I think that one of the hardest things to do is to speak your mind. Which is kind of ironic — seemingly false but true — when you live in the United States of America. After all, one of the founding principles is freedom of speech. But to speak one’s mind is dangerous. In addition to the fact that you might upset or offend or be viewed as odd or stupid, you also immediately become vulnerable. Because you have dared to reveal yourself. To reveal something that you believe. Some secret desire or hope that you you held dear for quite some time that may now be judged, criticized, ridiculed….FYI, I tend to view things from a glass half empty kind of way.
This kind of daring is the quality that makes a performance dangerous, scary, thrilling, and watchable. Because something is immediately at risk. Something personal is at stake. If it isn’t personal, it isn’t worth it. It isn’t fun to perform. It isn’t fun to watch.