I've enjoyed feeling a part of the New York theater community over the last few days. Sunday, my office had a table at the Broadway Flea Market, which is always a ton of fun (and a ton of work - my feet STILL hurt!), then last night I attended the 2012 New York Innovative Theatre Awards.
My office has been participating in the Flea Market for eight years or so - we don't have a lot of stuff to sell, but it's great to meet so many people and to get the names of writers out into the world. It was fun to see the look on people's faces when they saw the Edward Albee bath towel (I should've gotten a photo! I'm so dumb!); hats donated by Sheldon Harnick were a big hit; signed scripts by recent Pulitzer winners went quickly; and the free Halloween candy generally got a smile out of everyone who stopped by. It was so cool to have the author of a book we had on our table randomly stop by to sign it so we could get more money for it. This year, our table was in front of a truck selling large items like posters and theater signs, so we got all their money, too! I definitely should've gotten a photo of the good-looking young men handing me money every few minutes! :) We made our biggest monetary amount ever, so that was exciting! A great big thank-you to everyone who came and helped out at the table, did all the lifting and carrying for me, and to everyone who purchased something with a smile. The curmudgeons were few, so it was an especially happy day. Although it was really blustery where our table was stationed, it was a lovely day to be outside and see tons of theatrical goodwill across 44th Street. Oh, and I got a Free Man of Color magnet! Bonus! An excellent day all around. 
Last night's IT Awards was another celebration of the theatrical community and I was so grateful to be part of it. Happily, I was asked to announce some of the nominees a couple of months ago, so it was nice to see who walked away with awards! Actually, all of these artists are winners, making art wherever they can find a space and an audience. All of the recipients were so grateful and moved - their speeches were very touching. The presenters were great, too! I didn't know the host, Harrison Greenbaum, before last night, but I thought he was quite charming and very funny. He kept the show moving very well. I didn't know many of the winners, or their work (which I definitely need to work on), but I was very excited by several writers who received awards: Chisa Hutchinson, Donnetta Lavinia Grays and the Five Lesbian Brothers. I was fortunate enough to do a reading of The Secretaries a few years ago, and one of the Brothers came to see it. What a thrill! I'm attaching a photo of our cast and our special guest.
I make such an effort to see theater, but I need to make more of an effort to expand my theatrical horizons. All of these shows sounded fascinating and I was sorry to have missed them. This is something to think about for the future. But even though I may not have seen all the nominated shows, the spirit of community was alive and well and I basked in its glow...
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