"We’re Worth More than Anyone Bargained for"—JUST SAY IT THREE TIMES to Get out of That Rut

By Jenan Jacobson

Jenan Jacobson

I lay in bed last night having what my sleep-deprived brain would call an identity crisis. This was following a day that put things into dramatic perspective. I had spent much of the afternoon and morning slumping around, doing little and aspiring to nothing. I read a little bit, pet my cats, took an aimless walk in the park, but the day was filled with a sense of listlessness. Rarely have I considered myself indolent, but the ennui that gripped me was overwhelming and inescapable. I could come up with tons of excuses for myself—I work hard most of the time, and gee, school has really taken it out of me, and I really do deserve some down time, etc. I had halfhearted visions of doing something creative, being purposeful and generating something new,

but every time I moved to start writing or painting, I would fall into the old rut of wondering what was the point if I was never going to be great? This tiring day filled with the heft of undeserved nothing was followed by a dinner where we hosted some family friends. There is nothing worse than answering for yourself and trying to sound like you know what you’re doing or where you’re going when you’ve been wallowing in a state of stasis. As a college student, there is never any reprieve from the looming question: what are you going to do after school?

            Lin-Manuel Miranda, creative genius behind Hamilton, is a consistent tweeter. He repeatedly posts messages on the app, and what’s more, they are little bits of literary cheerleading. He assures us that we are great, and then admonishes his followers not to waste their time, and get going, doing whatever it is we need to be doing. While encouraging in some ways, it is also daunting, if only because the chances of reaching his level of creative production are slim to none.

            

            Given this mood I found myself in, it was remarkably refreshing to read Erin Moughon’s Just Say it Three Times. These were characters I recognized: stuck in their lives, unsure of what they need to be doing, and living in a way that does little to maximize any potential they have. Starting out with characters like these, stuck in a situation I imagine many are familiar with, it becomes clear that this is a play that is going to confront these attitudes. And who better to lead it than a poet from the 1800s, Aphra Behn? Summoned through dubious means, she is intent on radically changing how these people think about the ways they are conducting their lives and making use of their inherent potential? We’ve all looked up at figures who seem to have done more than is humanly possible—Shakespeare, da Vinci, Martin Luther King Jr., etc.—and been both inspired, but also cowed by the feeling of inadequacy when confronted with these great thinkers and doers. However, what I think this play does an amazing job showing is that these are the people we need in our lives to encourage us and inspire us. It’s a delicious chance to put aside reservations and ask: Why can’t I be the next Shakespeare? These are the characters we need to motivate us, these are the giants whose shoulders we are standing on—and with them, perhaps we can aim even higher. Just Say it Three Times got me out of my bed to start writing, and not because I had to, but because I suddenly had the urge to create. Do yourself a favor—if your future seems far too hazy and muddled, and you just don’t know what to do with yourself on these summer days, come see this show.

            Have you ever had an “Aha!” moment? Who are your inspirations in life? What are your proudest accomplishments? Comment below!

        

            JUST SAY IT THREE TIMES by Erin Moughon

Joanna and Emilia are spending another night at home drinking and bemoaning the

state of their live – until Joanna summons playwright Aphra Behn to visit them from the

1800s.

Friday, July 15th at 7pm

Monday, July 18th at 9pm

Thursday, July 21st at 7pm

For tickets go to https://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=256

At the Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46th Street, NYC

The Riant Theatre’s Strawberry One-Act Festival 

GARBAGE: Joining Hamilton in Building Bridges Over the Lines Drawn by Trump

By Jenan Jacobson

Jenan Jacobson

When I heard that Trump was running for president, I figured it was something like when someone nominates a pig for the local mayoral campaign. A joke. Something not to be believed. I thought everyone would have a good laugh and get it out of their systems so real politics could continue. Shockingly enough, the pig has won a spot in the presidential election. Similarly, when I heard about the plans surrounding Brexit, I assumed it was akin to crocodile tears. It was a child throwing a tantrum, and soon enough it would blow over so long as you did not give in and feed it another cookie. Well look at where we are. Things are looming in a way I could not conjure in my own nightmares, and my family is seriously considering moving to Canada. (The Canadians are good at taking people in, we have learned recently.)

For me, and many others, I would imagine, the most startling thing about those encouraging these courses of action in our politics, is how people are buying into the notion of separateness as ideal. We have all these voices in positions of power, ranting about the differences between people, and the lines that need to be drawn, and so it becomes important when we can find outlets that embrace the crossing of these lines. Because while this is the unfortunate age of Trump, it is also the era of Hamilton. Art is doing what it can to bridge gaps, and generate connections in our modern America. It is important to focus on similarities—similarities that reinforce the commonality of our humanity, and the experiences that punctuate the human condition, regardless of race, class, or religion.

Canadians accepting Syrian refugees

Garbage, a play by John Michael Wagner, tells of meeting between a young college student who has been given community service and a recovering alcoholic whose full-time job is working on a garbage truck. They’ve been assigned to the same truck, and despite a rocky start, they begin to realize some of the similarities apparent in their various issues, as well as the ways they might be able to help one another. These men occupy vastly different social standings, the distinction between full-time job and compulsory, short-term punishment for the college educated never truly forgotten, and this might prove a point of animosity between the two. These tensions arise often enough. Friends have told me the same thing for when they get summer jobs, and the set-up is reminiscent of Annie Baker’s recent play, The Flick, which also deals with these distinctions setting people at odds with one another. However, in

Garbage, these social hurdles are ultimately avoided in favor of jointly tackling universal problems that can be understood no matter what your background is. Trouble in love. Trouble with addiction. Issues in mental health. Together, as they go about their work day, the characters Tyrone and Alex give each other insight into their individual problems. Helped, perhaps, by the different perspectives they can provide. So no, we are not all carbon copies of each other. There are differences between people, but these are differences to be celebrated. Rather than get caught up in their differences, the two characters end up working together, pooling their different experiences and insights to understand themselves more fully. 

How else do we see barriers being set up between people and how else might we try and knock them down? Have you ever been in a situation like this? Comment below!

GARBAGE by John Michael Wagner

Based on a true story, GARBAGE explores issues of class, race, alcohol, drug abuse, and Christianity. When a college kid sentenced to community service reports to a sanitation worker, they discover they each carry a lot of garbage. Together they learn what stinks and what's worth keeping.

Saturday, July 16th at 3pm

Sunday, July 17th at 9pm

Tuesday, July 19^th at 7pm

For tickets go to https://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=287

At the Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46^th Street, NYC
The Riant Theatre’s Strawberry One-Act Festival