Congregations

Editors Note: This was originally written on September 28th but due to a mixup in our blogging process, was never posted. Stay tuned for more of Roman's lost posts! 

If i was a better person I’d stay in little rock and open up an improv theater.

Rent is cheap and there is never any traffic. But as this is not enough to keep me here i’ll leave it as an open invitation to anyone who is up for it.  There’s a troupe here but they are not currently performing.

I get the sense that people are looking for more things to do, maybe other ways to connect. or maybe it could just be another outlet for those who usually spend their time being overtly sexual with strangers. Being overtly sexual with scene partners is somehow easier to take because we can pretend it’s not real.

I’m excited about going to Memphis as i was just told there was a really good thursday night open mic there. I’m getting a bit antsy as I haven’t “performed” for a while. I spoke for a few minutes at a GSA at SMU, but it’s not quite the same although there are similar attributes to having a bunch of people listen to you and wanting to get a message across.

What I have come to realize are the similarities between churches and theaters. At some theaters (or the ones where I hang out/perform) there is a variety of people who get up on stage and at the churches, while there might not be as many people getting up, there have been a few different voices speaking. and everyone who is part of this shared space, and there is a common goal.

I’m not religious and admittedly I was standoffish at first, but it’s been getting easier to be in these settings. One could very well call the magnet, under St. Marks and Bowery (where I spend most of my time in New York) as churches of sorts, just as churches could be seen as theaters. I could see where this might be offensive to people on both sides, but below the surface: people gather at these places at the same time, to connect, to see friends, to be heard, to be inspired.

At the very root i feel like there is a similarity.

It’d be easy to find the differences, but especially with the last church we were at, I felt so much love. which is the main reason I hang out at the theaters back home. Micah and I were greeted with so much kindness, hugs and people wanted to connect with us. Finding love in a completely new (unexpected) place makes the world feel a lot more warm. Especially in places where I assumed I would feel like I wouldn’t belong and/or be accepted.

I still miss getting on stage though. and it could be my ego, it could just be that I’m far more quiet offstage than on. I do want to be heard, but i just want to make sure people are listening.