Page 54 - April 2021 Voices

QUARTER NOTE

Find Your Equilibrium

David Freedman, IP3

During the entirety of this pandemic, I’ve been performers. Rather, I

struggling to find my footing as a performer. would be a character
Like the rest of us, I had to deal with the sudden actor of a very
shutdown of all of my favorite activities, and specific variety
some of those hit like rock-hard gut punches. that would be

Last March, the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, seldom called
an organization I’ve been a member of for nearly upon, if ever, in
twenty-nine years, postponed and then ultimately show business. I
canceled its 40th anniversary concert. All other still very much want

concerts, activities, and rehearsals have been to be performing in
online, including my Toastmasters functions. television and film, but finding
The loss of being on stage can be particularly those opportunities during the
frightening for performers, especially for those pandemic was even less likely to

of us who are striving to make a living in the arts. happen than they would under
Even though we found ways to create our own normal circumstances.
artwork on Zoom and other social networking I’m still not completely sure
sites, it clearly wasn’t the same as live performing. how I found my equilibrium

One thing that struck me in particular is how during the pandemic, but I
there’s an unusual dichotomy when you’re a know part of it came about
performer. You want to be onstage in front of an when I read a recent article on
audience, preferably as one of the star attractions, the CNN website about the offspring of famous

but at the same time you need to be supportive people who decided to follow their dreams,
of your fellow players. This can be daunting for not to mention in their parents’ footsteps. I’m
many reasons. For those of us who yearn to be not necessarily advocating becoming rich and
professional performers, the temptation is to be famous as a means for finding balance in one’s

the star, not the supporting actor. As a performer life as oftentimes it can lead to the opposite
living with a very rare neurological disorder effect. Nor do I necessarily support nepotism.
called Moebius syndrome which left me with Nonetheless, I noticed that for those offspring
a bilateral facial paralysis, I realized early on that were successful, all of them found love

that I would never truly be one of the top-tier in what they did and had a strong work ethic

54 ONE COMMUNITY