Stage Sets Pt. 2

I wanted to continue a meditation on stage sets, about which I began writing last week. With those previous comments in mind, it's worth noting that I've now performed five shows (as of yesterday) on that set in Willimantic. In that time I've come to know its contours, blind spots, creaks, and warped boards as well as (or better than) any location I've frequented in the past few months. Considering this description of the set I think it would make a good blog post to speak about ephemeral homes.

This concept doesn't apply only to stage sets. In my opinion dorm life may also be considered "ephemeral" living. Because I live on campus and spend my time away from my dorm on a stage, I find myself in a situation I've not often encountered in my life: I have two temporary homes and no permanent home. Looking at this setup from an outsider's perspective, I would imagine that the person in my shoes would feel uprooted, without grounding, and a little lost. However, having lived in this transitory state for the past few years, I can say with certainty that I've grown accustomed to it. Dorm rooms are the same temporal homes as stage sets in their willingness to give you up in order to accommodate the next person. Students move in and out of dorms from year to year while stages see ten or more sets per year, hosting actors for weeks or even days at a time. The meaningful objects and devices of one's life can easily move from dorm to dorm, while stages need only new layers of paint and trimmings to seem fresh again. This comparison leads me to believe that the stage as a home doesn't care much for its inhabitants: it's the meaning with which we imbue these places that makes them so uncannily ours.