wonder how arts organizations that are already strapped for funds cope with the increased facility maintenance costs of below-freezing temperatures and winter storms.
I keep the cabinet doors open under my sinks in temperatures like this, and keep a tiny trickle of water going from the faucets, in hopes of keeping my house's ancient pipes from freezing and bursting. This is wasteful, I know, but more than one home inspector has advised me to do it, so I do. Can arts organizations in old buildings afford to do this?
And who shovels the walks for an all-volunteer theatre?
3. I love being safe and warm at home but still...there is something truly warming about hearing a good story told by live storytellers in the company of several other people on a cold winter's night - whether the storytellers are oral tradition tellers, or theatre artists, or musicians, or dancers, or whatever.
Hope Baugh
Indy Theatre Habit