dear amanda 2

Dear Amanda,
Last week, you made one or two comments about the acting you've done in your twenties, and it seemed like you were seeking validation. It seemed like maybe there is a tiny part of you that thinks about paths not taken?
I was paying attention, don't think i wasn't. You are an amazing human, Amanda Michelle Parke-Davis, and have touched more people in your life than you could ever begin to track.
One of the sad things about being an actor is that we rarely appreciate the scope of our impact. Even in a show that's not celebrated on a grand scale or small, the mere act of creation, if there is anyone in the audience at all, sends out ripples into humanity. Even with a show we're not terribly proud of, the human experience is so subjective that there is almost always someone out there who was so touched by the experience, it would blow your mind.
In this society, only the tiniest fraction of actors receive affirmation in a monetary measure. That scant handful receive almost all of it (the adoration, too). This reveals a value system out of whack. I think that ideally, theater should exist on a scale no larger than what allows for any member of the audience to talk directly to the performers, about what happened.
Of course, more and more, we live in a global community, and when an opportunity arises to touch people on a grand scale (say, if the national media suddenly shines the spotlight on a small town over a matter of staggering spiritual importance...just, y'know, speaking hypothetically), the chance to make an artistic statement that touches millions shouldn't be automatically avoided.
Just be wary of the pitfalls. Think globally, act locally, and all that. If any artist seeks adoration or material rewards as justification for art, then their spirit took a wrong turn somewhere.
Along those lines, you have lived a wonderful, giving life so far. I am filled with love and pride at all that you are.
I celebrate Eve, Debalone, Dale, Plow, that little girl who climbed up out of the steps to read to the audience, the "second" in my French duel...
I celebrate you.
love,
wrob
(note: Fort Myers Beach, the FL town at the center of national media spotlight over the firing of the town manager because his wife is a porn actress, is where i started my first theater, a theater kept running by friends of mine)