We watched ELIZABETH REX, a 2003 Stratford film, recently. The cast was made up of Stratford Festival regulars, many of them no longer living with us on this earth (and including the recently deceased master of the art, actor Brent Carver). The threesome who introduced the film talked about missing those actors and being grateful for having them on film, and then one of them said, "It is not enough, but it is something." Those words have been haunting me. Are we living in a world right now when we must find a way for "something" to be enough? Or is something always enough. What is "something" anyway? I'm writing this on Tuesday, 3 days after my birthday and 2 days before Thanksgiving. There's lots of something.Both birthday and Thanksgiving focus on family. There are only eight of us in the immediate family, 2 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, 2 grandkids. All wonderful people. So far we have missed, or will soon miss, being together during covid time for six birthdays and three wedding anniversaries as well as Laurel Festival and Dickens.. We are a close family. We all actually like each other too. They won't be here for Thanksgiving, but they have their own families and none of us live alone. And that is SOMETHING. We talk on the phone often (yes, a landline here in my house), usually for a half hour or even an hour. And the birthday flowers from Akikos are still gorgeous. And I will put a turkey in the oven on Thursday. That is SOMETHING.
So to Hamilton-Gibson. No audiences right now. The theatre is dark in this moment.. Nothing live on stage right now. The annual appeal just came to our mailbox. Thomas always writes the letter himself and also signs each one. In this letter he says we will have stories, lots of stories, that enrich and empower. And in that envelope is a "bookmark" announcing the 2021 season with eight titles of shows that HG hopes and plans to produce. And that is SOMETHING. And if HG can manage to offer all those shows it will be enough.