What STBD and Einstein Have in Common

Tonight I saw Absolute Wilson, a documentary about theatrical genius Robert Wilson. Perhaps best-known in America for the play / opera Einstein on the Beach, which he created with composer Philip Glass, Wilson is renowned throughout Europe for his groundbreaking (and mind-blowing) concepts.

However, here in America, he's largely an unknown quantity, even after 40 years in theatre.

I won't compare our audience -- which is tiny -- with Wilson's audiences, which are, by comparison, quite large (especially internationally).

I also won't lay claim to any kind of artistic genius, since what we're doing isn't the kind of life-altering artistic rocket science that Wilson traffics in.

Where I will draw a comparison is between our respective determinations to succeed.

Wilson took a circuitous path to success, including long stretches of financial hardship, creative frustration and a complete lack of public appreciation.

At the height of his fame, in 1982, he was commissioned to create a theatrical work for the Olympics -- and the money men were so confused by his proposal that they withheld the final $1.2 million he needed to complete the project, even though it was later stated that the Olympic committee had a $150 million surplus of funding.

Temporarily crushed, Wilson bounced back. In 1990, he had a massive commercial success in a stage collaboration with Tom Waits called The Black Rider, which played to sold-out audiences around the world.

Meanwhile, STBD continues to travel a circuitous path to success, including long stretches of financial hardship, creative frustration and a complete lack of public appreciation.

At the height of our "fame," we still serve a smaller collective audience than some local stage productions manage in a week. Despite creating some of the best content on the web -- as referenced by numerous instances of viewer feedback -- we continue to toil in relative obscurity.

Temporarily crushed, STBD will bounce back. Our future plans involve massive amounts of commercial success and attendant drug addictions and prostitute scandals.

Mostly, we just want to be seen.

When it comes to art, business or love, the only extremes are failure or perseverance. Everything else is just middle ground.