I have to talk about it. I have to share my excitement: Spring is almost here, the birds will be back soon, and no one is happier about this than me. Truly, I despise winter. It’s the worst season I have the displeasure of living through. If you’re someone who loves the world’s frigid temperatures, feet of snow, layers of ice, and people apparently learning to drive when there’s eight inches of fresh snow and still more is falling, well yippee for you. The rest of us who still possess our sanity are anxiously awaiting Spring’s arrival and the hope of growth and warmer weather that it brings.
Early last week, I led a TV Night at ThreeHouse Campus Ministries. We’re currently watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, although I’m not allowed to publicize that on social media and posters because of copyright laws. The show aired on Nickelodeon in 2005 and ran for three seasons. The crazy thing? The topics and issues covered in the show are still so relevant to today, it could be a brand new series. War, one nation trying to control the world, eradication of those who are different, people fighting back and spreading hope that things can get better…the list goes on.
Anyways. We watched an episode where the characters come across a decimated forest. Everything for miles was burnt to the ground. The spirit totems were charred and disfigured, and it was a hopeless, desolate land. Until, one character found: an acorn. She presented it to the others, explaining how it was a sign of hope and a promise that the forest would grow back.
The impact that single episode had on the students who attended astounded me. I didn’t think much of it; in fact, I had been thinking earlier that day about not having the group that night. There were only two students signed up; maybe they could coordinate it on their own? We could wait until next week? I’m so glad I didn’t. That acorn was a sign of hope both of those students needed that night. The burnt forest and the acorn represented new life, growth, and inspiration being found in hard times and broken places. We talked about how important it was to find little acorns in everything we do, and how our acorns can spread hope and inspire others we share them with. Throughout the week, these students shared that story and what it meant for them with other students.
That’s it, I thought. That’s why I’m doing what I do. Even though the activity and my work for it only made an impression on a few people, it was worth it. The message is spreading.
It’s why we all do what we do, right? We all want to do something that inspires us, that fuels our passion and our fire. We want our work and our lives to have a meaningful impact on the people we meet and are around. We create art and theatre to tell stories that are going to connect with our audiences and leave a resounding effect on them, even if it’s only one person. We’ve reached someone, and that makes all the difference. That makes marks success and is totally worth it.
I’m hopeful for the work we’re doing this season. Our next show reflects our world in a unique way: “A Century of Revolution.” We want these pieces to give little acorns of hope and ignite passion in all who come see it, and hear about it, and plant new growth and inspiration in our audiences. The plays are written nearly 100 years apart, and still have the same themes. Some things have changed, while others haven’t. We’re sharing stories that need to be heard, in the hopes that they will affect someone. And that someone will inspire someone else, and so on and so forth, until we’ve got little acorns all over the Cedar Valley and farther, growing into something even bigger, and better.
-Robin Kime
RFT's Artistic Director