Rising From The Ashes

Today is the first day of a new decade. Today is also my birthday and, thusly, the beginning of my 41st year (or, depending on perspective, the beginning of my 42nd year).

Last year was difficult. And I'm not going to lie, I'm happy to see it end. I worked hard and I was let down hard. I made friends and I lost friends. It was a year of accepting truths - about myself, about my relationships, about my illness and about my aspirations. For me, 2009 was not only the last year of the decade but the end of a significant chapter in my life.

After my most recent blog post, the following T.S. Eliot quote appeared as the Facebook status of TBTA's future leader: “For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice.”

At first, I took it very personally. Last year, I spoke words in a language that will soon become obsolete. This year, a new voice will speak new words, in a new language. With one single quote, I felt both hurt and dismissed, as though all of my contributions were for naught.

Appended to the end of the quote from "Little Gidding II" was a fragment from a different T.S. Eliot quote: "And to make an end is to make a beginning."

Now, T.S. Eliot holds a special place in my heart. As a child, my father read to me from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (before Andrew Lloyd Webber got his hands on it). As a student, I explored the deeply complex world of T.S. Eliot, most specifically The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and The Waste Land.

Of course, I know that my friend's usage of this quote was more likely predicated by the onset of the New Year rather than as a personal affront to me. However, despite its intent, I choose to use that quote, in its entirety, to begin the next chapter of my story: "What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."

Much like the Seneca quote in my previous post, T.S. Eliot purports that without an ending there cannot be a beginning. Endings are hard and often sad but they are, indeed, where we start from. Beginnings are exhilarating.

From the ashes rises the Phoenix and, as such, I am proud and excited to announce that, in collaboration with B. Peter Hughes and Joseph Russo, a new theatre company is being born. TheStage Repertory Company, devoted to championing new and lesser known theatre, will spread its wings in 2010.

TheStage Rep will begin producing theatre for our community in Spring 2010 and will announce our inaugural season in February 2010.

Join us, won't you? Because beginnings are, indeed, exhilarating.

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