| It is truly a city that never sleeps. Unlike London, where you need to know the specific clubs to be able to spend the whole night frolicking, here the egalitarian "you got the money, we got the goods" makes sure a whole variety of late night bars remain open. It is a philosophy that transfuses the whole city. It is a "can do" attitude. But it is a city for those who know how to say "I want" and "no". Arriving in my dungeon of a home, a one bedroom back of the building apartment allocated by Columbia for the duration of my studies (doubt I'll stay longer than a semester. In the apartment that is), with a missing sink and broken windows, I rolled up the sleeves of my t-shirt and proceeded with a combination of shouting, threats and an edge of charm. Amazingly, things begin to happen when you shout here. I still remember the hoarse voice caused by British Gas intransigence with absolutely no effect. And I feel much better. The ease in which things happen here transfuses every aspect of society. Opening a bank account is done in half an hour, with a temporary debit card issued to you immediately. When I needed a mattress I just called 1-800-mattres and two hours later a bed frame and mattress was delivered. I needed a sofa bed, went online, and two days later it was delivered and assembled. To connect phone, gas, cable television, all of it. Simple. We'll see what happens if any problems emerge, though. Will let you know.
It is in the middle of the NYC Fringe festival, and I enjoyed a show (along with 7 other audience members) which switched action between live performance and live star wars figurines moving for cameras and projected onto a screen. Sick sick humour! (I guess I should use humor now). After the show I went to an infamous East Village bar, Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction, that had a comedy night where one of my friends did a cameo appearance. Truly entertaining. If we think that Bush bashing in Europe is prevalent, here it is an art form. The show included various ways in which the president could be "dealt" with, i.e. die. Or, as was said by Kiki, in "Kiki and Herb does Broadway", "I hear it is illegal to wish for the assassination of the president, but there's no law against wishing he'd kill himself!" as well as "Here's a toast to our president, he just had his birthday. He's a cancer." Definitely the feelings here in the big apple leave no doubt. This president is fodder for comedy, satire, protest, and general rolling of eyes.
NYC has a vibrant fringe theatre scene. What is amazing is the range of the work presented. Somehow the lack of government funding for the arts has become a challenge for the arts, leading to a range of innovative methods of producing work. Through private foundations, partnerships with not-for-profit theatre venues and production companies to small cheap venues and surviving on full time jobs to supplement the meagre ticket income, small theatre groups are nonetheless exploring and presenting new works. It helps that free newspapers such as the Village Voice and the NY Press, and the relative newcomer of Time Out NY, cover extensively what's happening in the fringe theatre scene. It pulls a committed audience who are interested in being challenged with new work. If you manage to sign up for not-for-profit status under an established organization (sponsorship) you'll also gain access to free costumes and subsidized set and light stocks.
I'm now sitting at the dining table in my flat (apartment), looking at a living room filled with a variety of furniture that either was ordered online and by phone or bought from a departing neighbour. Slowly settling into the city, preparing myself for three years of Columbia University Theatre Directing MFA program. Everyone, and I mean everyone, not just the ones in the university, warning me with sympathy of a year of pure stress and work. It is intense. But somehow I am feeling calm. Barely calm, granted, but calm nonetheless. Because I am in a city that will facilitate my dreams, if I wish them hard enough and shout loudly enough (with an edge of charm that is). A city for the dreamers.
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